A computed tomography (CT) positron emission tomography (PET) fusion study combines the strengths of two imaging techniques. A PET scan finds hot spots that can represent abnormal cell growth. A CT scan locate where those spots are in the body accurately.

More and more CT-PET scans are used to find cancers, assess if and how they have spread and to see how well treatment is affecting the cancer.

A CT PET fusion study shows abnormalities that cannot be identified by either computed tomography or a PET scan alone. The CT PET fusion study may eliminate the need for follow-up imaging studies. At the same time, it improves the accuracy of diagnosing head and neck cancers. The results of such fusion studies also help identify how advanced a cancer is.