Cancer Patient Experience in a Nuclear Medicine Department: Comparison Between Bone Scintigraphy and ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT

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.