CAT Scans

CAT is an X-ray technique that gives doctors information in two-dimensional slices, or cross-sections. During a CAT scan, you lie on a moving table and pass through a doughnut-shaped machine that creates a composite, synthesized image of the part of the body being studied.

CAT scans are not used routinely to evaluate the breast. If you have a large breast cancer, your doctor may order a CAT scan to assess whether the cancer is removable by mastectomy or inoperable because it has moved into the chest wall. CAT scans are also used to evaluate lymph nodes, lungs, liver, brain, spine, or other areas in detail. With metastatic disease, CAT scans of the head, chest, and abdomen assess the extent of metastatic disease prior to treatment. CAT scans are also used periodically during treatment to evaluate response.