Whole-Body PET/CT (FDG)
In simple words
Cancer cells are greedy — they burn far more sugar than normal cells. We attach a tiny, safe radioactive tag to a sugar molecule and inject it into a vein. Over the next hour that tagged sugar collects wherever cells are working hardest. The scanner then photographs where the tag went and overlays it on a detailed CT picture, so your doctor sees both what the disease is doing and exactly where it sits.
Questions this scan answers
- Is this lump or shadow actually cancer, or something harmless?
- Has the cancer spread anywhere else in the body?
- What stage is it, and does that change the treatment plan?
- Is the chemotherapy or immunotherapy working?
The Prismaa difference
Our digital detectors capture far more of the signal, so small deposits — the 4–6 mm nodes that conventional scanners can smudge into the background — are picked up while you lie on the table for about a quarter of the usual time.
Usually recommended for
- Newly diagnosed cancer, before treatment is planned (staging)
- Mid-treatment and end-of-treatment response checks
- Rising tumour markers with normal CT or ultrasound
- Cancer found in a lymph node when nobody knows where it started
How to prepare
- Fast for 6 hours. Plain water is allowed and encouraged.
- No strenuous exercise, gym or long walks for 24 hours before the scan — working muscles eat sugar and confuse the picture.
- Diabetics: tell us your medicines when booking. We will schedule your slot and advise on insulin timing.
- Carry all previous scans, reports, biopsy slides and discharge summaries.
- Plan for about 2.5 hours in the centre. The scan itself is a small part of that.
Book this scan, or ask us whether it is the right one
We are happy to discuss the request with your treating doctor before you commit to an appointment.