A review of PET scans for seizures and brain tumors
Original title: PET for Evaluation of Neurologic Diseases: Part Two: Epilepsy and Neuro-Oncology.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This looks across many earlier studies rather than running a new one.
This is a review of scans doctors already use, not a new result.
The short version
PET scans can show things in the brain that an MRI can miss.
What was studied. This is a review of how doctors use PET scans in brain care. It is the second of two parts, and it covers epilepsy and brain tumors.
What they found. In epilepsy, one kind of PET scan can show where seizures start in the brain. That can help plan surgery, even when the MRI looks normal. In brain tumors, other PET scans work alongside MRI and can help tell live tumor apart from changes caused by treatment. Another kind of PET scan helps check a meningioma, and may show who could fit a treatment that uses a radioactive drug.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: PET scans are used with MRI, not in place of it. Your doctor may order one to answer a question an MRI cannot. It can help decide if a spot is live tumor or just a change from treatment.
What it doesn't mean: This is a review of what is already known. It is not a new study, and it reports no new results. A PET scan is a test, not a treatment. It does not shrink a tumor or stop seizures, and it is not a cure.
Source: PubMed, September 30, 2026 · Read the original
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