Do you need a cannula for a PET scan?

You have this injection through a small plastic tube in your arm (a cannula). It’s only a small amount of radiation. You need to rest and avoid moving too much during this hour. This allows the radiotracer to spread through your body and into your tissues.

How long are you radioactive after a PET-CT scan?

You will not be radioactive after a CT scan. With a PET or a PET/CT scan, you will give off very low levels of radiation for around 6 hours afterwards. As a precaution, you should avoid being close to women who are pregnant during this time.

What does PET-CT scan mean?

Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (PET/CT).

What isotope is used in a PET scan?

The most commonly used isotope in PET scans is fluorine-18. It is a fluorine isotope with a half life of approximately 110 minutes.

What cancers are not detected by PET scan?

On the other hand, tumors with low glycolytic activity such as adenomas, bronchioloalveolar carcinomas, carcinoid tumors, low grade lymphomas and small sized tumors have revealed false negative findings on PET scan.

Can you feel unwell after a PET scan?

If undergoing a combination PET-CT scan, the iodine-based contrast dye used for the CT component can cause side effects, including nausea, vomiting, headache, itching, flushing, and mild rash. In rare cases, a serious, all-body allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis may occur.

Why is fluorine 18 used in PET scans?

Fluorine-18 is one of the several isotopes of fluorine that is routinely used in radiolabeling of biomolecules for PET; because of its positron emitting property and favorable half-life of 109.8 min. Other tracers are also used in PET to image the tissue concentration.

What is isotopic tracers and how it is used in PET?

The tracer is what allows doctors to see how your body tissues absorb and use different chemicals in real time. Before the PET scan, a tracer is injected into your bloodstream. Various drugs and other chemicals can be labeled with these isotopes.