The exam table moves through the PET scanner, which is shaped like a large doughnut. Detectors in the scanner pick up the signal from the radioactive material in the body.
A computer analyzes the patterns and creates 3D colour images of the area being scanned. The radioactive material passes out of the body through urine or stool feces. It may take a few hours or days to completely pass out of the body. Drink lots of fluids after the test to help flush it out. The dose of x-rays or radioactive materials used in nuclear medicine imaging can be different for every test. The dose depends on the type of procedure and body part being examined.
In general, the dose of radioactive material given during a PET scan is small and you are exposed to low levels of radiation during the test. The benefits of having a PET scan outweigh the risk of exposure to the small amount of radiation received during the scan. PET scans detect areas of activity like cell growth in the body. More radioactive material collects in cancer cells than normal cells and will appear brighter on the image.
Not all cancers show up on a PET scan. PET scan results are often used with other imaging and lab test results. Other tests are often needed to find out whether an area that collected a lot of radioactive material is non-cancerous benign or cancerous malignant. Recent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy and some medicines may affect the test results. Preparing children before a test or procedure can help lower their anxiety, increase their cooperation and develop their coping skills.
This includes explaining to children what will happen during the test, such as what they will see, feel and hear. Preparing a child for a PET scan depends on the age and experience of the child.
Find out more about helping your child cope with tests and treatments. Positron emission tomography PET scan. Why a PET scan is done. Driving is not advisable. Occasionally, other drugs will be given as part of a PET scan and any possible side effects will be discussed with you. If there is any possibility that you are pregnant or if you are breast-feeding you should inform the nurse, technologist or doctor. PET scanning is a powerful diagnostic test that is having a major impact on the diagnosis and treatment of disease.
It provides unique information that may assist in making a diagnosis, making decisions about treatment or providing a prognosis, that is, the likely outcome of any disease. Nuclear medicine tests, including PET scanning, can provide information on how tissue or organs are working, which cannot be obtained from other imaging techniques.
PET scans may detect disease earlier than other types of scanning by identifying early changes to tissue and organs. A nuclear medicine technologist operates the equipment during the procedure. The technologist, or a nurse, will also be involved in preparing you for the scan. A doctor who has received highly specialised training in nuclear medicine will oversee the procedure, interpret the images and provide your doctor with a report of the scan.
PET scanners are usually located within public or private hospitals or private radiology practices with nuclear medicine facilities. A doctor who has received specialised training in nuclear medicine will interpret the images and forward a report to your referring doctor, who will provide you with the results.
The time it takes your doctor to receive a written report on the test or procedure will vary depending on:. Please feel free to ask the private practice, clinic, or hospital when the written report will be provided to your doctor. It is important that you discuss the results with your doctor, either in person or on the telephone, so that they can explain what the results mean for you. What is an MIBG scan? Advice to help you and your family Understand the purpose of the test and what it involves It is normal….
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Health professional information. PET Scan. The gadolinium contrast agent increases the signal from… Read more. Interventional Neuroradiology INR Interventional neuroradiology is a subspecialty of interventional radiology which involves using medical imaging tests in diagnosing and treating diseases of… Read more.
Be sure to drink plenty of fluids to flush the tracer from your body. The tracer is radioactive, which means your body is exposed to radiation. This exposure is limited, however, because the radioactive chemicals have short half-lives. They breakdown quickly and are removed from the body through the kidneys. The long-term risk of radiation exposure is usually worth the benefits of diagnosing serious medical conditions.
Your exposure risk could vary, however, depending on how many CT or other scans you have had. If you have concerns about your cumulative radiation exposure, talk to your doctor. The nuclear medicine doctor will promptly review your images and communicate directly with your referring doctor, who in turn will discuss the results with you. If you have further questions about this diagnostic test, contact the doctor that ordered the test or visit Radiologyinfo.
Damaged tissues have reduced metabolic activity; therefore, gamma radiation from these areas is reduced or absent. The radiolabeled substance emits positrons that can be picked up by a special scanner. We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. This information is not intended to replace the medical advice of your health care provider.
At Mayfield, we work with diagnostic imaging providers in the Greater Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky region to obtain images of the brain and spine and interpret them with expertise and care. Patients and referring physicians can rest assured that we will lay the groundwork for a diagnosis of utmost accuracy. To make an appointment call
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