special subjects
Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
Disadvantages of PET
The typical effective radiation dose during PET is about 7 mSv. The effective radiation dose with PET-CT is 5 to 18 mSv. Production of FDG requires a cyclotron. FDG has a short half-life (110 minutes); thus, shipment from the manufacturer and completion of the scan must occur very rapidly. The resulting expense, inconvenience, and impracticality greatly limit the availability of PET. 