PET-CT Services offered from NWR
What is PET-CT?
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Computerized Tomography (CT) are both standard imaging tools that allow physicians to pinpoint the location of certain abnormalities within the body. PET-CT scans can be utilized for detecting cancer in the body or abnormalities such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease in the brain. The highly sensitive PET scan detects the metabolic signal of actively growing cells in the body and the CT scan provides a detailed picture of the internal anatomy. The benefits of having a combined PET-CT scan are earlier diagnosis, accurate staging, and localization of abnormalities for more precise treatment and monitoring.
Why Do I Need PET-CT?
PET-CT gives information about the body’s chemistry that is not available with other imaging techniques. Unlike X-rays, CT scans or MRI scans, which show body structure, PET-CT reveals cellular function, providing your physician with potentially life-saving insight. Because changes in metabolism occur before anatomical changes are apparent, PET-CT reveals illnesses much earlier than conventional diagnostic procedures. PET-CT may eliminate the need for ineffective or unnecessary surgeries, treatments or other diagnostic tests. It will often significantly reduce medical costs, patient discomfort and potential complications.
About Your PET-CT Scan
A PET-CT scan has no side effects. After fasting approximately six hours, you will receive an intravenous injection of a radioactive glucose and will rest quietly for approximately 1-2 hours in our comfortable quiet rooms, while the glucose is distributed throughout the body. You will then be asked to lie still on the scanner table for the duration of the test.
After the organs being studied process the radioactive tracer, and the scanner records the information, a board certified Northwest Radiology Network radiologist interprets the images. Results are reported to your referring physician.
Medicare covers PET-CT scanning for many uses, including breast, lung, colorectal, esophageal, ovarian, melanoma, lymphoma, and thyroid and head/neck cancers. Most private insurers cover PET-CT as well.
Preparing For Your Scan
Before the exam, it is important that you not eat or drink anything for six hours prior to your exam. We do need for you to drink 24 to 36 ounces of water the night before your procedure. You may take any prescribed medications with water the day of your exam unless instructed by your physician not to do so. We would like for you to abstain from any form of exercise for forty-eight hours prior to your exam. If you are an insulin-dependent diabetic, you cannot take your insulin the day of your procedure. Oral diabetic medication should be taken as usual. Please wear comfortable clothes and arrive on time.
*Notify your physician if you are pregnant, breast-feeding or diabetic.
Common Uses of PET-CT
Oncology
• Determine benign from malignant tumor in suspicious areas
• Survey body for metastasis
• Monitor success of therapy
• Detect recurrent tumors
• Assess tumor aggressiveness
Neurology
• Dementia - detect Alzheimer’s and other dementia
• Epilepsy - determine the precise location for surgery
• Parkinson’s - diagnose movement disorders
How Do I Get My Results?
After your PET-CT scan is completed, the images are studied by board certified Northwest Radiology Network radiologists. A report will be sent to your referring physician. Then, your physician will be able to discuss the results with you.
The PET-CT technologist will not be able to provide the results of your PET-CT scan ~ this can only be obtained from your referring physician.
If you are a Medicare patient who needs a PET-CT scan, be sure to ask your doctor about NOPR
What Is NOPR and What Can It Do For Me?
Northwest Radiology Network is very pleased to announce their participation in the National Oncologic Pet Registry (NOPR) pilot program. This program is sponsored by the Academy of Molecular Imaging (AMI) and managed by the American College of Radiology (ACR). The purpose of the NOPR is to accumulate data on the usefulness of PET-CT for staging numerous malignancies which the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) does not currently approve. By allowing PET-CT to be performed, CMS will gain a large volume of research data on both common (small cell lung carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, gynecologic malignancies, prostate carcinoma, etc.) and less common (sarcomas, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, GIST, etc.) malignancies. When properly enrolled, NOPR will allow your physician to order PET-CT on oncology patients when thought to be beneficial. NOPR began accepting entries on May 8, 2006. Northwest Radiology will pay the $50 fee to the NOPR for each patient entered in the Registry.
National Oncologic Pet Registry (NOPR)
The National Oncologic Pet Registry ONLY applies to the Medicare patient population. Medicare patients, who are referred for a PET-CT scan for essentially all oncologic indications that are not currently reimbursable under Medicare, are eligible to participate in this program.
CMS reimbursement for PET-CT scans covered by the NOPR is based upon receipt of the required information from the referring physician within the required time frame.