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PET Body Scan
A positron emission tomography (PET) scan is a simple way to take pictures of your body’s cells. It allows a specially trained doctor (a radiologist) to check for changes in your cells. A radioactive sugar, 18 FDG, is injected before the PET scan and allows us to image the metabolism of your body’s cells.
What are some common uses of the PET scan?
PET scans are used most often to detect cancer and to check the effects of cancer treatments.
PET scans of the brain are used to evaluate patients who have memory loss, seizure problems, or brain tumors.
How do I prepare for a PET scan?
- Fast 12 hours before the exam. Do not eat or drink anything except water. You may take your prescribed medicines (except cough syrup) on the day of your exam if they can be tolerated on an empty stomach. If you are told not to take your medicines, do not take them. Do not chew gum, eat candy, or take vitamins.
- Please drink 6 to 8 glasses of water the day before the exam, and several on the day of the exam to ensure hydration.
- The last meal you eat before you begin your fast should be a low-carbohydrate meal.
- Do not exercise for 24 hours before the exam.
- Bring any prior imaging films, such as PET, CT, or MRI with you, if possible. These can be on films or CD-ROM. Our doctors will use them to compare to your new PET scan.
- Make sure that your appointment time is convenient for you. The precise timing of this study is very important, so please arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled time.
- Wear comfortable clothing and dress warmly, as some scanner rooms may be cold. Do not wear jewelry or metal on your clothes on the day of the exam.
- For your comfort, you may bring a CD to listen to during the PET scan. We provide warm blankets.
- Do not bring children or pregnant women with you, due to the radioactive material that will be injected.
- If a mild muscle relaxant is planned for your exam, you must have someone accompany you to drive you home.
- If your pelvis will be scanned, a bladder catheter (a tube that drains your bladder) may be placed before the PET scan.
- If you have diabetes, please call our staff at 206-598-4240 to discuss diet and medicine instructions as soon as possible.
- Please call our staff at 206-598-4240 if you are currently on any granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) medicines (such as Neupogen or Neulasta) or any red blood cell stimulating drugs (such as Epogen or Procrit).
- Your doctor may have requested a CT scan to be done on the PET camera after the PET scan. Please see the Computer Tomography (CT or CAT Scan) section for more information on this scan: Computed Tomography (CAT) Scan.
What should I expect when I arrive?
A nuclear medicine technologist will help you to get ready for the scan. The technologist will start an intravenous (IV) line (a thin tube used to give you medicine and fluids) and check your blood sugar. The technologist will inject the radiotracer. After allowing the radiotracer to circulate for about 45 minutes, you will be taken to the PET scan area. You will be asked to lie on your back on the scanner table. Most scans take about 1 hour.
What will I feel during the test?
Once the IV starts, you won’t feel much. During a PET scan you are supposed to relax and not move or worry. You will not feel anything related to the radioactivity of the substance in your body. The radioactivity is gone within a day.
After the scan, there are no special instructions except to drink plenty of fluids. They will help to speed up the removal of the radioactive substance from your body.
Who reads the PET scan and when will I get the results?
PET scans are read by a radiologist or nuclear medicine doctor, who takes into account the other scan results that you bring with you. Your private doctor will give you your PET scan results. Your doctor should receive the results within 3 days.