PET/CT

PET/CT scans may be recommended for a variety of different reasons, including the:

• Detection or spread of cancer
• Assessment of response to treatment
• Detection and location of brain abnormalities

You will be injected with a radiotracer (a radioactive substance that your organs and tissues will take up). Parts of the body that use more energy will take up more radiotracer. Since cancer cells use more energy than healthy cells, areas that have cancerous tissue will have a higher concentration of the radiotracer. This allows detection of the diseased cells. When combined with the structural detail of the CT images, the diseased cells can be precisely localized.

During a PET/CT, you will lie on an exam table. A radiotracer will then be injected through an IV. The radiotracer will be absorbed by the organ or tissue in question. This may take up to an hour. You will be asked not to talk or move during this time. You may also be given a contrast agent to help during the analysis. Once the radiotracer is absorbed, you will begin the CT procedure first. During the test, you will lie on the exam table as it moves in and out of a scanner, which rotates around you, taking multiple images of the area being evaluated. You will need to be still during the test and may be asked to keep your hands raised above your head. The Technologist will be in the adjacent room operating the scanner, but will be able to hear and communicate with you throughout. The PET portion of the test is then performed in much the same way as the CT; however, the PET scans capture a blueprint of the body's function at a cellular level. The entire imaging portion of the test usually takes about 45 minutes.

Contact our Scheduling Department for an appointment:

Phone: 703.698.4488 Monday through Friday 8am to 6pm

Fax: 703.698.0864

Or click here to make an appointment request

Please have your written physician order and your insurance card in hand when making your appointment.

For your convenience, appointments are available at our Fairfax PET/CT Imaging Center mornings and afternoons throughout the week and Saturday mornings. Learn more about this location.