NOTANOC PET Scan in Delhi — 68Ga NOTANOC PET CT for Neuroendocrine Tumours | Neurad Diagnostics

You are holding a prescription that says “68Ga NOTANOC PET CT scan” — and when you searched for it online, almost everything that came up talked about DOTANOC instead. Is it the same test? Did the doctor make a spelling mistake? Where in Delhi can you actually get a NOTANOC scan done, and what should you expect on the day?

This guide answers all of it. The NOTANOC PET scan is a real, distinct, and well-established nuclear medicine study — and it is performed at Neurad Diagnostic & Healthcare LLP in Paschim Vihar, Delhi, with daily tracer availability through our in-house 68Ga Gallium Generator. Below, we explain what the scan is, how it compares with DOTANOC, who needs it, how to prepare, and what happens step by step.

Quick answer: A NOTANOC PET scan (68Ga-NOTA-NOC PET/CT) is a somatostatin receptor imaging study used to detect, stage, and monitor neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). It works on the same clinical principle as the DOTANOC scan — the tracer binds to somatostatin receptors that neuroendocrine tumour cells carry in large numbers — and the two studies are used for the same clinical indications. The practical difference lies in the chelator chemistry (NOTA vs DOTA) used to attach Gallium-68 to the peptide, not in what the scan tells your doctor.

What Is a NOTANOC PET Scan?

The NOTANOC PET scan, formally written as 68Ga-NOTA-NOC PET/CT, is a nuclear medicine imaging study built from three parts:

• Gallium-68 (68Ga) — a short-lived radioactive isotope (half-life about 68 minutes) that the PET scanner can detect. At Neurad Diagnostic, 68Ga is produced on-site from our Gallium Generator, which is why the scan can be scheduled on a daily basis rather than waiting for tracer deliveries.
• NOC (1-Nal3-somatostatin analogue) — a synthetic peptide closely related to natural somatostatin, engineered to bind to somatostatin receptors, particularly subtypes SSTR2, SSTR3, and SSTR5. This is the “homing” part of the molecule that seeks out neuroendocrine tumour cells.
• NOTA — the chelator, a small chemical cage that holds the Gallium-68 atom firmly attached to the NOC peptide while it travels through your body.

Once injected into a vein, the tracer circulates in the blood and attaches to cells with a high density of somatostatin receptors. Neuroendocrine tumour cells typically overexpress these receptors, so tumour deposits — whether in the pancreas, small intestine, lungs, lymph nodes, liver, or bones — accumulate the tracer and appear as bright focal spots on the PET images. The CT component of the same scan session maps these spots precisely onto your anatomy, so the report can say not just “there is receptor-positive disease” but exactly where it is and how large it is.

NOTANOC vs DOTANOC: What Is Actually Different?

This is the question that brings most readers to this page, so let us answer it properly rather than in one vague line.

Both NOTANOC and DOTANOC use the same targeting peptide — NOC — which is what determines what the scan “sees.” The difference is the chelator that binds Gallium-68 to that peptide:

Feature	68Ga-DOTA-NOC (DOTANOC)	68Ga-NOTA-NOC (NOTANOC)
Targeting peptide	NOC (1-Nal3-somatostatin analogue)	NOC (1-Nal3-somatostatin analogue)
Receptors imaged	SSTR2, SSTR3, SSTR5	SSTR2, SSTR3, SSTR5
Chelator	DOTA	NOTA
Radiolabelling chemistry	Typically requires heating during preparation	Labels efficiently under milder conditions, including room temperature
Clinical indications	Neuroendocrine tumour detection, staging, PRRT work-up, follow-up	Same indications
Patient experience	Identical: IV injection, uptake period, PET/CT acquisition	Identical

In plain language: for you as a patient, the two scans are interchangeable in purpose, preparation, and experience. The choice between them is a pharmacy-level and logistics-level decision made by the nuclear medicine team, based on the labelling kits and generator chemistry in use at the centre on a given day. The NOTA chelator’s milder labelling chemistry is one reason centres running in-house generator programmes value it — it supports reliable, day-in-day-out tracer preparation.

So if your prescription says NOTANOC and the article you read online says DOTANOC — no, nobody made a mistake. Your doctor’s clinical question (“does this patient have somatostatin receptor-positive disease, and where?”) is answered equally by either study.

Why Doctors Order a NOTANOC PET Scan

Endocrinologists, gastroenterologists, oncologists, and surgeons order somatostatin receptor PET imaging — NOTANOC or DOTANOC — in a defined set of situations:

• Confirming and locating a suspected neuroendocrine tumour. NETs are often small, slow-growing, and easy to miss on routine CT or ultrasound. Hormonal symptoms or raised markers (chromogranin A, serotonin, urinary 5-HIAA) may point to a NET that conventional imaging cannot find. Receptor PET frequently locates the primary tumour in these “biochemistry positive, imaging negative” cases.
• Whole-body staging in a single session. One scan maps the primary tumour plus lymph node, liver, bone, and other metastases — information that would otherwise need multiple separate tests.
• Selecting patients for PRRT. Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (Lu-177 based treatment) only works when tumour cells express somatostatin receptors strongly. A receptor PET scan is the standard gateway test before PRRT is considered.
• Monitoring after surgery or during treatment. Follow-up scans detect residual or recurrent disease earlier than structural imaging alone.
• Characterising specific tumour families — gastroenteropancreatic NETs (stomach, intestine, pancreas), carcinoid tumours of the lung and gut, pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma, medullary thyroid carcinoma, and other somatostatin receptor-positive tumours.

Symptoms and Findings That Lead to This Scan

Neuroendocrine tumours often announce themselves through the hormones they secrete rather than through a visible lump. Your doctor may consider receptor PET imaging if you have:

• Recurrent episodes of facial flushing (sudden redness and warmth of the face and neck)
• Chronic diarrhoea with no other explanation
• Unexplained wheezing or breathlessness episodes together with flushing (carcinoid syndrome pattern)
• Episodes of very high blood pressure with palpitations and sweating (pheochromocytoma pattern)
• Repeated low blood sugar episodes, or peptic ulcers that resist standard treatment
• Raised chromogranin A, serotonin, or urinary 5-HIAA on lab testing
• A pancreatic, intestinal, or lung lesion on CT/MRI whose behaviour suggests a neuroendocrine origin
• A known NET that needs staging, restaging, or PRRT work-up

How to Prepare for a NOTANOC PET Scan

Preparation is refreshingly simple compared with an FDG PET scan — and this catches many patients by surprise:

1. Fasting is generally not required for the tracer itself. NOTANOC uptake does not depend on blood glucose the way FDG does. If your protocol includes a contrast-enhanced CT, the centre will tell you about any short fasting window for the contrast — follow the specific instructions given at booking.
2. Tell the team about somatostatin analogue medication. If you receive somatostatin analogue therapy (common in NET patients), the scan is usually timed relative to your injection cycle — typically scheduled shortly before your next dose is due. Short-acting somatostatin analogue may need a brief pause. Do not stop any medicine on your own; the scheduling team will coordinate this with your treating doctor.
3. Hydrate normally. Drink water before and after the scan — it helps tracer clearance.
4. Bring your papers. Prescription, previous imaging (CT/MRI/earlier PET discs or films), biopsy and lab reports. Comparing with earlier studies materially improves the quality of the final report.
5. Inform us about pregnancy or breastfeeding. As with all nuclear medicine studies, pregnancy must be ruled out first, and breastfeeding mothers receive tracer-specific guidance on the day.

Step-by-Step: What Happens on Scan Day at Neurad Diagnostic

Step 1 — Registration and review (10–15 minutes). Your prescription and history are reviewed, and the nuclear medicine team confirms the protocol, including whether contrast CT is planned.

Step 2 — Tracer preparation. Because Gallium-68 decays quickly, the NOTANOC tracer is freshly prepared from the in-house generator close to your appointment time. This is also why punctuality matters for Ga-68 scans — the dose is literally made for you, for that hour.

Step 3 — Injection (5 minutes). The tracer is injected through an IV cannula. It causes no sedation, no warmth, no taste for most patients — the injected chemical quantity is microscopic.

Step 4 — Uptake period (about 45–60 minutes). You rest while the tracer circulates and binds to somatostatin receptors. You can sit comfortably; strict stillness is not required the way it is for FDG brain studies.

Step 5 — PET/CT acquisition (20–30 minutes). You lie on the scanner table, which moves slowly through the open ring. The scan is painless; the machine is open at both ends, and the technologist stays in voice contact throughout.

Step 6 — Report within 24 hours. Images are read by our nuclear medicine physicians — Dr. Swagat Dash (MBBS, DNB – Nuclear Medicine) and Dr. Pradeep Chaurasiya (MBBS, DNB – Nuclear Medicine) — and the report, with key images, is delivered within 24 hours so your treating doctor can act on it quickly.

Total time at the centre is usually 2 to 2.5 hours.

Is the NOTANOC PET Scan Safe?

Yes — the safety profile mirrors other Gallium-68 receptor studies. A few specifics worth knowing:

• Short-lived radioactivity. With a 68-minute half-life, the majority of the injected activity has decayed within a few hours, and residual tracer clears in urine. Radiation exposure from Ga-68 peptide scans is modest and within accepted diagnostic limits.
• No drug-like effects. The peptide dose is far below any pharmacologically active amount. It does not affect blood pressure, blood sugar, or alertness — you can drive home and eat normally afterwards.
• Simple after-care. Drink water through the day, and as a routine courtesy precaution, avoid prolonged close cuddling with infants and pregnant women for a few hours on the scan day. For a complete, practical discussion of nuclear imaging safety — radiation doses, precautions, pregnancy, breastfeeding and more — see our detailed guide on PET scan side effects and precautions.

NOTANOC PET Scan Cost in Delhi

The cost of a NOTANOC PET scan in Delhi depends on the clinical protocol — whether a diagnostic contrast-enhanced CT is included, the regions covered, and the indication. Somatostatin receptor PET studies sit in the same general price band as other specialised Gallium-68 scans, and pricing at Neurad Diagnostic is quoted transparently before your appointment, with no hidden charges. For the current rate for your specific prescription, call +91 8368225620 or +91 7011968879. You can also read our general guide on what affects PET CT scan cost in Delhi to understand why prices differ between scan types.

Why Daily Availability Matters for Ga-68 Scans

Here is a practical reality that NET patients and their families discover quickly: Gallium-68 tracers cannot be stockpiled. With a 68-minute half-life, the tracer must be produced and used within hours. Centres without their own generator depend on external supply schedules, which is why patients elsewhere are sometimes given scan dates days or weeks away.

Neurad Diagnostic operates an in-house 68Ga Gallium Generator programme, which supports daily scheduling of the full Ga-68 menu — NOTANOC, DOTANOC, PSMA, FAPI, Exendin, and Trivehexin. For a patient whose oncologist is waiting on staging results to plan surgery or PRRT, the difference between “come tomorrow morning” and “come in two weeks” is not a convenience — it is treatment time.

What Your NOTANOC Report Will Tell Your Doctor

A well-prepared somatostatin receptor PET report typically covers:

• Location and extent of receptor-positive disease — primary site, nodal involvement, liver, bone, and other distant sites
• Intensity of tracer uptake (SUV values) — a semi-quantitative measure of receptor expression, relevant both for diagnosis and for judging PRRT suitability
• Comparison with previous imaging — whether disease is stable, responding, or progressing
• Incidental findings on the CT portion that may need separate attention
• A clear clinical impression written for your treating specialist, not in isolation

One nuance your doctor will interpret for you: some normal organs — spleen, kidneys, liver, pituitary, and uncinate process of the pancreas — naturally show tracer uptake because they physiologically carry somatostatin receptors. Bright spots in these areas are expected biology, not automatically disease. This is precisely why receptor PET reads best in experienced nuclear medicine hands.

Frequently Asked Questions About the NOTANOC PET Scan

1. Is NOTANOC the same as DOTANOC?

Clinically, yes — both use the same NOC peptide to image the same somatostatin receptors for the same indications. The difference is the chelator chemistry (NOTA vs DOTA) used to attach Gallium-68 during tracer preparation. Your preparation, scan experience, and report are equivalent.

2. Do I need to fast before a NOTANOC PET scan?

Not for the tracer itself. Unlike FDG scans, NOTANOC uptake is independent of blood sugar. If your protocol includes contrast CT, follow the specific instructions given at booking.

3. Should I stop my somatostatin analogue therapy before the scan?

Do not stop anything on your own. The scan is usually timed relative to your long-acting injection cycle, and the scheduling team will coordinate the ideal date with your treating doctor.

4. How long does the whole appointment take?

Plan for about 2 to 2.5 hours — registration, injection, a 45–60 minute uptake period, and a 20–30 minute scan.

5. Is the scan painful or claustrophobic?

The only needle is the IV cannula. The PET/CT ring is open at both ends — far more open than an MRI tunnel — and the technologist remains in contact with you throughout.

6. What conditions does the NOTANOC scan detect?

Somatostatin receptor-positive tumours: gastroenteropancreatic NETs, carcinoid tumours of the lung and gut, pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma, medullary thyroid carcinoma, and related tumours. It is also the standard work-up study before PRRT.

7. How much radiation does a NOTANOC scan involve?

A modest, one-time diagnostic exposure. Gallium-68’s 68-minute half-life means the radioactivity decays rapidly, and the remainder clears through urine within hours. Normal family life resumes the same day with simple precautions.

8. Can the scan be done during pregnancy or breastfeeding?

Pregnancy must be ruled out first, as with all nuclear medicine studies. Breastfeeding mothers receive tracer-specific instructions on the day — inform the team when booking.

9. When will I get my report?

Within 24 hours at Neurad Diagnostic, reported by DNB-qualified nuclear medicine physicians, with images provided for your treating doctor.

10. Where can I get a NOTANOC PET scan in Delhi with same-week availability?

Neurad Diagnostic & Healthcare LLP, Paschim Vihar, offers NOTANOC and the full Gallium-68 scan menu on a daily-availability basis through its in-house generator programme. Call +91 8368225620 to check the next available slot for your prescription.

Conclusion: The Test Behind the Unfamiliar Name

A NOTANOC PET scan prescription can look intimidating precisely because so little patient-friendly information exists about it online. In reality, it is a well-established somatostatin receptor study — the same clinical tool as DOTANOC, prepared with different chelator chemistry — and one of the more useful tests in the neuroendocrine tumour journey: it finds hidden primaries, stages the whole body in one sitting, and opens the door to PRRT when receptors are strongly expressed.

If your doctor has advised a NOTANOC or DOTANOC PET CT and you want a clear cost quote, help with scheduling around your somatostatin analogue cycle, or simply answers to questions before you book — call Neurad Diagnostic at +91 8368225620. The nuclear medicine team answers patient questions directly, before the appointment, not after.

Neurad Diagnostic & Healthcare LLP
B-3, opp. Metro Pillar No. 233, Near Paschim Vihar West Metro Station, New Multan Nagar, Paschim Vihar, New Delhi – 110056
Phone: +91 8368225620 | +91 7011968879
Website: https://neuraddiagnostic.com

About the Medical Team

Dr. Swagat Dash — MBBS, DNB (Nuclear Medicine & PET-CT Imaging)
Over a decade of clinical expertise in nuclear medicine and advanced diagnostic PET-CT imaging.

Dr. Pradeep Chaurasiya — MBBS, DNB (Nuclear Medicine, Molecular Imaging)
Several years of expertise in PET-CT scans and nuclear medicine procedures.

Dr. Nishant Thapar — MBBS, MD Radiology (High-End Diagnostic Imaging, MRI, CT)
Extensive experience in diagnostic imaging with advanced radiological equipment.

Practicing at Neurad Diagnostic & Healthcare LLP, B-3, Near Paschim Vihar West Metro Station, New Multan Nagar, Paschim Vihar, New Delhi — 110056.

Clinically reviewed by the nuclear medicine team at Neurad Diagnostic & Healthcare LLP. This content is for general information only and is not a substitute for advice from your treating doctor. Scan protocols, preparation steps, and medication timing vary by individual case — always follow the specific instructions provided by your treating physician and the nuclear medicine team at your appointment.