| |
This study is designed to see if there are any abnormal tissues present in your breasts and armpits.
On your arrival in the department, the procedure will be explained to you and you will be asked to read and sign a consent form prior to the test. If you agree to go ahead with the test, an antibody, labelled with a small amount of radioactivity, will be injected into a vein in your arm.About 10 minutes later, we will do a scan, which takes 30 minutes. The scan will be repeated about 3-4 hours after the injection. You will return the following day for the last scan, which takes about an hour.
For each scan, you will be required to remove any jewellery and clothing (except your bra) around the chest/neck area and lie down on a couch to have a picture taken by a gamma camera. For this purpose, the camera will be close to your chest and you will be asked to keep still. You are required to wear the same bra for all the scans above.
If you are pregnant, or you think you might be pregnant, you need to inform your doctor or the Nuclear Medicine staff before attending your appointment. In general, exposure to radiation during pregnancy should be kept to a minimum and it may be necessary to postpone your scan. If you are breastfeeding, you need to stop before the injection is given, and you will not be able to resume.
We would prefer that you do not bring more than one person with you. It is advisable not to have a pregnant woman or a small child with you. This is to avoid exposing them to unnecessary radiation. It is also preferable to avoid prolonged close contact (hugging a child / sitting a child on your knee for more than half an hour) for the rest of the day.
You should not have this test if you are allergic to foreign protein (such as having bad skin reaction after a vaccination) or if you have severe allergies.Otherwise, you may eat, drink, and take your medication as normal.
The needle prick from the injection may hurt a little. Our doctors will be available during your stay in the department to answer any queries and to provide medical cover in case of any side effect from the injection we give you (please note that side effects are extremely rare).
The amount of radioactivity you receive in this study is strictly within the recommended national level. At this level, the benefit to you from a diagnosis of your condition outweighs the risk (negligible) of any harm associated with the radiation you will receive.
You may eat as normal. The more fluid you drink the better, as the radioactivity is passed out in the urine. No extra precautions need to be taken when passing urine.
The Nuclear Medicine doctor will report on the study and the result will be sent to the doctor who requested the study. He/she will be able to discuss the results with you in relation to other tests you may have had.