The cost of a PET Scan ranges from $3,000.00 to $12,000.00 depending on what is being scanned during the PET Scan.
For example the costs of a PET Scan depending on the body parts being scanned through the PET scan is listed below.
Whole Body PET Scan $3,000.00 - $12,000.00
Heart PET Scan $2,800.00 - $24,200.00
Brain PET Scan $2,200.00 - $10,700.00
Skull to Mid-thigh PET Scan $3,200.00 - $12,000.00
PET scans take between 2-4 hours to complete, and are significantly more expensive than CT scans.
The radiation exposure of a PET scan is about the same as an x-ray.
A PET-CT scan can cost $5,000.00 or more, according to one U.S. medical center.
That does not include the cost of added tests and procedures due to false alarms.
Some insurance plans do not pay for routine (surveillance) PET scans in a healthy patient who has completed cancer treatment.
CT scans pass x-rays through the body to create images.
A PET scan uses a radioactive material which emits energy.
The energy is then detected by a special camera to produce images.
A PET scan is more time-consuming: A CT scan is performed in minutes.
Your doctor may order a PET scan to inspect your blood flow, your oxygen intake, or the metabolism of your organs and tissues.
PET scans show problems at the cellular level, giving your doctor the best view of complex systemic diseases.
PET scans are most commonly used to detect: cancer.
PET units are only eligible for Medicare funding if they are provided by a comprehensive practice that provides a full range of diagnostic imaging and cancer treatment services at the one site; Only PET scans that use the 'standard FDG tracers' are eligible under Medicare.
The entire PET scan process takes about two hours.
It can take up to 60 minutes for your body to absorb the injected radiotracer.
During this time, you'll need to sit quietly and limit your movements.
Not all cancers show up on a PET scan.
PET scan results are often used with other imaging and lab test results.
Other tests are often needed to find out whether an area that collected a lot of radioactive material is non-cancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant).