148 East Avenue • Suite 2L • Norwalk, CT 06851
CT / PET Scan
When applied to cancer, PET/CT scans are performed to:
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Detect the presence of cancer.
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Determine whether a cancer has spread to other sites within the body
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Assess the effectiveness of treatment.
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Determine any return of cancer after successful treatment.
Once scheduled for a PET/CT, our office will call you and give you detailed instruction on how to prepare for your exam.
General guidelines are as follows:
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Please arrive 30 minutes prior to your scheduled injection time.
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Drink plenty of water, an extra glass or two, to ensure proper hydration (plain water only, no sports drinks or flavored water).
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Do not eat anything for 6 hours prior to your scheduled appointment. This includes chewing gum, candy and mints.
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Avoid caffeine (coffee, cola, tea) for at least 12 hours before your exam.
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Refrain from vigorous physical exercise for at least 24 hours prior to your appointment.
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Regular prescribed medication can be taken as usual with water.
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Please leave valuables such as jewelry and watches at home as they cannot be worn during the examination.
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Please wear comfortable loose-fitting clothing that has no metal.
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Women should wear a sports bra that has no metal, if possible.
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If you have diabetes, please notify our office prior to your scheduled appointment. We want to avoid high or low glucose levels.
Please allow at least 2 hours for your visit.
PET/CT is a cutting-edge imaging technique that combines positron emission tomography (PET) with computed tomography (CT) to detect and evaluate abnormalities in all parts of the body.
PET/CT enables Radiologists to combine images of tissue metabolism with pictures of anatomy. This type of scan has many applications including detection of infection and evaluation of neurologic and cardiac conditions, but is used most extensively to diagnose cancer, detect its spread to other sites and determine response to treatment.
