Question

Why does PET have high specificity (true negative detection rate)?

A) Short half-life of radiotracers
B) Precise anatomical imaging
C) High sensitivity to metabolic activity
D) Low background radiation

Answer 1

PET has high specificity (true negative detection rate) because it is highly sensitive to metabolic activity. The PET scanner detects the activity in the body by injecting a small amount of radioactive glucose, which is taken up by metabolically active tissues.

Step-by-step explanation:

PET has high specificity (true negative detection rate) due to its high sensitivity to metabolic activity. The PET scanner detects the activity in the body by injecting a small amount of radioactive glucose, which is taken up by metabolically active tissues. The most metabolically active tissues, such as cancer cells, show up as bright 'hot spots' on the images produced by the PET camera.