What is a PET-CT scan?
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a type of nuclear medicine which uses a PET-CT scanner to detect cell activity in your body. The scanner is similar in size and appearance to a normal CT scanner.
PET-CT can be used to find, diagnose, and stage many disorders, including cancer. They are also effective in assisting with treatment plans for surgery and radiotherapy, and in evaluating the efficacy of such treatment.
PET-CT scans are conducted with the help of a radioactive tracer which will highlight areas where abnormal cells may be located. Not all PET-CT scans used the same radioactive tracer, it will be chosen depending on what kind of scan you have been referred for.
The images produced can help determine the location and intensity of the disease process and generate a whole-body image for analysis. A CT scan is obtained at the same time to provide precise information on structural changes to the affected tissues.
At Qscan Radiology Clinics, our advanced PET-CT technology ensures detailed imaging for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment planning.
Before your scan, a cannula will be placed into one of your veins. A technologist will then take you to an uptake room, where the tracer will be administered. It takes 60-90 minutes for the tracer to disperse throughout your body. During this time, you will rest in one of our recliners.
After 60-90 minutes, you will be taken to our PET-CT scanner. You will lie on the scanning bed, which moves through the scanner. It is important that you lie as still as possible while the scanner is operating.
The PET-CT scan can take 15-40 minutes, depending on what type of scan you have been referred for. Generally, a PET-CT appointment will take around 2.5 hours in total.
We will let you know how long your appointment is scheduled for at the time of booking.
After your scan, a PET-CT technologist will generate the images and upload them onto our private electronic database.
Our highly trained subspecialist PET Radiologists will interpret the images, produce a report, and send it to your referring doctor. Our Radiologists have very close working relationships with many of the referring doctors and will contact them urgently if appropriate.
Our friendly customer service team will advise you all required preparation at the time of your booking.
When booking your scan, please notify staff if you:
- think you may be pregnant
- are breast feeding
- have kidney failure
- have diabetes
- have had a previous adverse reaction to intravenous contrast for CT scans
- are severely claustrophobic
- have any allergies
- are taking any medications
Having accurate dates of your most recent therapies, including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, will also help in the booking process.
On the day of your scan, please bring all relevant imaging, if you have had scans conducted elsewhere, so it can be uploaded onto our system for comparison.
You will be given an arrival time well in advance of your camera time, so the tracer can be administered. Tracers decay rapidly after production, and your administered dose has been calculated based on your body weight and to align with your appointment time.
The amount of radiation used in PET-CT imaging is typically small. Health experts feel the risk to your health from this is very small and the benefits of the diagnostic information obtained usually outweigh any potential risks.
If you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant, please let us know.
Our friendly team will advise you of any required after care following your scan. After a PET-CT scan you may continue with your normal daily activities, unless advised otherwise by your healthcare practitioner.
Qscan bulk bills PET-CT scans if you have a Medicare eligible referral from a specialist doctor. While a GP can refer you for a PET-CT scan, it will not be eligible for Medicare rebate and will incur a gap payment. Some cancers and inflammatory disorders are not covered by a Medicare rebate, even if referred by a specialist, and these referrals will also incur a gap payment.
Our customer service team will be able to advise you of any costs that may be involved with your PET-CT scan.
