PET Scan
Your doctor has ordered a FDG-PET scan. Those abbreviations stand for: fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET). The role of this procedure is to detect metabolically active malignant lesions including lung cancer, colorectal cancer, lymphoma, melanoma, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, brain cancer and multiple myeloma. FDG-PET scan may also be used to stage and monitor the response to therapy of malignant disease. Our team of specialized doctors, nurses and technologists is led by Alan Waxman, MD, Chief of Nuclear Medicine.
Before Your Exam
Please do not eat or drink anything for 6 hours prior to your appointment time, except plain water and medication. Please do not eat carbohydrates or sugar (i.e. bread, pasta, potato, rice or ready made shakes) for 12 hours prior to your exam.
We want to make your waiting time as pleasant as possible. Consider bringing your favorite magazine, book or music player to help you pass the time.
Please leave your jewelry and valuables at home.
During Your Exam
Upon arrival, the technologist will explain your procedure and answer any questions you may have.
You will receive an intravenous injection (in your vein) of a tracer dose of radioactive material.
The level of radioactivity is extremely low and has no side effects.
You will be asked to wait approximately 1-2 hours before the scan begins.
Your scan will take approximately one hour.
During that time you will be required to lie flat on your back, without moving.
Using a special nuclear medicine scanner, pictures of your body will be obtained. The scanner does not produce any radiation; it simply detects and records the distribution of the radioactive material in your body.
After Your Exam
There are no post-exam instructions.
Your study will be reviewed by an imaging physician specialist and the results sent to your physician. Your physician will discuss these results with you and explain what they mean in relation to your health.
To request a copy of your report, call (310) 423-8000.
Parking Information
Valet parking is available in front of the Imaging center from 7:30am-5:00pm.
For self parking, please enter parking lot P4, located at the corner of San Vicente Blvd. and 3rd Street. The entrance is on San Vicente Blvd.
If you are arriving after 5:00pm, please park in parking lot P1, located off of George Burns Rd. between Beverly Blvd. and Alden Dr. The entrance is off of George Burns Rd.
Partially validated parking at a cost of $4.00 is provided to our imaging patients for valet and self parking in the lots mentioned above.
Please Note: We do not validate for parking lots in the Medical Office Towers located at 8631 and 8635 W. 3rd St.
