My name is Jason Godbold. I'm the Superintendent
Radiographer in CT at University College Hospital in London which also covers the Macmillan
Cancer Centre. CT is a computerised tomography scan which many people know as a cat scan.
It is basically a very high resolution x-ray picture of the body and enables a bigger 3D
image to be built from it. A CT scan is used for many conditions in diagnosis. Cancer is
one of them; it can be used for lots of other conditions across the whole hospital.
Jyoti Howe, CT Scan Patient: Last year I was diagnosed with bladder cancer and as a result
I had to be scanned a few times and a couple of those scans were CT scan. The scanner looks
like a big polo. It's a circular machine where you lie on your motorised bed and the operator
can move the bed in and out of the scanner itself. Before I had the scan, I was quite
apprehensive especially when I entered the room and saw this huge machine but it was
quite straightforward and simple and there was nothing for me to worry about.
Godbold: When you have been to see the doctor, the doctor will request a CT scan for you.
That will be sent through to our administration department and they will send you an appointment.
Usually if it's at the start of your process, it will be within a week or two of your diagnosis.
Down the line, it will be three to six months depending where you are in the pathway. On
arrival, you will be greeted by one of the members of staff, you will be brought round
and you will be changed into a hospital gown. Howe: Sometimes before the scans, you are
given contrast mediums which is in a liquid form and it's given intravenously.
Godbold: The whole purpose of that is to show the blood vessels and the organs in the body.
It enhances the image and gives the doctors a much better image to look at. The actual
dye when we run it through doesn't hurt but it has a few sensations you can experience.
It can make you very warm, it can give you a metallic taste in your mouth and it can
give you a sensation like you're going to the toilet. These are all very short lasting
and not everybody experiences them. Howe: You can feel slightly nauseous. I did
but it only lasted a few seconds and I felt OK once I was dressed and up, and I was able
to go home without any problems. Godbold: When we bring you into the room,
we'll have got you changed into the hospital gown. You'll keep your shoes and socks on
if you're wearing them. We take jewellery off that is pertinent to the area of the body
so if we're scanning your chest, we'll move any necklaces and long dangly earrings. If
you have problems with mobility, we can lower the table right down. It goes around to about
45cm off the ground so you can get on the table very easily and members of staff will
help you. When you are on the CT scanner, you lie on a table which goes through the
scanner itself. Once you lie on the CT table, you don't have to do anything else as everything
else is done for you until the scan is finished. There is no pain from the scan itself. When
the radiographer leaves the room, they are going to perform the scan but they are probably
no more than a few metres away from the patient. Howe: It is very comfortable and throughout
the time you are able to talk with the radiographer and he is able to see you, speak to you and
communicate with you quite freely. Godbold: OK, Jyoti. We're just starting the
scan now. How are you doing? Are you OK? Howe: I'm OK. Thank you.
Godbold: We can constantly reassure them. We are always in visual eye line with them.
There is an intercom between us and the patient. We can constantly talk to them. If need be,
we can stop the scan and come and talk to the patient and then restart. The whole process
takes on average between ten and 30 minutes. Once the scan is completed, you can get dressed
and go. There are no lasting effects from the x-ray dye and you are free to carry on
your normal day. Howe: Thank you so much.
Godbold: You're welcome. Godbold: Once the radiographer has completed
the scan, the images are uploaded onto the hospital network, reported by one of our radiology
doctors and then that report and the images are sent to your referring doctor usually
within a week or two ready for your follow up appointment.
Howe: That wait is probably the worst part of having a scan done because you don't have
the results straightaway. Godbold: We do understand that people will
be anxious and very scared. We're always here to answer any questions and help you through
the scan. Howe: It is quite amazing the technology they
use to look inside your body and that can be done without having to operate on you.
It is really incredible amazing technology that we have available to us.