Tektrotyd scan

A Tektrotyd scan is used to find neuroendocrine and other types of tumours, using a radioactive Octreotide which attaches to tumour cells that have receptors for somatostatin.

If there is a possibility that you are pregnant or if you are currently breastfeeding please inform the department before your appointment as we will likely have to re-schedule.

Whenever possible, you should attend your appointment alone, unless you need a carer to support any additional needs.

Your appointment will take 6 hours but you will have two breaks of approximately 1½ hours where you can leave the department. On occasion it may be necessary to ask you to come in the next day for further images. Please see page 3 ‘What will happen at my appointment’.

For the two days prior to the scan we ask you to eat a high fibre diet and to be well hydrated. Examples of high fibre foods are: oats, chick peas, kidney beans, lentils, broccoli, cauliflower, fruits.

It is important you complete and return the enclosed form. Please list all medication that you are taking. If you are taking a somatostatin analogue (e.g. octreotide like Sandostatin or lanreotide like Somatuline) or take high insulin doses you must contact us as soon as possible. Some drugs may need to be stopped for a period of time prior to your appointment.

When you arrive for your appointment, you will firstly be given a small injection of a radioactive Octreotide into a vein, usually in your arm or the back of your hand. This injection should not have any effect on you, but will allow us to take images using a gamma camera. The radioactive Octreotide will emit gamma rays which will be detected by a piece of equipment called a gamma camera.

The first set of images will be taken two hours following the injection. You may leave the department during this time and can eat normally and we will ask you to drink plenty of fluid.

When you return for your scan you will be required to lie still on your back on the imaging bed, with a gamma camera positioned above and below you, but open at both sides.

The camera will start over your head and slowly move down your body (whole body scan) which will take about 45 minutes.

Another set of images will be taken four hours after the injection. The imaging is repeated in the same way as earlier, in addition to a SPECT/CT which is a 3-dimensional (3D) image of a specific area of your body. It is important that you remain as still as possible, while relaxed and breathing normally. This session may last up to two hours.

All images will be checked before you leave the department. Occasionally images may be repeated or extra images acquired if necessary.

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