What it detects, how to prepare, who Medicare covers, and what it costs if you're not eligible.
🇦🇺 AustraliaMBS — Conditional CoverageMBS Online, verified Oct 2026
📋 Sources: MBS Online (mbsonline.gov.au) — Category 5 Diagnostic Imaging, PET items (nuclear medicine imaging), verified October 2026. Austin Health — Having a PET scan (patient preparation guidance, Victorian public PET service). PCFA — PSMA PET-CT Medicare Benefit Schedule fact sheet (prostate cancer items 61563/61564). Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) referral guidance. This page provides general information only — not medical advice. Eligibility for a specific PET item depends on your exact diagnosis, stage, and treatment history; your GP or specialist will confirm whether your situation qualifies.
What is a PET scan?
A PET (positron emission tomography) scan uses a small amount of radioactive tracer — usually a form of glucose called FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose) — injected into a vein. Tissue that's more metabolically active, which includes most cancers, takes up more of the tracer and shows up as a "hot spot" on the scan.
A PET scan is almost always done together with a CT scan on the same machine (a "PET/CT"). The CT gives detailed anatomy; the PET shows where activity is highest. Combined, your doctor can see exactly where a hot spot sits, not just that one exists.
It's mainly used in cancer care — to find out how far a cancer has spread (staging), to see how well treatment is working, or to check for recurrence after treatment. A smaller number of PET items are used for brain conditions: working out whether epilepsy surgery is suitable, or helping diagnose Alzheimer's disease. It's not a general cancer-screening test — it's used once cancer is already suspected or confirmed, to help plan or check treatment.
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~2 hours total
Including 1hr wait
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One injection
Radioactive tracer (FDG)
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Specialist referral
For most Medicare items
⚡In short: you fast for ~6 hours, get an injection of radioactive tracer, rest quietly for about an hour while it distributes, then lie still for a 20–30 minute scan. Medicare only covers PET for a specific list of cancers and stages, plus a few brain conditions — most require a specialist referral, not just a GP referral. If your situation is on that list, it's commonly bulk billed. If it isn't, the scan is fully private. Full detail below.
How to prepare for your PET scan
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Fast for about 6 hours beforehand — water only is allowed, and staying well hydrated is encouraged. Your clinic will confirm the exact fasting window when you book.
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Have diabetes? Contact the clinic before your appointment. Blood sugar affects how the tracer distributes, so clinics give specific advice about medication timing and food — don't guess, call ahead.
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Pregnant, breastfeeding, or claustrophobic? Tell the clinic when you book, not on the day — they may adjust the appointment, timing around breastfeeding, or arrange sedation support.
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Bring your referral and Medicare card. For Medicare-funded PET, the referral needs to come from the right referrer (see Medicare eligibility below) and specify the clinical indication.
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Arrange transport if you'll be sedated for claustrophobia — and allow extra time generally; delays are common, so avoid booking other appointments straight afterwards.
📋 Source: Austin Health — Having a PET Scan. Preparation details can vary slightly by radiology provider — always follow the specific instructions given when you book.
What happens during the scan
1.
A technologist takes a quick history — confirming your fasting, medications, and any conditions relevant to the scan, then explains what will happen.
2.
You're injected with the radioactive tracer through a small cannula, usually in your arm.
3.
You rest quietly in a dim room for about an hour while the tracer spreads through your body. You're encouraged to stay relaxed and avoid talking or moving much, so the tracer doesn't concentrate in muscles you've been using.
4.
The scan itself takes 20–30 minutes — you lie still on a table that moves slowly through the scanner, similar to a CT.
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Allow at least 2 hours for the whole visit, and you won't usually get a result on the day — a specialist reviews the images and sends a report to your referring doctor, who discusses it with you.
Medicare only funds PET for a specific, clinically defined list of situations — it is not available on demand. Tap the one closest to yours. Source: MBS Online, Category 5 (Diagnostic Imaging Services), PET/nuclear medicine imaging items, verified October 2026.
Lung cancer
Characterising a solitary pulmonary nodule unsuitable for biopsy, or staging proven non-small cell lung cancer before planned curative surgery or radiotherapy.
Items 61523, 61529
Breast cancer
Staging locally advanced (Stage III) breast cancer, or investigating suspected metastatic/recurrent disease. Specialist or consultant physician referral required.
Items 61524, 61525
Melanoma
Suspected metastatic or recurrent melanoma after initial treatment, where further active treatment is being considered.
Item 61553
Lymphoma (Hodgkin's & non-Hodgkin's)
Initial staging, response to first-line treatment, restaging after recurrence, or before considering stem cell transplant.
Items 61620–61632
Head & neck, oesophageal, cervical cancer, sarcoma
Staging biopsy-proven disease before curative-intent treatment, each with its own stage and treatment-suitability criteria.
Items 61598, 61577, 61571, 61640
Other rare or uncommon FDG-avid cancers
A general "catch-all" item for cancers too uncommon to have their own item, where PET is likely to change the treatment plan. Expanded in scope from July 2025.
Item 61612
Prostate cancer (PSMA PET — different tracer)
Initial staging of intermediate-to-high-risk prostate cancer (once per lifetime), or restaging suspected recurrence after treatment (up to twice). Schedule fee $1,300; 85% benefit $1,212.10.
Items 61563, 61564
Brain — epilepsy & Alzheimer's
Working up refractory epilepsy for possible surgery, or helping diagnose Alzheimer's disease (up to 3 times per lifetime, no other brain nuclear-medicine scan in the past 12 months).
Items 61559, 61560
💡 Most of these items need a referral from a specialist or consultant physician — not a GP referral alone. Your GP can still refer you to the specialist who arranges it. If your scan meets Medicare's criteria, ask the radiology provider whether they bulk bill before booking.
What if my situation isn't on Medicare's list?
If your cancer type, stage, or clinical situation doesn't match one of the approved indications above, the PET scan is fully private — Medicare pays nothing toward it. Private pricing isn't published centrally and varies between providers, so the only reliable way to know the cost is to ask the radiology clinic for a quote before booking. As a point of reference, the Medicare schedule fee for a PSMA PET (a specific, Medicare-eligible prostate item) is $1,300 — a private, non-eligible PET/CT can be of a similar order or higher, but ask for an exact figure rather than relying on that as a quote.
If cost is a concern, it's worth asking your specialist or GP: whether a different, Medicare-eligible test could answer the same clinical question; whether the public hospital system can arrange the scan (public PET services, like Austin Health's, generally don't charge Medicare-eligible patients); and whether private health insurance contributes anything for an admitted-patient scan (it generally doesn't for an outpatient PET, but policies vary).