Voiceover: PET and PET-CT scans help to diagnose and stage some cancers. This 3-minute video shows you what happens when you have a PET scan or PET-CT scan. When it’s over, your radiographer will come back into the room and lower the couch so you can get up. In most places the radiographer will be able to play music for you. It’s not particularly noisy but you’ll hear a constant background noise. Tell your radiographer if you’re getting stiff and need to move. The scan is painless but can be uncomfortable because you have to stay still. The machine takes pictures as you move through it. The couch slowly slides backwards and forwards through the scanner. You can talk to each other through an intercom. They can see you on a TV screen or through a window from the control room. Once you’re in the right position, your radiographer leaves the room. You have most scans lying down on the machine couch on your back. The PET machine is large and shaped like a doughnut. Your radiographer takes you into the scanning room. So, active cancer cells take up the FDG which then shows up brighter on the scan. Cancer cells are very active when they are growing and reproducing in a specific area. The one commonly used is called FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose). This allows the radiotracer to spread through your body and into your tissues. You need to rest and avoid moving too much during this hour. You have the injection through a small plastic tube in your arm (cannula). You have an injection of radiotracer about an hour before the scan. Metal interferes with the images created by the scanner. You have to remove any jewellery and other metal objects such as hair clips, coins, belts and a wired bra. Your radiographer might ask you to change into a hospital gown. Your doctor can arrange to give you medicine to help you relax, if needed. They can take extra care to make sure you’re comfortable and that you understand what’s going on. Contact the department staff before your test if you’re likely to feel like this. Some people feel claustrophobic when they‘re having a scan. You might need to adapt your diet and sugar control and your appointment time could change. You might have instructions not to do any strenuous exercise for between 12 and 24 hours before the scan.Ĭall the number on your appointment letter if not eating is a problem for you, for example if you’re diabetic. ![]() You can usually drink unflavoured water during this time. Preparing for your PET scanįor most PET scans, you need to stop eating for about 4 to 6 hours beforehand. PET scans are sometimes used to look for cancer in the lymph nodes in the centre of the chest. A PET scan can show whether this tissue is active cancer or not. It could be scar tissue left over from cancer killed off by your treatment. decide the best treatment for your cancerĪfter you have had treatment for cancer, a CT scan may show that there are still some signs of the cancer left.find out how big it is and whether it has spread (stage a cancer).These are called PET-CT scans. You can also have an MRI scan with a PET scan. PET scans are often combined with CT scans to produce more detailed images. This is because you have an injection of a radioactive liquid (radiotracer) before the scan. You will be in the department for at least an hour beforehand. It usually takes between 45 and 60 minutes. So you might have to travel to another hospital to have one.Ī radiographer operates the scanner. These scanners tend to be only in the major cancer hospitals. You usually have a PET scan in the radiology or nuclear medicine department as an outpatient. It can also help to find out where and whether cancer has spread. It's used to help diagnose some conditions including cancer. The PET scan uses a mildly radioactive drug to show up areas of your body where cells are more active than normal. ![]() PET stands for positron emission tomography. A PET scan is a test that creates 3 dimensional (3D) pictures of the inside of your body.
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