Breastfeeding & PET-CT
Breastfeeding and PET-CT: — How Long to Pause Feeding
A PET-CT scan and breastfeeding can go together — but you need a planned pause after the radiotracer injection, and stored milk ready before you go in.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla, Medical Oncologist, MBBS · MD · DM (Adyar, Chennai) · ECMO · MRCP SCE (UK) · Last reviewed September 2026
- Temporary, not permanent — You do not have to stop breastfeeding. The pause is short and your supply can continue with regular expressing.
- Plan ahead and it is simple — Expressing and storing milk a few days before gives your baby everything they need during the pause.
- Tell the centre when you book — The scanning team needs to know so they can give you the correct timing instructions for your tracer dose.
- Pregnancy is different — Breastfeeding calls for a planned pause. Pregnancy is a contraindication — tell your team immediately if there is any chance you are pregnant.
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Yes, you must pause breastfeeding after a PET-CT scan, but the scan is usually still possible. IAEA guidance recommends a pause of at least 12 hours after the radiotracer injection. Expressing and storing milk beforehand means your baby can feed normally throughout the pause. Your oncology team will confirm the exact duration for your situation.
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Does having a PET-CT scan mean you have to stop breastfeeding?
A PET-CT does not mean stopping breastfeeding — it means pausing it for a defined period after the radiotracer injection, then resuming as normal.
The part of the scan that matters for breastfeeding is the radiotracer, not the CT. The radiotracer passes into breast milk temporarily, and if your baby drinks it during this window, they receive a small but avoidable radiation dose.
With preparation, the interruption is short and manageable. Expressing milk in the days before your appointment means your baby can feed from stored milk while the tracer clears your body.
What do you need to arrange before your PET-CT appointment?
- Tell the scanning centre you are breastfeeding when you book — they will give you specific timing instructions based on your tracer dose.
- Ask your oncology team how many days before the scan to start expressing extra milk.
- Express and store enough milk to cover your baby's feeds for the full pause period your team advises.
- Arrange for someone to feed and care for the baby during the pause — you will also need to limit close physical contact, not just feeding.
- Label and date all stored milk, and keep it refrigerated or frozen according to safe-storage guidelines.
- Plan to discard any milk you express during the pause period — do not store it for later use.
- Confirm with your team whether CT contrast will be used and whether it requires any separate precautions for you.
Do both parts of the PET-CT scan affect breastfeeding?
| FDG radiotracer (PET part) | Iodinated contrast (CT part) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A radioactive glucose injected before the scan to highlight cancer activity | A dye sometimes injected to improve the clarity of CT images |
| Does it pass into milk? | Yes, temporarily | Yes, in very small amounts |
| Breastfeeding guidance | Pause required — IAEA recommends at least 12 hours from the time of injection | ACR guidance does not require interruption; confirm with your team |
| How it leaves the body | Decays rapidly — radioactivity falls substantially within a few hours | Excreted mainly in urine within hours |
| Milk expressed during this time | Discard — do not store or give to the baby | Usually no special action needed; confirm with your team |
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What do these medical terms mean?
- FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose)
- A radioactive form of glucose injected before the PET scan. Cancer cells absorb more of it than normal cells, which is what the scanner detects.
- Radiotracer
- A substance carrying a short-lived radioactive tag, used to highlight areas of activity in the body. FDG is the radiotracer most commonly used in oncology PET scans.
- Half-life
- The time it takes for a radioactive substance to lose half its activity. The F-18 in FDG has a half-life of around 110 minutes, which is why it clears the body relatively quickly.
- Expressing
- Removing milk by hand or pump, either to store it for later or to keep your supply going during a pause in direct feeding.
- CT contrast
- An iodine-based dye sometimes injected during the CT part of the scan to make blood vessels and structures more visible. This is separate from the radiotracer and has different breastfeeding implications.
What else do families need to know before booking?
Can you express milk before the scan and use it during the pause?
Yes, and this is the standard approach. Start expressing and storing milk a few days before your appointment so you have enough to cover the full pause period your team advises. Label stored milk with the date, keep it refrigerated or frozen according to safe-storage guidelines, and have a carer ready to feed it to your baby. This way your baby's routine is disrupted as little as possible, and you are not scrambling on the day of the scan itself.
Can you cuddle or hold the baby while waiting for the tracer to clear?
Your team will advise you to limit close physical contact — not just feeding — for a period after the injection. The radiotracer in your body gives off a small amount of radiation, and keeping the baby at some distance during this time reduces their exposure. Brief contact is generally less of a concern than prolonged close holding against your body. Ask your scanning centre for the specific guidance for your tracer dose and the baby's age, as the advised distance and duration can vary.
What if you cannot express enough milk before the scan?
Talk to your oncology team before the appointment, not on the day. If expressing ahead is not possible, they may suggest formula feeding to cover the pause period, or they may be able to adjust the timing of your appointment to give you more preparation time. Do not delay a scan your doctor has requested because of feeding concerns without first discussing it with your team — there is usually a way to make it work, but the planning needs to happen in advance.
Is pregnancy a reason not to have the scan?
Yes. Pregnancy is a contraindication to PET-CT in most circumstances because the radiotracer crosses the placenta, and the developing baby is particularly sensitive to radiation. If there is any chance you may be pregnant, tell your team before the scan. The decision to proceed in pregnancy is made only by your referring doctor on clinical grounds, when the risk of not scanning is judged to outweigh the radiation risk. Breastfeeding is a different situation: it calls for a planned pause, not cancellation of the scan.
Will the pause affect your milk supply?
A short pause is unlikely to cause lasting effects on your supply if you continue expressing throughout the pause period, even though that milk must be discarded. Expressing keeps the signal going to your body to continue producing milk. If you have concerns about supply around the time of the scan, mention it to your oncology or scanning team — they may be able to suggest additional support, such as a referral to a lactation consultant.
When can you resume breastfeeding after the pause?
Once the pause period your team has recommended is complete, you can resume direct breastfeeding. There is no lasting effect on your milk from the scan itself. Any milk expressed during the pause should be discarded, not stored. Milk expressed and stored before the injection is safe to use at any point during and after the pause. If you are unsure whether enough time has passed, call your scanning centre to confirm rather than guessing — they can advise based on your specific tracer dose.
Did you know?
The F-18 radioactive tag in the FDG tracer used for most oncology PET scans has a physical half-life of around 110 minutes.
This means the radioactivity falls to a small fraction of the injected level within a few hours — well before most recommended pause periods end.
Source: IAEA Safety Reports Series No. 40: Radiation Protection in Nuclear Medicine
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Common questions
Frequently asked questions
How long do I need to pause breastfeeding after a PET-CT scan?
IAEA guidance recommends pausing for at least 12 hours after the FDG radiotracer injection. Some centres advise a longer pause depending on the tracer dose used and your baby's age. This is why confirming the exact duration with your scanning team matters — the figure here is a starting point, not a universal answer for every situation. The pause begins from the time of injection, not from when the scan images are complete.
Is it safe to have a PET-CT scan while breastfeeding?
Yes, in most cases. Breastfeeding is not a reason to decline a scan your oncologist has requested — it is a reason to plan the scan carefully. The radiation you receive from the scan is the same whether you are breastfeeding or not. The concern is specifically about the radiotracer passing into your milk during the pause window, which is why the pause exists. With stored milk prepared in advance and someone to care for the baby, the scan usually goes ahead as planned.
Do I need to tell the scanning centre I am breastfeeding when I book?
Yes, always — and do this when you first make the booking, not on the day of the scan. The centre uses this information to give you precise timing instructions, to confirm whether CT contrast is being used and whether it changes anything for you, and to prepare for any practical needs on the day. If you only mention it at the appointment, you may not have had time to express and store enough milk in advance, which can complicate or delay the session.
What do I do with milk I express during the pause period?
Discard it. Milk expressed during the pause period contains the radiotracer and should not be given to your baby or stored for later. This is one of the most important practical points to understand before the scan. Milk you expressed and stored before the injection is completely safe to use throughout and after the pause. Label your stored milk clearly by date so there is no confusion about which batch is safe to use.
What if I urgently need the scan but have not had time to prepare?
Talk to your oncology team immediately. Do not delay a scan your doctor has considered urgent because you have not been able to express milk in advance. Your team can help work out an alternative plan — for example, formula feeding to cover the pause — or may be able to adjust the appointment timing slightly to allow a day of preparation. The clinical need for the scan drives the timing decision; feeding logistics are something the team can help you work around.
Who decides whether I can have the scan while breastfeeding?
The decision is made by your referring doctor and the scanning team together, based on your specific clinical situation. Breastfeeding is not an automatic bar to a PET-CT scan, but it does require a planned approach that your team confirms for you individually. CION coordinates PET-CT through partner imaging centres, and the referring doctor and the centre together will advise on the pause duration and any additional precautions for your situation.