Summer 2026 7 Faster, easier access to PET scans Advanced tech boosts local cancer care A cancer diagnosis is stressful enough. You shouldn’t have to travel outside your community or wait weeks for the scan you need to help determine the next steps in your care. That’s why Texas Health Huguley Hospital began offering positron emission tomography (PET) scanning last fall. “We wanted to minimize that delay for our patients and give them another option,” says Shayne Musick, Director of Imaging Services. “We’re trying to remove as much stress as we can for our patients.” What is a PET scan? PET scanning is a type of nuclear medicine imaging technology. It can spot changes at the cellular level that may be cancer, often before other imaging studies can detect them. “One of its key uses is to assist with staging, a treatment planning step that helps determine whether a tumor has spread to other areas of the body,” Shayne says. Here’s the simplified version of how it works: Before the test, you receive a small dose of radioactive sugar (glucose), called a radiotracer, by injection. Cancer cells absorb glucose at a high rate. Special cameras detect the energy emitted by the radiotracer, which makes any areas with cancer, called hot spots, “light up” on a PET scan image. A typical PET scan takes about 30 minutes, and the results are often ready within 24 hours. What you eat before your PET scan can affect its accuracy, so you’ll want to follow the dietary instructions provided. Easier access, shorter drive Texas Health Huguley offers PET scans through a mobile unit each week. The ability to get PET scans locally means community members no longer need to wait two to three weeks, says Oncology Director Kristy Robinson, APRN, AGACNP, OCN. In addition to reducing anxiety, this may shorten the time between diagnosis and treatment for some patients. Discover more imaging options Visit TexasHealthHuguley.org/ Imaging. “We knew we had to do this for our community. We offer PET here, and we offer it efficiently and easily for our patients. It’s a huge win.” —Kristy Robinson
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