PET-CT for — Cervical Cancer

PET-CT does not replace your biopsy, which already confirmed the diagnosis, and it does not replace MRI in all situations. MRI provides better detail of the primary tumour and its relationship to surrounding structures, while PET-CT is more sensitive for lymph node involvement and distant spread. Many treatment plans use both. Your oncologist will explain which scans are needed for your specific case and in what order.

The radioactive tracer leaves the body through urine, which causes the bladder to show up very brightly on the scan. In cervical cancer, the bladder sits directly in front of the cervix, so that bright signal can obscure exactly the area your team most needs to see. A urinary catheter drains the bladder during the scan to prevent this. It is usually removed before you leave.

No. PET-CT involves ionising radiation and a radioactive tracer, both of which carry risk to a developing baby, and the scan is contraindicated in pregnancy. Tell your team before the scan is arranged — not on the day. If there is any possibility you are pregnant, your team will discuss whether to delay and how to manage staging in the interim. This is one of the most important things to raise before scheduling.

Plan for roughly two to three hours from arrival to leaving. After the tracer is injected, you rest quietly for around an hour while it is absorbed — this waiting time is a required part of the procedure, not a delay. The scan itself usually takes 20 to 30 minutes. You will be advised to limit close contact with pregnant women and young children for a few hours afterwards while the tracer clears.

It means cancer cells have reached one or more lymph nodes, and your treatment plan will be updated to reflect this. How significantly depends on which nodes are involved — nodes limited to the pelvis are managed differently from nodes higher up the abdomen. Finding involved nodes does not end the possibility of treatment with curative intent. It changes the approach, most often by extending the area covered by radiotherapy. Your oncologist will explain what the specific findings mean for you.

A written report is usually available within a few days of the scan. At CION, the images and report are reviewed by your oncologist alongside the rest of your case, typically at a multidisciplinary team meeting. Your results are explained at your next appointment in the full context of your treatment picture, not as a standalone scan report. If you have not been given a clear date for that appointment, ask the team when the scan is arranged.