Which physical property of fluorine-18 makes daily scheduling of FDG PET studies practical compared with other positron emitters?

• A Its long half-life allows weekly batch production
• B It can be produced in a standard hospital reactor
• C It decays purely by electron capture, requiring no positron camera
• D Its half-life of about 110 minutes allows same-day regional distribution from a cyclotron ✓

Explanation

Fluorine-18 has a half-life of approximately 110 minutes and decays by beta-plus emission. This half-life is long enough for transport of FDG from a cyclotron centre to nearby hospitals within the same day, yet short enough to limit patient dose. Very short-lived emitters such as oxygen-15 (2 minutes) cannot be shipped at all, while reactor-produced isotopes such as iodine-131 decay by beta-minus emission and are not positron emitters.

Reference: Grainger and Allison's Diagnostic Radiology, 7th ed.

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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.