TY - JOUR T1 - Cancer Patient Experience in a Nuclear Medicine Department: Comparison Between Bone Scintigraphy and <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT JF - Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology JO - J. Nucl. Med. Technol. SP - 254 LP - 262 DO - 10.2967/jnmt.119.239285 VL - 48 IS - 3 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 Y1 - 2020/09/01 UR - http://tech.snmjournals.org/content/48/3/254.abstract N2 - 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. ER -