Pitfalls and Pearls of Wisdom in F-18-FDG PET Imaging of Tumors

F-18-FDG PET imaging of tumors has pitfalls and pearls of wisdom that begin at the point of scheduling and continue through the patient interview, the resting phase, the scan itself, and the image review. Interviewing the patient at the time of scheduling, followed by placing a reminder phone call shortly before the appointment, can save a nuclear medicine department the financial loss of wasted doses and missed appointment slots in the schedule. The pitfalls and pearls of wisdom in tumor imaging are ever changing, and the technologist is in a constant state of inquiry about the patient's disease process and ability to comply. Consideration of each item on the worksheets in this article affects every scan. On completing this article, the reader will be able to identify questions that should be asked in the scheduling and preinjection patient interviews, interpret the answers to those questions, determine how the images may be affected, and adapt the scan.