How the Test is Performed

A PET scan requires a small amount of radioactive material (tracer). This tracer is given through a vein (IV), usually on the inside of your elbow. It travels through your blood and collects in organs and tissues. The tracer helps the radiologist see certain areas or diseases more clearly.

You will need to wait nearby as the tracer is absorbed by your body. This usually takes about 1 hour.

Then, you will lie on a narrow table, which slides into a large tunnel-shaped scanner. The PET scanner detects signals from the tracer. A computer changes the results into 3-D pictures. The images are displayed on a monitor for your doctor to read.

You must lie still during test. Too much movement can blur images and cause errors.

How long the test takes depends on what part of the body is being scanned.

The test takes about 90 minutes.

How to Prepare for the Test

You may be asked not to eat anything for 4 - 6 hours before the scan. You will be able to drink water.

Tell your health care provider if:

• You are afraid of close spaces (have claustrophobia). You may be given a medicine to help you feel sleepy and less anxious.
• You are pregnant or think you might be pregnant.
• You have any allergies to injected dye (contrast).
• You have take insulin for diabetes. You will need special preparation.

Always tell your health care provider about the medicines you are taking, including those bought without a prescription. Sometimes, medications may interfere with the test results.

How the Test Will Feel

You may feel a sharp sting when the needle containing the tracer is placed into your vein.

A PET scan causes no pain. The table may be hard or cold, but you can request a blanket or pillow.

An intercom in the room allows you to speak to someone at any time.

There is no recovery time, unless you were given a medicine to relax.

Why the Test is Performed

A PET scan is most often used when other tests, such as MRI scan or CT scan, do not provide enough information.

A breast PET scan is used only after a woman has been diagnosed with breast cancer. It is done to see if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body such as lymph nodes, liver, lung or bones.

If you have breast cancer, your doctor may order this scan:

• Soon after your diagnosis to see if the cancer has spread
• After treatment if there is concern that the cancer has come back
• During treatment to see if the cancer is responding to treatment

A PET scan is not used to screen for, or diagnose, breast cancer.

Normal Results

A normal result means there are no areas outside the breast in which the radiotracer has abnormally collected. This result most likely means the breast cancer has not spread to other parts of the body.

Very small areas of breast cancer may not show up on a PET scan.

What Abnormal Results Mean

Abnormal results may mean that breast cancer that has spread.

Risks

The amount of radiation used in a PET scan is low. It is about the same amount of radiation as in most CT scans. Also, the radiation doesn't last for very long in your body.

Women who are pregnant or are breastfeeding should let their doctor know before having this test. Infants and babies developing in the womb are more sensitive to the effects of radiation because their organs are still growing.

It is possible, although very unlikely, to have an allergic reaction to the radioactive substance. Some people have pain, redness, or swelling at the injection site.

Considerations

It is possible to have false results on a PET scan. Blood sugar or insulin levels may affect the test results in people with diabetes.

Most PET scans are now performed along with a CT scan. This combination scan is called a PET/CT.

Alternative Names

Breast positron emission tomography; PET - breast; PET - tumor imaging - breast

References

Podoloff DA, Ball DW, Ben-Josef E, et al. NCCN task force: clinical utility of PET in a variety of tumor types. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2009 Jun 7. Suppl 2:S1-26. Review.

Hackney D. Radiologic imaging procedures. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 419.

Update Date: 4/27/2012

Reviewed by: Debra G. Wechter, MD, FACS, General Surgery practice specializing in breast cancer, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.