An MIBG Scan is a nuclear medicine scan which involves an injection of a liquid radioactive material called iodine-123-meta-iodobenzylguanidine or MIBG for short. The radioactive material is injected into a vein and MIBG binds to adrenergic tissue. It is typically used to identify neuroendocrine tumours such as pheochromocytomas and neuroblastomas (cancers which affect nerve tissue).

An MIBG scan takes two days – on the first day, the patient will have the isotope injection and on the second, they will have the scan. The scan is performed with our SPECT-CT scanner, which provides detailed anatomical localisation of the tumour.

Octreotide scans are also nuclear medicine scans which localise neuroendocrine tumours. However, octreotide binds to somatostatin receptors on cells, and is therefore useful in identifying carcinoid tumours and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours. The isotope is injected into the vein, and then a SPECT-CT scan is performed the next day. The scan can localise the neuroendocrine tumour and determine if there has been any spread.