What is PET-CT?
PET stands for Positron Emission Tomography. PET-CT is the combination of two imaging techniques in one examination – a PET scan and a CT scan.
A PET scan demonstrates the biological function of the body while the CT scan provides information about the body’s anatomy such as size, shape and location. By combining these two scanning technologies, a PET-CT scan enables physicians to more accurately diagnose and identify some diseases and disorders.
Our Nuclear Medicine Specialists
In Australia, Nuclear medicine is an advanced specialty in that the Advanced Training Program – a three-year program – is undertaken post-Fellowship of either the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) or the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR).
Nuclear medicine specialists will thus have completed a further 7-8 years of training after they have qualified as medical practitioners (a total of approximately 15 years’ university and post graduate training)
Our Technology
Mater Imaging’s dedicated PET-CT suite, inclusive of a 128-slice ultra-low dose CT scanner, has advanced visualisation tools to maximize image quality & resolution - ensuring enhanced diagnostic confidence.
How long will my Appointment take?
- You will need to arrive 10-15 minutes prior to your appointment time. Timely attendance is important as the dose of the PET-CT radiopharmaceutical is specifically prepared for the allocated time of your appointment;
- An allied health professional or one of our doctors will check your blood sugar level prior to your exam;
- A cannula will be inserted into one of the veins in your arm. You will then receive an intravenous injection of a radioactive material. You will be asked to rest quietly for approximately 45-60 minutes following this injection. During this time, you must completely relax your body with no movement, no reading, no speaking and no eating or drinking. This allows the tracer to circulate throughout your body while it is in a relaxed state;
- Occasionally, other drugs will be given as part of your PET scan and any possible side effects from these drugs will be discussed with you at the time of your scan.
- Following this rest period, you will be asked to empty your bladder. You will then be escorted to the scanner where you will lie down on a table which moves you through the PET-CT scanner. The scan will take approximately between 30-45 minutes to complete;
- You will need to allow 2-3 hours in total for your PET-CT scan to be completed.
Extensive Nuclear Medicine Service PET-CT
Our team is dedicated to providing the highest standard of care alongside the newest technology and latest reporting frameworks, Our Nuclear Medicine department provides, but is not limited to;
- 18F-FDG PET (Fluorodeoxyglucose) – widely used to detect a broad range of cancers. The uptake of 18F-FDG PET by tissues is a marker for tissue uptake of glucose, with increased uptake seen in tissues with high metabolic activity such as most types of malignant tumours.
- 18F-PSR PET (Prostate Specific Radiopharmaceutical) – F-18 based tracer used to detect prostate cancer recurrent or metastatic lesions with higher sensitivity than other imaging examinations. – the ability to visualise early metastatic deposits and early prostate cancer recurrence is relevant for staging, prognosis and planning therapies to optimise patient outcomes.
- 68Ga-PSMA PET (Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen) – Ga-68 based tracer used to detect prostate cancer recurrent or metastatic lesions with higher sensitivity than other imaging examinations. – the ability to visualise early metastatic deposits and early prostate cancer recurrence is very relevant for staging, prognosis and planning therapies to optimise patient outcomes.
- 68Ga-DOTA-TATE PET – used to detect somatostatin-avid malignancies such as Neuroendocrine Tumours (NET’s), with a high level of sensitivity.
- 18F-FET PET (Fluoroethyl-tyrosine) – F-18 based tracer that plays a role in the detection of brain tumours, particularly tumour recurrence, with the identification of neoplastic tissue playing an important role in therapy planning, prognosis and management.
- F-18 based tracer that has a high level of sensitivity to identify and quantify fibrillar beta-amyloid plaque accumulation in the brain, which is relevant to patients with persistent or progressive mild cognitive impairment who meet the criteria for possible Alzheimer’s disease or with progressive or atypical early onset dementia.
FREE PARKING for patients attending Mater Imaging for their PET-CT examination.
Fast-track service available for metropolitan and regional / rural patients (referrals triaged by our Nuclear Medicine Specialists).
All PET-CT images and reports are available to referrers through Inteleviewer.
