As a clinician and researcher in the field of radiation oncology, Dr. Mary Kara Bucci has investigated and evaluated a number of methodologies for use in cancer treatment situations. A radiation oncologist with the MD Anderson/Presbyterian Health System, Dr. Mary Kara Bucci co-authored an article that discusses positron emission topography as a determiner of volume in lung tumor targets.
Positron emission topography, or PET, uses a radioactive tracing material to create a visual representation of tissue and organ function. It enables physicians to detect changes in function that may be indicative of disease, often before other imaging tests can produce positive results. Because it can be extremely effective in identifying tumor cells by their increased metabolic rate, oncologists often use PET to evaluate the growth, spread, or recurrence of certain cancers.