Your referring specialist has decided that you should have a PET/CT scan as part of your care at this hospital. This is an extremely beneficial procedure as it provides a lot of very useful information that will help decide the type of treatment you may need.
This page contains important information about the procedure, as well as some things that you will need to know and do beforehand. This will help us to ensure that everything runs smoothly for you and you get the best from your scan.
A PET/CT scan is made up of two scan types or ‘imaging’:
PET (Positron Emission Tomography) uses very small amounts of a radioactive sugar (18F-FDG) which, once injected into one of your veins, can be seen on the scan and show how parts of your body are functioning.
CT (Computed Tomography) uses X-rays to produce images of the different density or thickness of organs in your body.
By combining these two images, a PET/CT scan can show how well certain parts of your body are working, as well as showing what they look like. You get a very detailed and accurate internal picture which a referring specialist can use to help diagnose and, if necessary, decide the most effective treatment.
PET/CT scans are particularly helpful for investigating confirmed cases of cancer, to see how far the cancer has spread and how well it is responding to treatment. PET/CT scans are sometimes used to help plan operations, such as brain surgery for epilepsy. They can also help diagnose some conditions that affect the normal workings of the brain, such as dementia.
The main benefit of the test is making the correct diagnosis or allowing us to effectively monitor your treatment. Please remember that your referring specialist has decided that this scan is beneficial for you.
Nuclear Medicine procedures are among the safest of diagnostic imaging tests. The amount of radiation received during a PET/CT scan will have been approved by an imaging specialist and tailored specifically to you. The typical amount of radiation from the entire examination is about the same as you would receive naturally over seven years so the risks associated with it are considered to be low. Also, there have been no documented side effects associated with the radioactive tracer.
The scan will not be uncomfortable, apart from the pinprick of the injections. You will need to remain still while the pictures are taken but you will be placed as comfortably as possible.
Once the scan is complete and you have used the toilet, you are free to leave as soon as you feel ready. You may eat and drink immediately after the scan. Drink 4-5 glasses of water and empty your bladder frequently, to flush any excess tracer from your kidneys. This will lower the radiation dose to your bladder and pelvis.
We recommend that you stay away from pregnant women and young children for about 8 hours while the radioactive tracer may still be in your system.
You will not have the results on the day of your scan. Your scan will be analysed by our Consultant Radiologist and a report will be sent to the referring specialist who requested your scan within 1 week.
Please be aware that we can sometimes experience technical difficulties with the scanner or the injection (which is manufactured off-site). On these rare occasions, we will inform you as soon as possible and we will arrange a new appointment with you.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your appointment, please contact us on 01792 517 965 or alternatively on 01792 285 295.
You will be asked to complete a “Friends and Family” questionnaire following your scan. We want to provide the best care possible to all our patients so would very much like to hear from you about your experience – things that we did well, and areas where we could improve. If you have any concerns about your experience you can also speak directly with a member of the team.
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