Patient FAQs Eligibility Is there anything that would prevent me from participating in the study? To be eligible for this scan, a patient must 1) have recurrent prostate cancer, 2) be between the ages of 45 and 85, and 3) be able to comprehend the study objectives and provide written informed consent. What is the definition of recurrent prostate cancer? First, you must have had some type of curative treatment, ether a prostatectomy, external beam radiation therapy (EBT), or brachytherapy (radioactive seeds). For prostate cancer to be considered recurrent, you must have a PSA greater than or equal to 0.2 ng/ml if you have had a prostatectomy. If you have had EBT or brachytherapy, you must have a PSA greater than 2.0 ng/ml of your lowest PSA after treatment. For example, if your PSA was 3.0 ng/ml before EBT and then went down to 1.2 ng/ml after treatment, to qualify for this study, your PSA would need to be greater than 3.2 ng/ml. My PSA is below the minimum criteria. Can I still get the Carbon-11 Acetate PET/CT scan? Unfortunately, we are only accepting patients who exceed the minimum PSA criteria at this time. My prostate cancer is not recurring? Can I still get the Carbon-11 Acetate PET/CT scan? Unfortunately, we are only accepting patients with recurring prostate cancer at this time. My age falls outside the age range approved to participate in the study. Can I still get the Carbon-11 Acetate PET/CT scan? Unfortunately, we are only accepting patients between the ages of 45 and 85 at this time. I had additional treatments, such as hormones or cryotherapy. Does that disqualify me? No. You can have had additional treatment(s), as long as you have had a prostatectomy, EBT, or brachytherapy. Additional treatments are things like hormone therapy, cryotherapy, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, or naturopathic remedies, such as pomegranate or fish oil, just to name a few. Is there anything that would disqualify me besides not meeting the inclusion criteria?
Yes. We do have exclusion criteria. First, if you have a concurrent malignancy, you are excluded from participating in this study. Second, you need to be ambulatory and capable of all self-care. Scheduling What if I need to reschedule my appointment? Please call our scheduling representative at 913-588-6815 or email us at radiologyresearch@kumc.edu as soon as possible so that we can get you rescheduled. Travel & Lodging What if there is bad weather? No one can control the weather, and your safety is our number one priority. If there is bad weather on the day of the scan, we can reschedule your scan. Please contact us as soon as you know you are unable to travel to Kansas City. What if my flight gets delayed? Unfortunately, flights are often delayed. Please plan to arrive the day before the scan. If I plan on flying out of Kansas City the day of my scan, what time should I schedule my flight for? We suggest as late in the evening as possible after 6:00 PM. How far is the Kansas City International Airport from The University of Kansas Hospital? It is 23 miles from the Kansas City International Airport to The University of Kansas Hospital. Depending on the time of day and traffic, travel can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour. How long does it take to get from Kansas City International Airport from The University of Kansas Hospital? Depending on the time of day and traffic conditions, it takes anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour to get from Kansas City International Airport to The University of Kansas Hospital. Allow yourself an additional 15 minutes to park and walk to the Nuclear Medicine Department. Please allow additional time if you are renting a vehicle. Where should I eat?
Please click on the following link for lodging information:. Please be advised that these restaurants are not endorsed by The University of Kansas Medical Center or The University of Kansas Hospital. What is there to do in Kansas City? Please click on the following link for lodging information: :. Please be advised that these establishments are not endorsed by The University of Kansas Medical Center or The University of Kansas Hospital. Parking Where do I park? You can park in the Cambridge Parking Facility on Cambridge Drive. Bring your parking ticket in with you so that we can validate it. How much does parking cost? Parking costs $3 with a validated parking ticket. Do you offer valet parking? Yes. Valet parking is offered at the main entrance of the hospital on Cambridge Drive. We ask that you only use this service if you are unable to walk for more than 10 feet, possess an accessible parking placard, require a portable oxygen unit, are undergoing chemotherapy, are experiencing serious cardiac difficulties, or suffer from a chronic neurological-movement disorder. Is there a fee for valet parking? Yes. Valet parking costs $3. Day of the Scan What will happen the day of the scan? After you arrive in the Nuclear Medicine Department, you will complete registration at the front desk in the waiting room. After you are checked in, you will be called back to an exam room where the technologist will review your consent forms. After signing the consent forms, the technologist will start a small IV in a vein in your arm. A small amount of blood will be taken so that we can perform a PSA test at our lab. Often times, there will be a waiting period while the radiopharmaceutical is being prepared. When it is ready, you will go to the PET/CT room where you will get your scan. Once you are situated on the table, the Carbon-11 acetate will be injected through your IV. Once the scan is complete, you will be discharged.
Can I eat or drink before the PET/CT scan? Please do not eat or drink anything three hours before your appointment. This will help us get a better scan. What time should I arrive for my scan? You should arrive at your appointment time. There is no need to come early, as the drug will not be available prior to the appointment time. What should I wear? You can wear your regular street clothes. You will be able to wear them during the scan. How long with the exam take? Plan on being here for 4 hours. How long will the actual PET/CT scan take? The scan takes about 30 minutes to complete. Do I have to be monitored after the scan? No. As soon as we complete the scan, you are free to go. What activities should I avoid before my scan? We ask that you avoid strenuous activity before your scan, like heavy lifting, running, or power walking. What activities should I avoid after my scan? You can resume normal activity after the scan. Can I bring someone with me? Yes. Family members, friends, and caregivers are welcome to accompany you. Your guest(s) are welcome to stay with you right up until the time of the scan. During the scan, your guest can wait in the waiting room or go to the cafeteria, coffee shop, or gift shop. How big is the PET scanner? The PET scanner opening, called a gantry, is about 30 inches in diameter. What if I am claustrophobic? Patients with mild claustrophobia typically do fine with the scan. For the majority of the scan, your head will be out of the scanner. However, some patients with more severe claustrophobia chose to take medication to reduce the anxiety associated with claustrophobia. If you need medication for claustrophobia, please talk to your doctor prior to your appointment. We cannot prescribe you medication for claustrophobia. Keep in mind that if you take medication for claustrophobia, it may inhibit your ability to operate motor vehicles, so it will be necessary for someone to drive you. How will I be positioned on the scanning table?
You will be lying on your back. If you are able, we ask that you rest your arms above your head, but it will not affect the scan if you cannot. Do you need to check my PSA if I just had it checked? Yes. Different labs use different methods to check PSA levels. Since this is a clinical study, we have to make sure that all PSA values come from the same lab, so that all results were determined the same way. What if I don t like needles? Some people bring numbing cream with them to reduce the pain from the IV stick. If you would like more information about this, please talk to your primary care physician or pharmacist prior to your appointment. We do not offer numbing cream for this procedure. Safety How will the injection make me feel? You should not feel any discomfort with the injection. Is acetate safe? Yes. Acetate is a naturally occurring substance in our bodies. That means that we aren t putting anything foreign into your body, so you are not at risk of an allergic reaction. Acetate has been used for several years in heart scans, and there are no recorded problems with Carbon-11 Acetate. What is acetate? Acetate is a naturally occurring substance in the body. Prostate cells use it in the production of cell walls. How much radiation does will I be exposed to? You will be exposed to slightly more than three tenths (0.322) of a rem. This is the same increased exposer risk as living in Denver for 5 ½ months. The average US citizen receives two tenths of a rem per year in background radiation from rocks and minerals in the earth and incidental medical procedures. How long will I be radioactive? Carbon-11 has a half-life of 20 minutes. That means that radiation will be virtually undetectable in three hours. How does the radiation leave my body? Carbon-11 leaves your body primarily through radioactive decay and secondarily through breathing.
Carbon-11 Acetate PET/CTAC Scan What is a PET scanner? PET stands for positron emission tomography. A PET scan looks at metabolic activity, or how the organs and tissues are working. What is the CT part of the scan? CT stands for computed tomography. This is a low-energy CT scan that takes about 90 seconds and you don t have to hold your breath. It gives an anatomical image. Why do I need to get both? The CT portion of the scan acts as a map for the PET scan and the two are fused together to aid the physicians in interpreting the scan. Results How long will it take to get the PSA results back? Typically, the PSA results are available before you leave the hospital. However, if they are not, we will get you the results within one business day. How will I know the results of the study? Your referring physician will contact you once he or she receives the results. How long before I will know the results? We will fax or email your referring physician the results as soon as the radiologist is able to read the scan, generally 1-2 business days. Your referring physician will contact you with the results after they have reviewed the report. Can I get a copy of the scan for myself or another doctor? Yes. Generally, we suggest that you request a copy for yourself. You may request an additional copy for another physician. Please limit your request for copies to two copies total. Typically, copies are mailed to you as soon as the scan is read and the radiologist finishes the report. Billing Who should I contact if I have a billing question? Please contact The University of Kansas Hospital Patient Account Representatives at (913) 945-7527 or (913) 945-5337. Does insurance cover this procedure?
Every insurer is different - some companies will cover this procedure and some will not. You will need to speak to you insurance provider to determine if this procedure is covered. Medicare does not cover this procedure. When is payment due? You will be billed after the scan. No payments are due the day of the scan. How much does this cost? In total, the scan will cost no more than $2,500. After your scan, you will get two bills: 1) $2,118 for the procedure, which also includes the radiopharmaceutical, and 2) $382 for the radiologist to read the scan. The $2,118 is a discounted amount that is applied after insurance has processed your claim. Depending on the timing of the billing cycles, the amount on your bill will not reflect the discounted amount and our billing department will be happy to correct it. Please contact The University of Kansas Hospital Patient Account Representatives at (913) 945-7379 or (913) 945-5284. What does my payment cover? The scan, radiopharmaceutical, and the radiologist fee to read the scan. Why do I have to pay? Don t clinical trial patients typically get paid to participate? Not all clinical trials pay participants for participation or even reimburse their expenses. With the rising cost of health care, it is becoming more common to bill insurance companies and patients for investigational studies. Follow-Up How will you follow-up with me after the scan? We will follow-up with you every three months via email. How long will you follow-up with me? We will follow-up with you quarterly for a year. What are my responsibilities after the day of the scan? We will ask you to fill out a brief survey every three months for one year, which should take about ten minutes. At the end of the survey, we will ask for copies of all new surgery reports, pathology reports, PSA reports, treatment reports, and radiology reports relating to your recurring prostate cancer. We prefer if you upload these copies on the Follow-Up Survey. However, you can also email, fax, or mail the reports as well. Please email reports to radiologyresearch@kumc.edu, fax reports to 913-945-6687 attention Research Coordinator, or mail reports to: Research Coordinator, Department of Radiology University of Kansas Medical Center 3089 Delp Pavilion,
3901 Rainbow Blvd, Mail Stop 4032 Kansas City, KS 66160. Will I need to come back? No. You will not need to come back.