Octreotide Scan

What is the purpose of this scan?
The octreotide scan is a way of looking for problems involving your whole body. It can be used to detect infection as well as tumor or cancer tissue in the body.

How is this scan performed?
The procedure will begin with an injection of a small amount of radioactive material into the vein of your arm. You will be asked to return in four hours for imaging. Upon your return, you will lie on a special table that allows us to take pictures of your whole body. A camera will be positioned above and below your body and take pictures at the same time.

The camera, which can detect radioactivity, will travel from your head to your toes, recording pictures as it goes. Nothing will touch you. This process will take about 45 minutes. It is very important that you hold still during the scan.

Next, a special set of pictures called SPECT scans are taken. For this set of pictures, the camera will be set up to travel in a circle around your whole body. Sometimes a separate set of SPECT scans are made for the chest and the abdomen.

The technologist will work with the pictures after you are gone to create three-dimensional images. Each set of SPECT scans will take about 45 minutes. You should plan for your test to take about two hours and 30 minutes to complete.

The same set of images will be made the following day. You will, however, not receive another injection. The second set of scans will also take two hours and 30 minutes to complete.

How do I prepare for this scan?
There are no special preparations for the octreotide scan.

How will I feel after the octreotide scan?
The radioactive shot will have no effect on how you feel.

How soon will my doctor get the results?
After the procedure is complete, a nuclear medicine physician will study the pictures along with your medical history to make an assessment of what the images show. He will then dictate a report that will be forwarded to your physician within five to seven business days. If your doctor needs the results sooner, he/she may contact the nuclear medicine physician on the day of the exam.

How do I make an appointment?
Your doctor will write an order or prescription for the test. The doctor will either give you the order or have it faxed to the hospital. You may then schedule your appointment by calling the Nuclear Medicine Department at 847-723-5050.

If I still have questions, who should I call?
For more information about the procedure, please call the Nuclear Medicine Department at 847-723-5050.