FDG PET-CT — skull base to mid-thigh
Skull base to mid-thigh; whole body where melanoma or myeloma is the question
Typical, not policy
Timings, volumes and delays here are representative values drawn from published guidance. Scanner generation, injector, cardiac output and local preference all move them. Confirm against your department's own protocol before you rely on a number.
When to use it
- Staging and restaging of most solid tumours and lymphoma.
- Treatment response assessment.
- Characterisation of an indeterminate pulmonary nodule above the size threshold.
Technique
- Fasting 4-6 h with glucose control; uptake period typically around 60 min before acquisition.
Where it goes wrong
- Inflammation and infection are FDG-avid, so uptake is not synonymous with malignancy.
- Some tumours are characteristically FDG-poor, including many low-grade and mucinous tumours — a negative study does not exclude them.
Clinical questions that reach this study
Suspected cholangiocarcinomaColorectal cancer — stagingIncidental pulmonary nodule — characterisation and follow-upKnown or suspected lung cancer — stagingDrug-resistant epilepsy — pre-surgical assessmentCognitive impairment or suspected dementiaStaging or completion CT in a known solid tumourResponse assessment on systemic therapySuspected or newly diagnosed lymphomaMetastatic disease with no identified primaryHead and neck cancer — staging and post-treatment surveillanceIncidental adrenal nodule — characterisationBladder cancer — pretreatment stagingEndometrial cancer — stagingCervical cancer — staging
Contrast
None
Acquisition
- Preparation
- Fasting 4-6 h; blood glucose control affects image quality.
Safety checks this protocol carries
Derived from the contrast agent and phases above, not authored here — which is why they cannot drift apart from what the protocol actually does.
- Intravenous access adequate for the planned injection· radiographer at scan
- Pregnancy status before an ionising exposure· radiographer at scan