PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Ana M. Grilo AU - Lina Vieira AU - Elisabete Carolino AU - Melissa Costa AU - Salomé Galaio AU - Inês Melo AU - Ana Geão AU - Andrea Santos AU - Paula Colarinha TI - Cancer Patient Experience in a Nuclear Medicine Department: Comparison Between Bone Scintigraphy and <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT AID - 10.2967/jnmt.119.239285 DP - 2020 Sep 01 TA - Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology PG - 254--262 VI - 48 IP - 3 4099 - http://tech.snmjournals.org/content/48/3/254.short 4100 - http://tech.snmjournals.org/content/48/3/254.full SO - J. Nucl. Med. Technol.2020 Sep 01; 48 AB - Our objective was to assess the anxiety level in cancer patients undergoing nuclear medicine exams and to identify how professionals can improve patient experience. Methods: In total, 94 patients undergoing 99mTc-hydroxymethylene diphosphonate (99mTc-HDP) bone scintigraphy (BS) or 18F-FDG PET/CT completed 2 scan-experience questionnaires and the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) before the scan and after image acquisition. Results: Before the exam, the mean anxiety levels were higher for the 99mTc-HDP BS group than for the 18F-FDG PET/CT group. After the exam, the opposite was true. Both groups experienced a reduction in anxiety after the scan (prescan score, 51.75 for 99mTc-HDP BS and 44.67 for 18F-FDG PET/CT; postscan score, 36.70 for 99mTc-HDP BS and 38.82 for 18F-FDG PET/CT). The greatest anxiety factor for the 99mTc-HDP BS group was the duration of the exam (mean ± SD, 5.34 ± 2.08), whereas for the 18F-FDG PET/CT group it was the result (5.40 ± 1.80). Conclusion: Patients undergoing nuclear medicine exams in an oncologic context had significant anxiety levels before and after their scans. However, 99mTc-HDP BS and 18F-FDG PET/CT had different triggers. It is of extreme importance that health-care professionals be aware of these peculiarities and adjust their procedures accordingly.