How Long does it Take to Queue For a PET Procedure?
Positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (PET) is today the most modern and accurate method for diagnosing malignant neoplasms. For a short period of application, PETdiagnostics proved itself only positively.
The demand for the method is much higher, then the number of PET studies that can now be conducted in India.
How is PET performed?
PET belongs to radionuclide diagnostic methods. The study requires the use of radiopharmaceutical (RFP), which is administered intravenously, but can be administered either orally or by inhalation. RFP is a radiochemical compound consisting of an active substance, for example, glucose, and a positron-decaying radionuclide, for example, fluorine. For the preparation of RFP, choline, methionine, and other biochemical substances that are labeled with radionuclides such as nitrogen or carbon can also be used.
PET examination can be divided into two stages: CT scan and PET CT scan In Delhi. The first stage begins 60 minutes after the introduction of the RFP. A computer tomograph performs layered X-ray photographs of the examined area (tomogram). Almost simultaneously with CT scanning, a PET scan is performed. A two-photon emission tomograph registers radiation intensity levels of RFP from different tissues and transmits information to a computer that transforms it into a three-dimensional image.
Since the RFP are close in structure to the substances that the cells of the body feed on, their metabolism follows the same principle. After introduction into the body, RFP is distributed throughout the body, accumulating more in tissues with increased metabolism and less where metabolism is slowed. In cells of malignant neoplasms, metabolism is at a higher level than in healthy tissues, so RFPs accumulate in them more actively.
The metabolic map of the body is constructed in such a way that tissues with a high level of metabolism RFP look like "hot" areas, and with a slow metabolism, as "cold" zones. Malignant neoplasms are depicted as a "hot" focus on a background of healthy tissues. In the necrosis zone, the metabolism is stopped, so the RFP does not accumulate there so that this site will look like a "cold" hearth.
How long does the PET scan in Delhi last?
Total residence time in the PET center can take from 3 to 4 hours. At this time the following is included:
Registration of documentation - 15-20 minutes;
Introduction and distribution of rfp in the body - 50-60 minutes;
PET scan - 20-50 minutes;
The waiting time for the result is 1-2 hours.
How much does a PET scan cost?
The cost of a PET scan depends on several factors:
Selected RFP;
Quality of equipment;
The scale of the surveyed area;
Location of the PET / CT center (in India or abroad).
The procedure has several advantages:
The possibility of detecting oncological tumors at the asymptomatic stage;
Safety of methods, the absence of painful sensations;
Outpatient care without surgery;
Obtaining complete information about the prevalence of malignant process in the body.
PET / CT can diagnose those tumor sites that can not be detected with other imaging tools - ultrasound, X-ray, CT, MRI.
