PET-CT for Gynaecological Cancer: — Cost and What to Arrange in Hyderabad

Yes, PET-CT is covered under Aarogyasri for eligible cancer patients in Telangana, including cervical cancer. The key requirement is a referral from an empanelled network hospital — you cannot go directly to an imaging centre and claim the scheme. If your cancer care is being managed at a network hospital, ask the patient welfare officer there to process the referral. If you are unsure whether your hospital is empanelled, ask at the oncology reception desk or call the Aarogyasri helpline.

Yes. PET-CT is a staging tool, not a diagnostic one. It is ordered after a biopsy has confirmed that cancer is present, to show how far it has spread and help plan treatment. If you have been referred for PET-CT and are unsure whether a biopsy result is already on record, ask your oncologist before booking the scan — the sequence matters for interpreting the result correctly.

No. PET-CT shows areas of high metabolic activity, which may suggest cancer is present, but many other conditions — inflammation, infection, and benign growths among them — can look similar on a scan. A diagnosis requires a biopsy, where tissue is examined under a microscope. No imaging alone, including PET-CT, confirms cancer. If anyone suggests the scan removes the need for a biopsy, ask for a second opinion from an oncologist.

Yes. Hyderabad is accessible from most of Andhra Pradesh and has imaging centres that perform oncology PET-CT. If you are covered under Aarogyasri Andhra Pradesh rather than the Telangana scheme, check with your scheme coordinator whether cross-state imaging is reimbursed, or whether you need to use an empanelled centre in your home state. Private payment is available to anyone regardless of where they live.

Look for centres that hold a licence from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), which is required for any facility using radioactive tracers in India, and that have a nuclear medicine physician on site. For pelvic cancers specifically, ask whether the centre routinely performs delayed pelvic imaging for gynaecological cases — not every centre does this as standard. Your oncologist can recommend a centre they use for their own patients. CION coordinates PET-CT through partner imaging centres for the patients it is treating.

Bring your oncologist's referral letter, your biopsy report, any previous scan reports, and a photo ID. If you are using Aarogyasri, bring your card and the network hospital referral letter — without these the scan cannot be billed to the scheme on the day. Wear comfortable clothing without metal fastenings where possible. Bring something to read or listen to quietly during the rest period after the tracer is injected, as you will need to stay calm and still.