PET/MR examination

Early detection of lesions throughout the body

Due to the civilization changes that are taking place in the modern world, the number of people diagnosed with cancer, neurological and many other serious diseases is growing exponentially. The use of a modern PET/MR examination in diagnosis is:

• early detection of a possible disease, and therefore a significant increase in the chances of successful treatment,
• reduction of radiation dose compared to PET/CT examinations,
• few contraindications to perform the examination.

Accurate determination of the location and severity of diseases throughout the body

People who have been diagnosed with cancer, neurological disease or suffering from chronic inflammatory conditions of unknown cause very often need a very quick and accurate diagnosis. Using our equipment to perform diagnostic examinations of positron emission tomography with magnetic resonance (PET/MR), our patients receive:

• examination of the whole body and precise differentiation of lesions, which allows to determine the degree of local advancement and distant changes (staging),
• two examinations in one – the patient receives a fully diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging at the same time, which means that there is no need to perform additional examinations, and the treatment process can begin faster,
• examination and description performed by two specialist doctors within 10 days from the moment of making the decision to perform the examination.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of cancer treatment and early detection of possible recurrence of the disease

Our highly specialized PET/MR examination is extremely helpful for people who have had cancer. Due to the accuracy of the examination, which detects even small lesions, and the fact that the examination involves a scan of the whole body, we can:

• evaluate the effectiveness of response to surgical and/or oncological treatment,
• detecting the area of recurrence and possible distant metastases at a very early stage,
• reduce the radiation dose compared to PET/CT.

When registering for a examination, you have to:

• provide the clinical diagnosis and the purpose of the examination,
• inform about the presence of possible contraindications to the examination,
• inform about comorbidities, including diabetes, and about medications taken,
• provide the date of surgery performed within the last 6 months and the date of completion of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Before the examination, the patient should be on an empty stomach (at least 6 hours). An elevated blood glucose level (above 140 mg%) is a contraindication to the examination, because the images obtained then are non-diagnostic and of poor quality due to the high background of the surrounding tissues.

24 hours before the examination, an isocaloric and low-carbohydrate diet should be used, excluding foods such as: potatoes, pasta, rice, cereals, bread, cookies, sweets, carbonated and alcoholic drinks. You can eat meat, hard cheese, eggs, tofu, butter, vegetables without starch.

Also, 24 hours before the examination, you should avoid intense physical effort and deep massages, and you should not smoke tobacco products.

Before the examination, the patient should be well hydrated. It is recommended to drink plenty of still water (not flavored, no additives, no sugar), because the tracer is excreted mainly through the urinary system. Thus, exposure to ionizing radiation is reduced and excretion of the radiotracer is increased.

Diabetic patients require special preparation for PET with FDG. Therefore, when registering for the study, it is absolutely necessary to inform about the treatment for diabetes and the medications taken. If you are taking metformin-based medications, stop taking them 3 days before the scheduled PET scan. People taking short-acting or long-acting insulin should contact our medical staff to determine the dosage before and on the day of the PET scan.

When applying for the examination, you must have:

• identity card or other identity document,
• results of previous examinations (also CDs) and Information Cards from hospital stays,
• complete documentation in the case of surgery (neurosurgery, vascular) or implantation of a valve, implant,
• orthopedic prosthesis, vascular clips (provide a detailed description and the type of material from which the implanted element was made),
• current blood test result for serum creatinine (not older than 14 days),
• be dressed in/or have with you clothes without metal elements (zippers, rivets, buckles).

After arriving at our lab an completing the necessary documentation, the patient will be examined by a doctor. Then a venflon is inserted and a radiopharmaceutical is administered intravenously. The activity of the radiopharmaceutical is selected individually for each patient, based on body weight, to minimize exposure to ionizing radiation.

For the next hour, the patient waits for examination in a separate room, and 60 minutes is needed for the uptake of the tracer by the cells. After an hour, the patient will be asked for an examination, during which you should lie still, be very calm, so that the images are not blurred. The examination lasts from 40 to 70 minutes.

After the examination is completed, the intravenous line is removed and the patient can return home and return to their daily activities. Remember to drink water to help flush out the radioactive substance. In addition, it is recommended to avoid contact with pregnant women and people under 16 years for a day.