The main way we investigate or monitor your disease is by CT and MRI scans. These are generally requested in a hospital local to you.
You may be asked to have a blood test in the lead up to your scan. This tells us how well your kidneys are working and if you able to tolerate the contrast dye. You may be given a drink to have before the scan to improve the quality of the scan. You may also need an injection a special dye to also help with this.
This is a magnetic scan that gives detailed images of the body, especially for the liver and spine. The scanner can be noisy and you may be given ear plugs to wear. Staff will talk to you through an intercom. In certain situations, patients cannot have an MRI scan, and if you have any metal in your body, please let us know.
Some patients will be recommended a Gallium68 PET scan for us to identify all sites of tumour. This is a specialised whole-body scan not available in Wales and patients are currently referred to London for this (currently University College London Hospital UCLH).
If you are referred for a Gallium68 PET, please contact the NET CNSs with your appointment date so we can request the result in a timely manner. Not all patients with NETs require these scans.
A similar scan available in South Wales is an ‘Octreotide’ scan which could be used as an alternative, although this is less sensitive than a Gallium68 PET.
For information on travelling to UCLH, please read below.
For information on financial support for travel costs, click here.
For some types of NETs (stomach, duodenal, rectal), you may need an upper or lower gastrointestinal endoscopy (OGD, colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy) as a one-off procedure or on a regular basis. This may occur in a hospital close to you or in University Hospital of Wales or University Hospital Llandough.
For more information on the endoscopy procedure, please visit this link by clicking here.