Scans for children's cancer

Scans are tests that allow doctors to see inside your child’s body to find out where the cancer is and how big it is. This information will help your doctor to choose the most effective treatment and to see how well it is working.

Scans can also be used to look at other parts of your child’s body to check their general health. 

Your child may have a number of scans during their treatment, such as CT scans and MRI scans.

Some scans use a dye that helps parts of the body to show up better on the scan. The dye is given as a drink or an injection. 

Scans can take from a few minutes to over an hour. Younger children may be sedated or given a general anaesthetic before some types of scan, as it’s important that they are very still, to give a clear scan picture. 

If they have a general anaesthetic they will need to fast (not eat or drink) for a time before the scan.

Scans are not painful but some children may feel scared if they have to lie inside a scanner for a long time. 

The medical team will help to prepare your child for this.