How Soon After Radiation Can You Have A Pet Scan
When you have cancer, you have many questions about your treatment. One of the most common questions is “Can I still have a PET/CT scan?” This article will help answer that question.
How soon after radiation can you have a PET scan? After chemotherapy can you have a PET scan? .
A PET scan is a type of imaging test that uses radioactive material to see how the body is working.
It’s safe to have a PET scan done after radiation therapy. It can be done as soon as 2 weeks after chemotherapy if you are feeling well, but typically it takes 6 months or longer before your doctor will do the exam again because they want to make sure your cancer has been treated successfully and there aren’t any signs of it coming back.
Women who are pregnant should not have this test until at least 6 months after their last pregnancy or breastfeeding period (if they had children in the last year).
How soon after radiation can you have a PET scan.
You can have a PET scan within 4 weeks of completing radiation therapy. If you are having an IMRT treatment, your doctor will determine when it is safe for you to have a PET scan. You may be able to have a PET scan within 6 weeks of completing 2D-3D CRT if your doctor has determined that it is not too much radiation for you.
You should not wait longer than 4 weeks after finishing radiation therapy before having a PET scan because the imaging results will not be accurate if there are still cancer cells left in your body at this point. If there are still some cancer cells remaining in your body, they can show up on the PET scan even though they might not affect how well or quickly your cancer responds to treatment with chemotherapy or targeted therapy drugs (for example, trastuzumab).
The following are examples of doses and frequencies of radiation therapy that cannot be used for PET/CT scanning: 2D-3D Conformal Radiation Therapy (CRT) must have been completed at least 4 weeks prior to the PET/CT scan. IMRT: must be completed at least 6 weeks prior to the PET/CT scan.
The following are examples of doses and frequencies of radiation therapy that cannot be used for PET/CT scanning:
- 2D-3D Conformal Radiation Therapy (CRT) must have been completed at least 4 weeks prior to the PET/CT scan.* IMRT: must be completed at least 6 weeks prior to the PET/CT scan.
What to Expect During Your Scan – A PET scan takes about 1 hour of imaging time, however you should allow up to 2 hours for the procedure.
There are a few factors that can affect the length of your PET scan, but in general the entire procedure takes about 1 hour.
PET scans take place in a large cylindrical scanner that looks something like an enclosed tunnel. You’ll be asked to lie on a movable table and open your mouth so you can breathe normally during the procedure. The technician may use straps or pillows to support your head and neck as needed for comfort.
A PET scan involves being injected with a small amount of radioactive glucose (which is used as part of normal metabolism), followed by imaging while it builds up in tissues throughout your body. Because of this, there’s no reason to worry about getting “radioactive” while you’re getting scanned!
If you’re claustrophobic, tell your doctor so they can prescribe medication ahead of time if needed
Schedule your PET/CT Scan – To schedule your appointment, please call your physician’s office and request a referral.
When you arrive, you will be asked to remove any jewelry and wear a hospital gown. You may also be asked to take off your shoes.
You may need to sign paperwork before the scan begins. The medical team will discuss the procedure so that you can ask questions before they begin working with you.
You will lie on a table while the PET/CT scanner rotates around your body to create images of your organs and tissues, including the lungs, kidneys and abdominal cavity. A special dye will be injected into an arm vein during this process to help show more clearly where there are problems in different organs or tissues (for example, tumors). The entire exam takes about 30 minutes in total, although preparation time is needed beforehand as well as some post-scan recovery time before leaving for home or work (approximately 20 minutes).
If it is urgent, ask them to fax the referral directly to 949-824-5640 and call our scheduling department at 949-824-5640 so we may get in touch with you as soon as possible.
If you are having a PET scan, you should not eat or drink anything since the scanner is sensitive to all types of metal. You will also need to remove any jewelry and metal from your body, including any metal in your hair such as hairpins, clips or barrettes. If you are wearing a wig, please bring it with you for testing before entering the scanner.
Conclusion
If you have any questions, please contact us at 949-824-5640.