US Medical Term · tests
PET Scan (Positron Emission Tomography)
Tomografía por Emisión de Positrones (PET)
What it means
A PET (positron emission tomography) scan is a nuclear imaging test that looks at how well the tissues and organs are working and checks for signs of cancer. For the scan, a person gets an injection of a small amount of a tracer, which MedlinePlus describes as a safe radioactive substance. The tracer settles in areas of the body that have high levels of chemical activity, and the scanner picks up the rays the tracer sends out to create images. The National Cancer Institute defines a PET scan as a procedure in which radioactive glucose (sugar) is injected into a vein. A PET scan is often done along with a CT scan. The test takes about two hours, including the wait for the tracer to be absorbed.
PET Scan (Positron Emission Tomography) in Spanish
- Spanish term
- Tomografía por Emisión de Positrones (PET)
- Gender and article
- feminine: la tomografía por emisión de positrones
- Pronunciation
- toh-moh-grah-FEE-ah por eh-mee-SYOHN deh poh-see-TROH-nehs
| Other Spanish terms | Where it is used | Note |
|---|---|---|
| TEP | General | Abbreviation MedlinePlus en español lists under "Otros nombres" and writes in parentheses after the full name; the Spanish dictionary of the National Cancer Institute enters the test under it. |
MedlinePlus en español and the Spanish dictionary of the National Cancer Institute write the name as tomografía por emisión de positrones and abbreviate it TEP. None of the cited Spanish pages prints the headword in the exact form "tomografía por emisión de positrones (PET)": the encyclopedia article writes "tomografía por emisión de positrones (TEP)", and the Spanish dictionary enters the test under TEP. PET is the abbreviation the English pages use. The name is feminine, and the encyclopedia article treats the abbreviation the same way: una tomografía por emisión de positrones, una TEP.
For the scan done together with a CT scan, the encyclopedia article writes TEP/TC. Words from the Spanish pages: marcador (tracer), sustancia radiactiva (radioactive substance), escáner (scanner), tomografía computarizada (CT scan), vía intravenosa (IV line), camilla (table), claustrofobia (claustrophobia, glossed there as miedo a los espacios cerrados), radiólogo (radiologist) and puntos brillantes (bright spots).
Phrases for an appointment
What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:
| Who | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Clinician | I am going to order a PET scan to see how your organs and tissues are working. | Voy a pedirle una tomografía por emisión de positrones para ver cómo funcionan sus órganos y tejidos. |
| Patient | How do I need to prepare for the test? | ¿Cómo debo prepararme para la prueba? |
| Clinician | Please tell me about all the medicines and supplements you take. | Por favor, dígame todos los medicamentos y suplementos que toma. |
| Patient | I am afraid of enclosed spaces. Is the scanner closed? | Me dan miedo los espacios cerrados. ¿El escáner es cerrado? |
| Clinician | We are going to inject a tracer into a vein through an IV line. | Vamos a inyectarle un marcador en una vena a través de una vía intravenosa. |
| Clinician | Please lie on the table and do not move while the images are taken. | Por favor, acuéstese en la camilla y no se mueva mientras se toman las imágenes. |
| Patient | I am breastfeeding. Is the test safe for my baby? | Estoy amamantando. ¿La prueba es segura para mi bebé? |
| Patient | When will my doctor get the results? | ¿Cuándo recibirá los resultados mi médico? |
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | PET Scan (Positron Emission Tomography) |
| Spanish (Español) | Tomografía por Emisión de Positrones (PET) |
| Chinese (中文) | 正子電腦斷層掃描（PET掃描） |
| Korean (한국어) | PET 스캔 (양전자 방출 단층촬영) |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Chụp PET (Chụp cắt lớp phát xạ positron) |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | PET Scan |
| Portuguese (Português) | PET Scan (Tomografia por Emissão de Pósitrons) |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | เพ็ทสแกน |
| Japanese (日本語) | PETスキャン（陽電子放出断層撮影） |
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Your right to an interpreter in the United States
If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.
You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»
More terms: General care: tests, procedures and medicines
All terms in this area: General care: tests, procedures and medicines — Atención general: pruebas, procedimientos y medicamentos
Sources
- PET Scan — MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
- Tomografía por emisión de positrones — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- Tomografía por emisión de positrones (TEP) — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- PET scan — NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms — National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH
- TEP — Diccionario de cáncer del NCI — Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NCI), NIH
- Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Your Right to Language Assistance Services — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.
Last reviewed: October 8, 2026