Prepare a list, which includes: names of medications you are currently taking, brief medical history, treatments you have had (Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy, Surgery). Download the required forms, fill them to the best of your knowledge, and bring them with you. You should plan to be at the facility for 2-3 hours on exam day.
If you had other imaging studies performed such as CT scans, MRI, ultrasound etc, it is very crucial that the films and reports are made available to the radiologist who is interpreting the PET/CT scan. These films and reports will be returned to you or your referring physician, after review.
You are encouraged to drink 3-4 glasses of water prior to arrival for your test. Inform the staff performing the test if: you have ever had a reaction to a contrast agent or iodine in the past, if you have asthma, if you have a fear of small, enclosed spaces (claustrophobia). The actual scan takes approximately 35 - 45 minutes lying flat within the scanner. It would be best to come without any body jewelry.
Medications, other than for management of diabetes can be taken, as long as they are not required to be taken with meals. You should avoid vigorous physical exercise the day before, and on the day of the scan, and until the scan is completed.
If you are diabetic, you should take small, regular meals to keep glucose under control and continue to take your oral glucose medications or insulin. Please arrange the timing of the scan such that it is performed at least 4 hours after your last insulin injection. Patients with diabetes are often scheduled for the examination in the afternoon, thereby allowing them to take their morning diabetes medications and breakfast.
Confirm your appointment 24 hours prior to the test. Because of the extremely high demand for a PET/CT scan, your slot may be given to another patient.