CEA-Scan is performed in conjunction with standard diagnostic modalities such as CT or MRI. It’s imperative to have patient history and results of other studies to assist with image interpretation. Nuclear medicine practitioners routinely debate whether scans should be read in isolation ("blinded") or with the benefit of other clinical and diagnostic information. Experience from the evaluation of other imaging studies has proven that patient care is best served employing a Bayesian approach, which makes use of all the clinical and diagnostic information available to arrive at the diagnosis.

The CEA-Scan patient has been referred because of signs and symptoms of disease. For some patients surgical intervention can be lifesaving. Any evidence of definite or possible disease should be reported as such to the referring physician or surgeon to maximize the patient’s opportunity for a potentially curative surgery or optimization of medical management.

Finally, note the colostomy site on the history and the scan. Activity in the colostomy will be demonstrated on the scan as a hazy diffuse uptake on the abdominal surface.