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- Cancer patient experience in a nuclear medicine department: comparison between bone scintigraphy and 18F-FDG PET/CTPublication . Grilo, Ana Monteiro; Vieira, Lina Oliveira; Carolino, Elisabete; Costa, Melissa; Galaio, Salomé; Melo, Inês; Geão, Ana; Santos, Andrea; Colarinha, PaulaObjective: To assess the emotional impact on cancer patients undergoing Nuclear Medicine scans and identify how professionals can improve patient experience. Methods: 94 patients undergoing a Bone Scan (BS) or a Positron emission tomography/Computed Tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) completed two Scan Experience Questionnaires and the State Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) prior to the scan and after image acquisition. Results: Before the exam, the mean anxiety levels were higher for the BS patients compared to the 18F-FDG PET/CT group. For the post-scan STAI-S mean score, the opposite is true. Both groups experienced a reduction in levels of anxiety after the scan (BS - STAI score pre-scan = 51.75, and post-scan = 36.70; 18F-FDG PET/CT - STAI score pre-scan = 44.67, and post-scan = 38.82). The greatest anxiety factor for the BS group was the duration of the exam - 5.34 ± 2.08 (mean ± SD), while for the 18F-FDG PET/CT group it was the result - 5.40±1.80 (mean ± SD). Conclusion: Patients undergoing NM exams in an oncological context revealed significant anxiety levels prior to and after their scans. However, the BS and 18F-FDG PET/CT have different triggers. It is of extreme importance that healthcare professionals are aware of these peculiarities and adjust their procedures accordingly.
- Evaluation of SPECT imaging: a multi-center and multi-vendor phantom studyPublication . Gonçalves, Maria Inês Rebelo; Parafita, Rui; Costa, Mauro; Geão, Ana; Pereira, Edgar; Vieira, Lina OliveiraBackground: Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a nuclear medicine (NM) imaging method sensitive to the evaluation and quantification of physiological processes in patients. However, there are different factors that affect qualitatively and quantitatively the SPECT images and, consequently, the reliability of the data. There is a degree of variability underlying the intrinsic performance of systems from the same or different manufacturers. In addition, the different configurations of the gamma cameras (GC) and the acquisition and reconstruction protocols used may lead to heterogeneity of results. This study compared SPECT images acquired in three GC from three NM centers, using the Jaszczak and NEMA IEC Body phantoms, filled with a homogeneous solution of technetium-99m. Acquisitions were performed in each GC, following the protocols used in the clinical practice of the respective NM center, and the images were analyzed and compared in terms of spatial resolution, sensitivity, noise, contrast, and contrast recovery (CR). Subsequently, the processing and reconstruction parameters were harmonized to assess their impact on the standardization of results. Results: With the clinical protocols, the images acquired with the three GC showed small differences in spatial resolution, noise, and contrast, with the greatest difference being observed in the quantitative accuracy, since the CR has achieved variabilities of 0.17 and 0.28, for different activity concentrations. This intersystem variability was reduced to 0.09 and 0.08 after reconstruction algorithm standardization. However, this change increased the differences in the contrast percentage. Conclusion: GC from different manufacturers showed the greatest heterogeneity of results, however, by eliminating possible sources of variation it is possible to reduce the differences between systems. It was demonstrated the need to include different parameters for the evaluation and comparison of SPECT images so that procedures can be established between the different NM centers to ensure a trade-off between the various parameters assessed here, as the improvement of some usually leads to the deterioration of others.