During the imaging scan, you will be required to lie flat with your arms raised above your head. If you think you will be unable to keep your arms above your head for approximately 35 minutes, please notify the technologist, and they may accommodate you.
During a positron emission tomography (PET) scan, you lie on a narrow table that slides into a doughnut-shaped hole. The scanner takes about 30 minutes to produce detailed images of metabolic activity in your tissues and organs.
Scanning the whole body all at once
PET (positron emission tomography) is an extremely safe and powerful method for imaging inside the body, used to evaluate organs and other tissues for potential diseases, including cancer.
Once you're ready to start the scan, you'll be asked to lie on your back on a platform. The platform will enter a long tube where the PET scan is performed. The scan will take 20 to 40 minutes. It's very important to remain still during the test.
Avoid exercising 24 hours before the scan. Follow a special diet for 12 to 24 hours before the scan. Don't drink or eat anything, except water, for 6 hours before the scan.
Can I brush my teeth before a PET/CT scan? Normal brushing without swallowing mouthwash or toothpaste within the four hour preparation timeframe will have no effect on the outcome of your PET/CT scan.
It usually takes between 45 and 60 minutes. You will be in the department for at least an hour beforehand. This is because you have an injection of a radioactive liquid (radiotracer) before the scan. PET scans are often combined with CT scans to produce more detailed images.
During the imaging scan, you will be required to lie flat with your arms raised above your head. If you think you will be unable to keep your arms above your head for approximately 35 minutes, please notify the technologist, and they may accommodate you.
It is much less confining than an MRI. It is also very quiet and comfortable. Most claustrophobic patients have no difficulty with the procedure. However, if you are severely claustrophobic, you might ask your doctor to consider a mild sedative.
It is important that you be as comfortable and relaxed as possible prior to and during the PET or PET/CT scan. You can take medications such as Valium, Ativan, or pain medications to lessen any anxiety or discomfort you may have.
A PET scan can show the size, shape, and function of the brain, so your doctor can make sure it is working as well as it should. It is most often used when other tests, such as MRI scan or CT scan, do not provide enough information.
You should stay still and not talk while the scanner takes pictures of your body, which usually takes up to 30 minutes. The scan is completely painless, but you may feel uncomfortable lying still for this long.
Then, the patient will be asked to lie on a table that passes slowly through the scanner. The scanner resembles a CT scanner, but has a much larger opening. Some people fall asleep during the scan.
It is open at both ends and the table moves through the opening. Once in the opening, a quiet camera scans your body.
You will sit or lie down on a comfortable chair or bed for 30-90 minutes while the FDG travels throughout your body. During this time, a family member or loved one will be allowed to safely wait with you until it is time for your test. At this time the technologist will assist you to the scanner.
Generally, you will need to fast for several hours before the PET scan. This means no eating any food or drinking any liquids containing sugars. It is ok to drink plain water during this time and we recommend you drink at least 500mls of water before you arrive for your appointment.
A PET-CT scan does not hurt. But some positions might be uncomfortable or tiring. You need to lie still for the entire scan. You might also need to keep your arms above your head.
You will need to wait nearby as the tracer is absorbed by your body. This usually takes about 1 hour. Then, you will lie on a narrow table, which slides into a large tunnel-shaped scanner.
Although lung tumors are often initially evaluated through a chest x-ray or CT scan, PET and PET-CT scans are highly accurate at determining whether a lung mass is cancerous and may even eliminate the need for surgical biopsy.
If a PET scan is not funded by Medicare, patients have to pay between $800 and $1000.
Though most cancers are picked up on PET CT, there are a few which do not. The most important of these would be cancer of stomach (signet cell type). In such cases performing this test would be waste. However, there are cancers which are very sensitively detected which include lymphoma, GIST, etc.
Do I have to pay for a PET scan? There is no cost for most PET scans if you are a citizen or permanent resident of Australia and covered by Medicare. For a limited number of indications that are not approved by Medicare, there can be a charge to the patient.
Do not eat or drink anything, except water, for 6 hours before the exam. You may drink water, as much water as you can would be helpful, until arrival. Routine medications may be taken, unless you have been instructed otherwise.