PET-CT scans are performed in our outpatient centres. You will be sent information regarding the preparation for your PET-CT prior to your appointment. 

It’s a good idea to wear loose, comfortable clothing that doesn’t have metal zips etc as you may be able to wear these during the scan. If not, or if you prefer, we will also provide a hospital gown for you to change into.

Once you’ve arrived for your appointment, you will be brought through to a private room.  If you need to change, we will provide you with a patient gown and a locker for your personal items. We will also ask you to remove any jewellery or other metal objects which may interfere with the scanner. 

Before your PSMA PET-CT scan, your radiographer will inject a radioactive tracer into your arm or hand through a small plastic tube (cannula). The tracer will only remain in your body for a few hours and is very unlikely to cause you any side effects.

Once you’re ready to have your scan, your radiographer will take you into the scanning room. The PET-CT scanner is a large scanner with a hole all the way through, a bit like a doughnut, with a couch attached. They’ll ask you to lie down on your back on the couch and help you to get into the correct position and to get comfortable.

Your radiographer will leave the room, but they’ll be able to see through the viewing window from the control room for the duration of the scan. In addition, you’ll be able to talk to one another through an intercom system, and they may give you some specific instructions during the scan.

The couch will slowly move backwards and forwards through the hole of the scanner. You will be asked to keep still and breathe normally during the scan. You may hear very quiet clicking or whirring sounds. This is normal and is part of the machine taking the images.

We’ll send your results to the consultant who requested the scan, usually within 24-48 hours of completing the scan.

Prior to your scan, you’ll be injected with the radiotracer and you’ll have to wait while this circulates to the area being scanned. This can take up to an hour. Your scan will take between 25 to 40 minutes. The scan itself won’t cause you any pain, but you may find that lying in the same position causes you a little discomfort but we’ll try to make you as comfortable as possible before the scan starts. You can also listen to music through the speakers to help you relax. Once your scan has finished, your radiographer will come back and assist you back to your room.

PSA or prostate-specific antigen is a protein that is made by normal and cancerous cells in your prostate. The level of PSA in your blood can sometimes increase if you have prostate cancer. A PSA blood test is used to diagnose prostate cancer or track your prostate cancer progress during treatment. 

PSMA or prostate-specific membrane antigen is a specific protein that is often found in large amounts on prostate cancer cells, the molecule in ⁶⁸Gallium or ¹⁸Flourine PSMA specifically binds to the PSMA protein found on prostate cancer cells. Combining it with the radioactive tracer means that both travel together directly to areas with prostate cancer cells, anywhere within the body, making it easier for your consultant to identify areas that your cancer may have spread to.

You shouldn’t experience any side effects from your PSMA PET-CT scan, and you can go home as soon as your scan has finished. It is advisable to drink plenty of fluids to help flush the radiotracer more quickly out of your system, and you can eat as normal.  The radiotracer quickly becomes less radioactive over time and will pass naturally out of your body within a few hours. 

Because of the radioactivity in your system, you will be advised to avoid prolonged contact with young children or pregnant women for a couple of hours after your scan as a precaution. We’ll discuss this in more detail with you on the day. 

A PET-CT scan is a low-risk procedure, and the amount of radiation you’ll receive from it is equivalent to about two years of naturally occurring (‘background’) radiation. The decision to perform a PET-CT scan is always made by a qualified member of our team who ensures that the radiation exposure is justified.

Your PSMA PET-CT scan will provide us with important information, and it’s considered that the benefit for you is much greater than the risk from radiation. If you have any concerns or want some more information about the risks of a PET-CT scan and the amount of radiation you’ll receive, you can speak to your consultant

You can usually go home as soon as your scan has finished. It is advisable for you to drink plenty of fluids to flush the radiotracer out of your system, and you can eat as normal.

The tracer is very unlikely to cause you any side effects but you should let your radiographer know about any food or drug allergies you have.

It’s also important to note that if you plan to travel abroad within 48 hours of having your PSMA PET-CT scan, you should take your appointment letter with you as proof of the scan. This is because some airports have very sensitive radiation monitors which may pick up trace radiation after your test.