Lifescan Minnesota

Having a PET/CT Scan...
Your doctor has referred you for a PET/CT scan and there are several guidelines you will be asked to follow. You will be asked to not eat or drink anything expect water and medications for six hours prior your scan. Other instructions include:

Before the scan, a small IV will be placed in a vein that will be used to check your blood sugar level and to inject the radioactive substance (FDG) for the test. This line remains in place until the injection is completed.

After the radioactive dose (FDG) injection, up to an hour will elapse before the scan begins. It is important to lie quietly without talking or moving during this period. You will also be asked to lie still during the scan, which usually lasts about 60 minutes. You should plan to be at the Center for about 1 1/2 hours overall for the entire process.

Most of the FDG collects in your bladder, so it is important that you urinate shortly after the scan is completed. Drink plenty of extra fluids for the rest of the day and urinate frequently to help eliminate the substance from your system as quickly as possible. The radioactive substance used in the study has a very short half life, and most of it is gone within the first four to eight hours after the injection.

Following the scan, the information is processed and filmed by a technologist and then interpreted by a trained, board certified nuclear medicine physician. A report is then prepared and sent directly to the physician who ordered the test, who will discuss the results with you.

What is a PET/CT Scan?
P.E.T., which stands for positron emission tomography, is an imaging technique that relies on changes in tissue biochemistry. Most well known conventional medical imaging techniques, such as X ray, ultrasound, CT and MRI, depend on changes in the anatomy or structure of organs. P.E.T. is able to image changes in cells and tissues often before there are changes in anatomy. Biologically active natural compounds such as oxygen, carbon and glucose labeled with radioactive isotopes are given intravenously and react in the body identically to their non radioactive counterparts. The normal and abnormal activity (distribution) can be imaged with a P.E.T. scanner. The tracer amounts used do not have a pharmacological effect and there are no known biological or radiation hazards associated with P.E.T. imaging.
The most commonly used radiopharmaceutical in P.E.T. imaging is 18F-fluorodeoxy-glucose, or simply FDG. This compound is radioactive sugar. Glucose is metabolized in cancer tissues to a greater extent than in normal tissues; consequently cancerous tissues can be seen on the FDG-P.E.T. scan. This unique information can have a profound impact on treatment decisions (e.g., Is that new mass cancerous and has it spread?).

Most FDG-P.E.T. imaging today is done to evaluate cancer patients. Through the efforts of a number of nuclear medicine societies, the FDA has approved FDG-P.E.T imaging for several cancer related problems. A partial list of these cancer-related problems are presented below:

The evaluation of solitary lung nodules for the presence of cancer.
The preoperative staging and re-staging of some lung cancers.
The staging and re-staging of lymphomas.
Staging and re-staging of malignant melanomas (skin cancers) prior to surgery.
The staging and re-staging of colon cancer.
The staging and re-staging of breast cancer.

Other cancers, such as liver, head and neck tumors, pancreas, thyroid cancer, and soft tissue sarcomas, can be detected and followed with FDG-P.E.T.

A number of cost effectiveness analyses have shown that thousands of dollars can be saved without loss of life expectancy when P.E.T. is used in the evaluation of cancer patients. P.E.T. may result in the earlier diagnosis of cancer. Unnecessary procedures and surgeries may be avoided if the patient is found to have more extensive disease than expected. Treatment that is more appropriate or even life saving may be offered to the patient shown to have disease that is less advanced than expected. Costly batteries of tests ordinarily required for staging might be reduced to a single P.E.T. scan.

How is a PET/CT Scan performed?
PET/CT scans can be done on an outpatient basis. It is also possible that some hospital inpatients may undergo a PET/CT examination for certain conditions. Although each PET/CT center may have specific protocols in place, Lifescan Minnesota uses the following procedure:

• A small amount of radioactive material is injected into the vein 40 ~ 60 minutes before scanning
• The patient lies on a table that slides into the middle of the PET/CT scanner for 25 minutes
• The scanner detects positrons and maps an image of the area, allowing the physician to see the location of the metabolic process. For example, glucose (or sugar, which the body uses to produce energy), combined with a radioisotope, will show where glucose is being used in the brain, the heart muscle, or in a growing tumor.
• The entire procedure is expected to last from 1 1/2 hours, depending on the
type of PET/CT examination the patient is undergoing.




Having a PET/CT Scan... What is a PET/CT Scan How is a PET/CT Scan Performed? Having a PET/CT Scan... Your doctor has referred you for a PET/CT scan and there are several guidelines you will be asked to follow. You will be asked to not eat or drink anything expect water and medications for six hours prior your scan. Other instructions include: • Please plan to be on time for your scan appointment. • Please allow 1 1/2 hours for the PET/CT examination. • Women who are pregnant must not be scanned, and nursing mothers should ask for specific instructions. • Diabetics should ask for specific instructions. • You should wear comfortable clothing. • You should drink at least 8 glasses of water the day before the scan. Before the scan, a small IV will be placed in a vein that will be used to check your blood sugar level and to inject the radioactive substance (FDG) for the test. This line remains in place until the injection is completed. After the radioactive dose (FDG) injection, up to an hour will elapse before the scan begins. It is important to lie quietly without talking or moving during this period. You will also be asked to lie still during the scan, which usually lasts about 60 minutes. You should plan to be at the Center for about 1 1/2 hours overall for the entire process. Most of the FDG collects in your bladder, so it is important that you urinate shortly after the scan is completed. Drink plenty of extra fluids for the rest of the day and urinate frequently to help eliminate the substance from your system as quickly as possible. The radioactive substance used in the study has a very short half life, and most of it is gone within the first four to eight hours after the injection. Following the scan, the information is processed and filmed by a technologist and then interpreted by a trained, board certified nuclear medicine physician. A report is then prepared and sent directly to the physician who ordered the test, who will discuss the results with you. What is a PET/CT Scan? P.E.T., which stands for positron emission tomography, is an imaging technique that relies on changes in tissue biochemistry. Most well known conventional medical imaging techniques, such as X ray, ultrasound, CT and MRI, depend on changes in the anatomy or structure of organs. P.E.T. is able to image changes in cells and tissues often before there are changes in anatomy. Biologically active natural compounds such as oxygen, carbon and glucose labeled with radioactive isotopes are given intravenously and react in the body identically to their non radioactive counterparts. The normal and abnormal activity (distribution) can be imaged with a P.E.T. scanner. The tracer amounts used do not have a pharmacological effect and there are no known biological or radiation hazards associated with P.E.T. imaging. The most commonly used radiopharmaceutical in P.E.T. imaging is 18F-fluorodeoxy-glucose, or simply FDG. This compound is radioactive sugar. Glucose is metabolized in cancer tissues to a greater extent than in normal tissues; consequently cancerous tissues can be seen on the FDG-P.E.T. scan. This unique information can have a profound impact on treatment decisions (e.g., Is that new mass cancerous and has it spread?). Most FDG-P.E.T. imaging today is done to evaluate cancer patients. Through the efforts of a number of nuclear medicine societies, the FDA has approved FDG-P.E.T imaging for several cancer related problems. A partial list of these cancer-related problems are presented below: The evaluation of solitary lung nodules for the presence of cancer. The preoperative staging and re-staging of some lung cancers. The staging and re-staging of lymphomas. Staging and re-staging of malignant melanomas (skin cancers) prior to surgery. The staging and re-staging of colon cancer. The staging and re-staging of breast cancer. Other cancers, such as liver, head and neck tumors, pancreas, thyroid cancer, and soft tissue sarcomas, can be detected and followed with FDG-P.E.T. A number of cost effectiveness analyses have shown that thousands of dollars can be saved without loss of life expectancy when P.E.T. is used in the evaluation of cancer patients. P.E.T. may result in the earlier diagnosis of cancer. Unnecessary procedures and surgeries may be avoided if the patient is found to have more extensive disease than expected. Treatment that is more appropriate or even life saving may be offered to the patient shown to have disease that is less advanced than expected. Costly batteries of tests ordinarily required for staging might be reduced to a single P.E.T. scan. How is a PET/CT Scan performed? PET/CT scans can be done on an outpatient basis. It is also possible that some hospital inpatients may undergo a PET/CT examination for certain conditions. Although each PET/CT center may have specific protocols in place, Lifescan Minnesota uses the following procedure: • A small amount of radioactive material is injected into the vein 40 ~ 60 minutes before scanning • The patient lies on a table that slides into the middle of the PET/CT scanner for 25 minutes • The scanner detects positrons and maps an image of the area, allowing the physician to see the location of the metabolic process. For example, glucose (or sugar, which the body uses to produce energy), combined with a radioisotope, will show where glucose is being used in the brain, the heart muscle, or in a growing tumor. • The entire procedure is expected to last from 1 1/2 hours, depending on the type of PET/CT examination the patient is undergoing.