CT Scan (CAT Scan): Purpose, Procedure, Risks, Side-Effects, Results

Tap Into Your Cancer ResourcesSeveral cancer support organizations exist to help you get through treatment. What are the best places to reach out for help?58

[MUSIC PLAYING]

TRACY MCELVEEN: There are

a plethora of free resources

available to cancer patients

today that many of them

don't know about as they're

going through the process.

These might be support groups

that are

free through the hospital.

They may be things

like a smoking cessation program

that might help patients,

you know, kick the habit.

They might be things

like programs that help patients

cope with stress and things

that they can do to celebrate

their survivorship.

So doing some research

and finding out what resources

are available is definitely

helpful and online searching

through the hospitals

the doctor's offices

or practices themselves.

And they really do provide a lot

of support for patients

and coping mechanisms

for patients that really helped

them navigate

through their journey.

<p>Tracy McElveen, MD<br/>Radiation Oncologist</p>/delivery/f8/0b/f80b5803-cb43-4587-b330-8ac58ffe5532/vd-1422-cancer-self-care-resources_,1000k,2500k,400k,4500k,750k,.mp409/18/2016 07:00:00 PM650350group yoga class/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/article_thumbnails/video/vd_1422_cancer_self_care_resources_video/650x350_vd_1422_cancer_self_care_resources_video.jpg091e9c5e814b4f65

A computed tomography (CT or CAT) scan allows doctors to see inside your body. It uses a combination of X-rays and a computer to create pictures of your organs, bones, and other tissues. It shows more detail than a regular X-ray.

You can get a CT scan on any part of your body. The procedure doesn't take very long, and it's painless.

What is a CT scan machine?

The CT scan machine is an imaging device that uses a motorized X-ray to take three-dimensional (3D) digital images.

There are several important parts of a CT scan machine. You lie on a movable table and will slide through the center of a gantry. That is the ring-shaped part of the scanner where the X-ray tube and digital X-ray detectors are.  The detectors are opposite the X-ray source. When they capture the X-rays, the detectors send the information to a computer. The computer turns the data into detailed images. 

CT scan vs. MRI