Red Flags When Choosing — a PET-CT Scan Centre

Ask the centre directly for their AERB licence number and the specific scanner it covers. A genuine licence applies to a named piece of equipment at a named address — not to the organisation in general. If the centre cannot produce this on request, or becomes evasive, that is a clear warning sign. Your oncologist's team will often know which local centres hold current AERB authorisation, and asking them is the simplest starting point.

Not always, but price is strongly correlated with equipment generation and reporting quality. An older scanner produces lower-resolution images, which makes it harder to detect small lesions or distinguish between active disease and scar tissue. The written report also varies — a brief report that lists findings without clinical interpretation gives your oncologist less to work with. When comparing prices, ask specifically which scanner model will be used and who will write the report.

PET-CT reports in India are typically written by a nuclear medicine physician or a radiologist with subspecialty training in nuclear medicine or oncology imaging. Ask whether the person reading your scan holds a DM, DNB, or equivalent postgraduate qualification in nuclear medicine. Centres that outsource reporting to a provider elsewhere should still be able to name that provider and their credentials. A centre that cannot answer this question is one to avoid.

For a routine whole-body PET-CT, a thorough report typically takes several hours to a day, not minutes. The specialist has to review hundreds of image slices, correlate them with your clinical history, and write findings your oncologist can act on. If a centre promises your report in under two hours, ask specifically what that report will contain. A brief impression listing findings is not the same as a full clinical report, and your oncologist will notice the difference.

Yes, and a reputable centre will not object. You are looking for a well-maintained scanner, a quiet preparation room for the period after tracer injection, and staff who can explain the process calmly. You are not in a position to evaluate technical specifications by looking, but a centre's willingness to show you the facility and answer your questions tells you something real about how it is run.

Follow your oncologist's recommendation. They know the reporting quality at local centres from direct experience with the reports those centres produce — and that is the most reliable indicator available to you. The checklist on this page is for situations where you have been left to choose yourself, not a reason to second-guess a recommendation your treating team has already made. If you have a concern about a recommended centre, raise it with your oncologist directly.