What to Expect During Your PET-CT Scan
PET-CT scans are viewed as the gold standard for cancer imaging and can easily give a wide array of information. Doctors use this scan to determine whether there is cancer in the body and, if so, where exactly it is located. This helps in choosing the right course of treatment for the patient. This scan releases a dose of radiation into the body and the resulting images are crisp and precise. The procedure is generally safe for most patients. Some may worry about the amount of radiation being introduced into the body but the benefits that this scan offers far outweighs the risk. Patients asked to get a PET-CT scan should expect the following: • Patients should not eat or drink anything for six hours prior to the procedure. Water is, however, allowed. The test is conducted by first injecting sugars into the body and so it is advisable that the patient stay away from eating sugars at least 24 hours before the procedure. During the exam, sugar is given in an IV injection and the p