Role of PET scan in Oral Cancer: What is it, Uses, Preparation, Procedure & Cost

Role of PET scan in Oral Cancer : What is it, Uses, Preparation & Cost

What is Oral cancer? Mouth cancer or oral cancer is the malignancy of oral cavity including lips, gums, inner ling of the cheeks, tongue, tonsils, roof of the oral cavity or under the tongue. It usually begins as persistent...

What is Oral cancer?

Mouth cancer or oral cancer is the malignancy of oral cavity including lips, gums, inner ling of the cheeks, tongue, tonsils, roof of the oral cavity or under the tongue. It usually begins as persistent white patches, red patches or ulcers in the mouth or oral cavity.

Oral cancers more frequently affect men and people over 60 years of age. Incidence varies worldwide. It is a common form of head and neck cancers. Although many risk factors for oral cancers have been identified earlier, the incidence of Human papilloma virus associated oral cancers have been increased in the recent years.

What Are the Symptoms of Oral Cancer?

Depending upon the location of oral cancer, the symptoms or signs of oral cancer varies and may present as:

White patches in the mouth
Red patches in the mouth
Mixture of white and red patches in the mouth
Persistent oral ulcers
Bleeding gums
Burning sensations in the oral cavity
Mass in the pharynx
Persistent ear ache
Dry and crusted ulcers on the lips
Swelling in the chin
Numbness of lips
Loosening of teeth
Unilateral enlargement of tonsil
Dysphagia or difficulty in swallowing
Voice changes
Painless mass in the neck
Weakness
Body ache.

What is the role of PET scan in oral cancer?

PET Scan is used for the assessment and analysis of metabolic and biochemical properties of tissues or organ. Your health care provider may order a PET scan for the following indications in Oral cancer:

Cancer staging: PET scan may be used for staging of oral cancer.
Detection of metastases: PET scan plays an important role in identification and localization of metastases.
To evaluate the size of lesion.
To evaluate the prognosis of cancer patients.
To check for Cancer recurrence post treatment.

How do I prepare for PET scan in oral cancer?

Follow these steps if you are going for a PET scan:

Get an appointment: Schedule your appointment in a Diagnostic center having the facility of PET scan as it is available in limited centers. This saves your time too by avoiding waiting at the time of scan.
Fasting: 6-7 hours fasting is required for PET scan.
Caffeine: For 24-hours before the scan, avoid caffeinated products.
Smoking and tobacco: On the day of your scan, don’t smoke or chew tobacco products as nicotine present in these substances causes vasoconstriction and may alter the test results.
Clothing: Dress yourself in clothes as comfortable as possible and that are easy to put on and off.
Medications: Certain drugs may alter test results. Inform your doctor about all medications and supplements that you are currently taking.
Allergy: Inform your Clinician about prior history of allergy to any drug or medications.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Tell your doctor about pregnancy if you are pregnant or if you breastfeed your baby so that your doctor can evaluate the risk vs benefit ratio.
Implants: Inform your doctor about any implant in your body such as cardiac implant, inner ear implants, metallic dentures, neurostimulators or any type of hearing aids etc.
Claustrophobia and anxiety: If you have claustrophobia or anxiety disorder then don’t hesitate to tell your doctor. He may give you sedative or some alternatives to help overcome this while performing test.
Exercise: Don’t perform any strenuous exercise for 24-hours prior to your test.
Medical reports: Don’t forget to carry all relevant medical reports along with you while going for PET scan. These reports may aid in better evaluation of your condition.
Take a company: Get accompanied by a friend or family member to have mental, emotional and physical support and to drive you home.

What is the procedure for PET scan in oral cancer?

The procedure of PET scan includes the following steps:

Written consent is required before the procedure begins.
You will be then asked to change your clothes and wear a gown provided by the technician assisting the procedure.
You will be asked to remove all the metallic elements like jewellery, hearing aids, metallic hair clips, metallic underwired bras, wallets, keys, coins, cards containing metallic strips, belts, goggles etc.
An intravenous injection of radiopharmaceutical agent usually FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose) is given to you.
You will be then asked to sit quietly for about an hour to allow the radiotracer agent to get distributed to your body tissues and organs via bloodstream. The radioactive agent gets accumulated in areas of high metabolic activity such as cancerous tissues.
If PET-CT is being scheduled then you may get another intravenous injection of a contrast agent which yield high clarity images on CT scan.
You may be provided with head phones or ear plugs to make you feel more comfortable.
If you have Claustrophobia or anxiety disorder, then you may be given sedatives or some other alternatives to make you feel comfortable during the scan.
Before scan, your assisting Doctor will explain about all the possible adverse effects of using radiopharmaceutical or contrast material such as itching, rash, swelling etc. Your KFT report will be required to rule out any kidney disease/pathology and to check your GFR.
Then you will be asked to lie supine on the examination table which will slide and place you inside the scanner.
You need to lie still during the procedure as body movements may interfere with the quality of images produced.
Your Radiologist will take several images to evaluate the underlying pathology and at the end these images will be interpreted for making a definite diagnosis.

What happens after PET scan?

Once the imaging is over you may be allowed to exit the scanner room and asked to wait in the observation room for some time, to check for any possible side effect of radioactive or contrast agent being used.

You should drink water to clear out the radiotracer or contrast agent from your body.

Price of PET scan for oral cancer in Delhi?

Price of PET scan generally varies with city and location. Various diagnostic and imaging centers charges differently according to the quality of machines they provide and the offers currently availing in them. PET scan charges also vary with the body part which need to be examined and the type of PET scan.

PET scan test is an advanced diagnostic and monitoring tool that is available at limited diagnostic centers as it requires costly and modern equipments and skilled Radiologists to perform the scan.

To choose the best diagnostic center for PET scan in Delhi. Click here!

Ganesh Diagnostic and Imaging center (GDIC) is now offering 50% discount on all types of PET scan test.

Various PET scan prices at Ganesh Diagnostic and Imaging center (GDIC)are as following:

For more details, click here!

Best diagnostic center for PET scan?

Ganesh Diagnostic and Imaging center (GDIC) is considered as the best diagnostic center for PET scan in Rohini, Delhi. We have many branches in different locations of Delhi including Hari Nagar, Yamuna Vihar, Nangloi, Derawal Nagar and Mangol puri.

We are having the facility of different types of PET scan including:

F-18 Choline PET Scan

FDG-PET Scan

Brain PET Scan

Whole Body PET Scan

DOTA PET SCAN

PSMA PET Scan For Prostate

Dopa Brain PET Scan

Cardiac Viability PET Scan

Cardiac PET Scan

Ganesh Diagnostic and Imaging Center is a NABH and NABL accredited top diagnostic center situated in ROHINI and various other locations of Delhi. It is equipped with modern, highly expensive machines with latest cutting-edge technologies and highly skilled Radiologists and Pathologists.

Currently, we are offering 50% discount on all types of PET scan. We are open 24X7 and 365 days. You can also get free online or offline Consultation with our Senior Radiologist, Dr. Ravin Sharma regarding any imaging and scanning test.

We also offer facilities of online reporting, free home sample collection and free Ambulance services in Delhi, NCR. We are also empanelled with various departments and organizations. So, you can get the services at panel rate too.

For more details visit your nearest Ganesh Diagnostic and Imaging center (GDIC) today or call us now

FAQs Related to Oral cancer & PET scan:

What are the risk factors for oral cancer?

There are several risk factors for the development of squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity or mouth such as:

Cigarette smoking
Tobacco chewing
Areca or betel nut chewing
Paan
Alcohol intake
Combined use of tobacco and alcohol
HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) infection
Premalignant lesions
Sun exposure
Radiation exposure
Poor oral hygiene
Male sex
Age >60 years
Low socio-economic status
Post-HSCT (Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation)

What are premalignant lesions for oral cancer?

A premalignant lesion, also known as precancerous change is described as a benign lesion with morphological alterations and higher propensity of malignant transformation.

There are various types of pre-malignant lesion that may occur in the oral cavity including:

Leukoplakia: It is a white patch or plaque in the oral mucosa that can not be attributed to any other pathology.
Erythroplakia: It is a red patch or erythematous area in the oral mucosa which is not attributed to any other pathology.
Erythroleukoplakia: Presence of both red and white patches in the oral mucosa is termed as Erythroleukoplakia aur speckled leukoplakia.
Actinic cheilitis: It is a sunburn that develop on the lips due to long term exposure to sunlight.
Submucous fibrosis: It is characterized by progressive fibrosis in the submucosal tissues along with inflammatory changes in the oral epithelium.

How is screening done for oral cancer?

Screening test is used to check for oral cancer when there is no signs or symptoms present. According to ACS (American cancer Society), it is usually advised for adults >20 years to have a periodic oral examination for early screening of oral cancer.

Although, some additional tests can be performed too for screening oral cancer such as:

Fluorescence imaging
Toluidine Blue dye technique
Brush biopsy

These examinations may help in detection of early signs of cancer and determine the need for further testing if reports are abnormal.

However, diagnostic tests are recommended when there is presence of signs or symptoms of oral cancer such as persistent premalignant lesions or if the screening test is found to be suspicious or abnormal.

How is oral cancer diagnosed?

Diagnosis of oral cancer requires a complete history taking of the patient, physical examination of the patient and biopsy of the oral lesion which can be done through punch biopsy, core needle biopsy or scalpel biopsy.

To know the extent of cancer spread or to check for cancers in different locations of the upper aerodigestive tract additional tests are performed such as:

MRI scan
CT scan
FDG-PET scan
Chest X-rays
Pan-endoscopy.

What is the prognosis of oral cancer?

Prognosis of oral cancer is good compared to other head and neck cancers. Prognosis may depend upon certain factors such as:

Patient’s age
Original location of tumor
Response to treatment
Presence of Co-morbid conditions
Stage of tumor
Grade of tumor
Extent of invasion
Metastasis.

What is the survival rate of oral cancer?

The 5-year survival rate of oral cancer depending upon the patients’ age, stage of cancer, grade of cancer, extent of invasion or metastasis are as following:

86 % if diagnosed at an early stage.
69 % if spread to the adjacent tissues or areas.
40 % in case of distant metastasis.

How do oral cancer is prevented?

Certain lifestyle modifications that may prevent the development of oral cancers includes:

Stop chewing areca nuts or betel
Avoid paan
Stop tobacco chewing
Cessation of cigarette smoking
Restrict alcohol intake
HPV vaccination
Limiting sun exposure to the lips
Wearing SPF (sun protection factor) on the lips.

How is oral cancer treated?

Treatment options available for the management of squamous cell carcinoma of mouth or oral cavity includes:

Surgery
Chemotherapy
Radiotherapy
Any combination of the above treatments.

How much time taken during PET scan for Oral cancer?

The whole procedure of PET scan takes approximately 2 hours. Up to 60 minutes are required to begin the scanning procedure after giving an intravenous radioactive agent. However, the actual process of PET scan takes approx. 30-40 minutes.

However, it may last longer depending upon the severity of your illness and associated co-morbid conditions.

How much time it takes for PET scan report?

You will get reports on the next day. However, you can get the image films on the same day if required by your doctor.

Risks/Side effects of PET scan in oral cancer?

PET scan is a safe procedure. The radioactivity in the radioactive drug is very low, also it doesn’t stay for longtime in your body. Drinking water can flush the radioactive agent faster from your body.

However, some risks/side effects about PET scan are as following:

Allergic reactions to the radiotracer or contrast agent, although rare but can happen in some individuals. However, these allergic reactions are usually mild.
Diabetic patients have low levels of insulin (help in transport of glucose across cells). Insulin deficiency may lead to low absorption of FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose) which may alter test results. So, inform your doctor before test.
Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers should avoid certain medications and test for the safety of baby. Ask your doctor before undergoing PET scan.