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SinoCareLink

Whole-Body PET-CT Add-On — China

Whole-Body PET-CT Add-On — China

$1,299.00 USD
$1,299.00 USD
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Speeds up your hospital booking. You can also provide this later.

Whole-body PET-CT — comprehensive metabolic imaging for cancer staging, response monitoring, or premium screening.

Scan range. In Shenzhen (Taikang Qianhai Hospital), the hospital's examination catalogue lists this item as PET/CT whole-body imaging, head to toe — including the upper arms, forearms, lower legs and ankles (confirmed with the hospital's imaging department). This is broader than the skull-base-to-mid-thigh field that most centres call "whole body"; in US CPT terms it is the whole-body code (78816) rather than the skull-base-to-mid-thigh code (78815). For the Shanghai option, the scan range is confirmed per the hospital's protocol at booking.

What's included

  • Appointment booking at a partnered tertiary hospital with PET-CT capability (Shenzhen: Taikang Qianhai Hospital; Shanghai: confirmed at booking)
  • Pre-scan dietary instructions and check-in support
  • Complimentary English-speaking medical companion on the day
  • Full English-language report translation

Clinical use

Standard test for staging FDG-avid cancers (lymphoma, lung, head-neck, esophageal, colorectal, melanoma), monitoring treatment response (PERCIST criteria), and detecting recurrence. For asymptomatic premium cancer screening in high-risk individuals, the literature is mixed — discuss expected yield vs false-positive risk with your physician.

PET-CT vs PET/MRI

They cover different ground; the choice is your treating physician's.

PET-CT is a whole-body study — by international convention skull base to mid-thigh (formally "torso" imaging), and head to toe at hospitals whose protocol covers the limbs, as the Shenzhen hospital's examination catalogue does. The chest is inside its field of view either way, so small lung nodules are covered. Radiation dose is higher than PET/MRI. Most metal implants are not a barrier.

PET/MRI resolves soft tissue in finer detail — pelvis, rectum, liver, peritoneum — at a lower radiation dose, which matters when repeat scans are expected. Small lung nodules sit outside its strength, so a thin-slice chest CT is normally added alongside. Most metal implants rule it out.

A pelvic MRI is regional. It looks at one area and does not substitute for a whole-body scan.

Both PET studies use an ¹⁸F-FDG tracer and need blood glucose under control on the day.

Procedure overview

6-hour fast prior to scan; blood glucose check at injection (must be under ~200 mg/dL for diabetics). IV F-18 FDG tracer injection; 60-minute uptake in quiet warm room; scan time depends on the range covered (about 20–30 minutes for skull base to mid-thigh, longer for the head-to-toe protocol used in Shenzhen). Total clinic time approximately 90–120 minutes. Radiation dose roughly 4–8 mSv from PET tracer plus 3–8 mSv from the CT portion.

Specialized tracers

For prostate cancer (PSMA), neuroendocrine tumors (DOTATATE), or brain tumors (FET), specialized non-FDG tracers may be available at select partner centers. Contact us at booking to confirm availability.

Turnaround

Most reports released 24–48 hours after scan. English translation typically adds 24–48 hours.

⚡ Need this within 3 days? Short-notice appointments require priority coordination. Add our Urgent / Expedited Booking service (+US$100) for any appointment needed within 3 days. If we ultimately cannot secure your slot in time, US$50 is kept as a coordination fee and US$50 is refunded.
🩺 Before Your Scan — Preparation Instructions
  • Fast 4–6 hours before the scan — plain water is allowed and encouraged. No food, sugar, gum, candy, or sweetened/caffeinated drinks.
  • Low-carbohydrate diet for 24 hours before (avoid rice, noodles, bread, potatoes, sweets, fruit, sugary drinks). You may eat lean meat, eggs, leafy greens, unsweetened soy, and a little healthy fat.
  • Blood sugar must be ≤ 11.1 mmol/L (≈200 mg/dL) on the day; if it is too high the scan may be rescheduled.
  • If you are diabetic or use insulin, tell us in advance to coordinate timing, and carry sugar/candy in case of a low-blood-sugar episode.
  • Avoid strenuous exercise for 24 hours before. Wear warm, metal-free clothing. After the tracer injection you rest quietly for ~60 minutes (especially important for brain scans).
  • Afterward, drink plenty of water and keep some distance from pregnant women and young children for a few hours.
  • Routine FDG-PET-CT uses no iodinated contrast, so no kidney-function test is needed for the PET scan.

These are general guidelines. Your SinoCareLink coordinator will confirm the exact instructions for your appointment based on your health profile and the hospital’s requirements. Any contrast dye needed is provided by the hospital and included in your package.

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