Definition

A radioactive substance being studied in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. 11C-acetate gets taken up by cells in the body, and a PET scanner is used to find which cells in the body have taken it up. Since more 11C-acetate is taken up by cancer cells than by normal cells, it can be used to help find cancer in the body and diagnose disease. Also called carbon C 11-acetate.