What is an octreoscan study?
An octreoscan study is performed to look for a neuroendocrine tumor.
What should I do to prepare for my study?
If you take octreotide, stop for 24 hours. The radiotracer is specifically ordered for the patient and must be ordered 48 hours in advance.
What will happen during a octreoscan study and how will I get my results?
The patient will be injected intravenously with a radioactive tracer. Four hours later, the patient will lie on the imaging table, and images will be taken for thirty minutes. The gamma camera will be over the head and slowly move down to the thighs. The next day, the patient returns for more imaging. The patient again lies on the table and two images are taken at five minutes each. Then the patient has a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) image, a reconstructed three dimensional image, taken where the camera moves in a circle around the patient taking pictures form many angles. This takes thirty minutes.
The physician who interprets the scan will send a report to your physician, who will then share the results with you.
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