PET-CT Report: Staging, SUVmax, and Response Assessment
Hybrid AI + subspecialty radiologist intelligence. Reports in 60 minutes. Critical findings escalated immediately.
- What is a PET-CT?
- An 18F-FDG PET-CT is a hybrid nuclear medicine and CT study that combines functional metabolic information (from FDG uptake) with anatomic localisation (from low-dose CT). It is the standard imaging biomarker for cancer staging, response assessment, and follow-up, and is also used for cardiac viability, infection / inflammation localisation, and dementia workup.
- How long does a PET-CT report take with 5C?
- In India, 5C Network's hybrid intelligence workflow delivers structured PET-CT reports in an average of 60 minutes, signed off by a nuclear medicine / oncology imaging specialist. Emergency cases are prioritised for 15-minute turnaround.
When is a PET-CT ordered?
Ordered for cancer staging at diagnosis, mid-treatment and post-treatment response assessment, restaging at suspected recurrence (rising tumour markers, clinical concern), search for occult primary in metastatic disease, and selected non-oncology indications (cardiac sarcoid, large-vessel vasculitis, fever of unknown origin). In India, oncology PET-CT volumes have grown sharply with the expansion of cancer centres in tier-1 and tier-2 cities.
How 5C reads a PET-CT
Every PET-CT on the 5C network is read by AI and a board-certified radiologist — never one without the other. Here's the 4-step workflow.
Bionic AI pre-read
Bionic — 5C's radiology AI trained on 3+ billion medical images — pre-reads the pet-ct and flags findings for the radiologist's attention.
- FDG-avid primary tumour with SUVmax
- regional and distant nodal metastases with SUVmax
- hepatic, pulmonary, osseous, and adrenal metastases
- tumour response by Deauville / PERCIST criteria (for treatment-response studies)
- incidentaloma differentiation (physiological brown fat, inflammatory uptake)
- cardiac viability patterns
- large-vessel vasculitis FDG uptake
- infection / inflammation foci
- post-treatment fibrosis vs residual disease clues
Radiologist read
An NMC-registered nuclear medicine / oncology imaging specialist from 5C's 400+ radiologist network reviews every image, validates or corrects AI findings, and adds clinical context.
- NMC-registered, medico-legally valid in India
- Subspecialty-trained for whole body / oncology
- Available 24/7 across India time zones
QA & peer review
Critical and complex PET-CT reads get a second-radiologist review. Random sampling across all reads supports continuous QA.
- Double-reading on critical findings
- Audit trail for medico-legal use
- NABH-aligned escalation protocol
Structured report
Signed PDF report delivered to your PACS / RIS / email in an average of 60 minutes from the time of acquisition.
- Structured findings + impression
- 15-minute SLA for emergencies
- Critical-finding phone escalation
What's in a 5C PET-CT report
A standard 5C PET-CT report is structured to be readable by the referring clinician, the hospital admin reviewing TAT, and any auditor checking NABH compliance.
Clinical history
Indication (staging, restaging, response assessment, non-oncology indication), histology of known primary, prior treatment (surgery, chemo, radiotherapy, immunotherapy), tumour markers, and relevant comorbidities.
Technique and radiotracer
Injected dose of 18F-FDG (MBq), uptake time, fasting blood glucose, scan range (skull base to mid-thigh or true whole body), low-dose CT parameters, and any IV contrast use.
Anatomic CT findings
Structural findings on the low-dose CT — primary lesion, nodal stations, organ-by-organ review, and any incidental finding requiring follow-up.
Metabolic PET findings
Pattern and distribution of FDG-avid disease, with description of physiological vs pathological uptake. Brown fat, bowel, and inflammatory foci are explicitly distinguished from disease.
SUVmax tabulation
Table of FDG-avid lesions with site, lesion size, SUVmax, and (for response studies) SUVmax change from prior. The reference background (liver / mediastinum) is documented.
Comparison and response assessment
Side-by-side comparison with prior PET-CT where available, with response classified by Deauville (lymphoma) or PERCIST (solid tumours) where applicable.
Impression and critical-finding escalation
Staging summary (TNM where appropriate), overall disease status, and recommended next step. Findings such as cord compression, impending pathological fracture, or massive PE on CT are escalated by phone.
PET-CT reads, across India
5C Network reports PET-CT studies for 1,500+ hospitals and diagnostic centres across India — Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Coimbatore, Jaipur, Lucknow, and 13 more tier-2 / tier-3 cities. NMC-registered, NABH-aligned, medico-legally valid.
See all coverage locationsFrequently asked questions
How long does a PET-CT report take?
Is the radiation dose from PET-CT high?
Can 5C report PET-CT for response assessment?
What does SUVmax mean?
How accurate is AI for lesion detection on PET-CT?
Is the PET-CT report NMC-valid?
Integrate 5C PET-CT reads at your hospital
60-minute average turnaround. AI + radiologist + QA on every read. NMC-registered, NABH-aligned, medico-legally valid in India. Pay-per-scan — no salary or locum commitments.
