Whole-body Spectral CT at MBR Health provides comprehensive oncological assessment using Australia’s first private practice spectral CT — the Philips IQon. Performed and reported by Dr Zane Sherif, our whole-body Spectral CT protocol delivers multi-phase anatomically contiguous imaging in a single acquisition, with spectral data captured across every phase — providing iodine mapping, virtual non-contrast reconstructions, material decomposition and quantitative tissue characterisation as standard.
Structured oncology reporting including RECIST, iRECIST and mRECIST tumour measurement criteria is applied consistently, ensuring reproducible and clinically meaningful assessment across staging, treatment response monitoring and surveillance. Prior imaging including PET, MRI and conventional CT is reviewed and integrated into every report, providing tumour response assessment within the full context of your imaging and treatment history.
Whole-body Spectral CT is a comprehensive oncology imaging examination covering the chest, abdomen and pelvis as standard, with optional extension to include the head and neck and lower limbs where clinically indicated. Unlike conventional CT, our Philips IQon Spectral CT captures both conventional and spectral data simultaneously in every scan — providing quantitative tissue characterisation, iodine perfusion mapping and material decomposition that goes beyond what standard CT can offer. This additional layer of diagnostic information supports more accurate lesion detection, characterisation and tumour response assessment across a broad range of cancer types and treatment phases.
Initial Staging
Whole-body Spectral CT provides comprehensive assessment of primary tumour extent, nodal involvement and distant metastatic disease at initial staging — delivering a complete oncological picture in a single examination to guide treatment planning.
Treatment Response Monitoring
During active treatment with chemotherapy, targeted therapy or immunotherapy, structured RECIST-based reporting provides objective and reproducible assessment of tumour response — supporting informed clinical decision making about whether to continue, modify or change treatment.
Post-Treatment Assessment
Following completion of treatment, Whole-body Spectral CT establishes a new imaging baseline, assesses treatment effect and identifies any residual or recurrent disease — providing essential information for ongoing surveillance planning.
Surveillance
For patients in active surveillance following curative treatment, periodic Whole-body Spectral CT provides comprehensive reassessment with structured reporting — detecting early recurrence and monitoring for new disease across multiple organ systems.
Multi-Modality Assessment
For patients seeking the most comprehensive oncological assessment, Whole-body Spectral CT can be combined with our whole-body MRI scan — providing complementary anatomical, functional and quantitative data across all organ systems simultaneously.
Patients Unable to Undergo MRI
For patients with MRI contraindications including certain implanted devices, Whole-body Spectral CT provides a clinically meaningful alternative for comprehensive whole-body oncological assessment, delivering spectral tissue characterisation (e.g. benign vs malignant) with a fraction of the ionising radiation of conventional CT.
Whole-body Spectral CT provides oncological assessment across a broad range of cancer types. The following represent common indications, and we welcome discussions for cancer types not listed here.
The information on this page is intended as general health information only and does not constitute medical advice. The cancer types and clinical indications listed on this page are provided as a general guide to the potential applications of Whole Body Spectral CT and are not intended to imply that Whole Body Spectral CT is appropriate for every patient with these conditions.
Suitability for Whole Body Spectral CT is determined on an individual basis by your treating oncologist, haematologist or specialist, taking into account your specific cancer type, stage, treatment history and individual clinical circumstances. Imaging reports describe findings and observations — diagnoses, treatment decisions and clinical management are made by your treating medical practitioner.
Whole Body Spectral CT is not appropriate for all patients or all oncological indications. We strongly encourage all patients to speak with their treating team before pursuing any imaging examination. MBR Health accepts no medicolegal responsibility for clinical decisions made without appropriate medical review and interpretation by a qualified healthcare professional.
Nodal staging and treatment response with optional head and neck extension,
Primary staging, nodal assessment, treatment response and surveillance.
Staging, nodal assessment and treatment response.
Staging, vascular involvement and treatment response.
Staging, liver metastasis assessment and treatment response monitoring.
Multi-phase characterisation, staging and surveillance.
CT urogram protocol, staging and nodal assessment.
Nodal and distant metastasis assessment and biochemical recurrence evaluation,
Staging, peritoneal disease assessment and treatment response.
Nodal and extra-nodal disease assessment and treatment response monitoring.
Nodal and distant metastasis assessment.
Comprehensive multi-system assessment for unexplained or persistent red flag symptoms.
Spectral CT provides valuable assessment of treatment response in patients receiving immunotherapy, including the challenging differentiation of pseudoprogression from true disease progression.
Dr Zane Sherif, SPECIALIST Radiologist Whole-body Spectral CT at MBR Health is performed and reported by Dr Zane Sherif, Specialist Radiologist, supported by our senior radiographers and clinical team. Dr Zane Sherif developed the exclusive single acquisition multi-phase spectral CT protocol used at MBR Health, and brings pioneering expertise in spectral CT clinical application, oncology reporting and protocol innovation.
All examinations are reported using structured oncology reporting frameworks (e.g. RECIST, RECIST1.1), ensuring consistent and reproducible tumour assessment across every examination.
If your scan includes intravenous contrast, you will be asked to fast for a minimum of two hours prior to your appointment. Some studies require a longer fasting period and our team will advise you of your specific requirements when booking. Please bring your referral and any prior imaging reports including PET scans, CT reports and relevant pathology results to your appointment. This allows Dr Zane Sherif to interpret your Whole-body Spectral CT findings within the full context of your diagnostic and treatment history. Please inform our team of any known allergies, implanted devices or prior contrast reactions.
On arrival you will complete a brief health questionnaire. If intravenous contrast is required, a small cannula will be placed by our clinical team. You will then lie on the scanner table while the scan is performed. Whole-body Spectral CT examinations are relatively efficient, typically taking between 15 and 20 minutes depending on the anatomical coverage required. Some studies require brief breath holds during the scan and our radiographers will guide you through these clearly as they occur. If contrast is administered, you may feel a brief sensation of warmth or a metallic taste, which is normal and passes quickly.
If no contrast was used, you may leave immediately after your scan. If contrast was administered, we will ask you to remain for approximately 15 minutes to ensure you feel well before leaving. We recommend drinking plenty of water after your scan to help flush the contrast from your system. Your Whole-body Spectral CT will be reported by Dr Zane Sherif with structured oncology reporting and results sent directly to your referring clinician. Given the complexity of oncology reporting, results are typically available within 3 to 5 business days and will be sent to your referring doctor electronically. Urgent cases are prioritised. Your report and images will be accessible through the MBR Health patient portal.
Whole-body Spectral CT is an advanced CT examination that provides detailed anatomical images of your whole-body while also capturing additional information about tissue composition, This allows radiologists to better characterise abnormalities than is possible with conventional CT alone.
Yes. Most whole-body Spectral CT examinations are performed with an intravenous iodinated contrast injection. Contrast helps improve visualisation of blood vessels, organs and tumours and is essential for obtaining the full diagnostic benefits of Spectral CT.
MBR Health combines state-of-the-art Spectral CT technology with experienced radiographers and specialist radiologists to deliver high-quality imaging for cancer diagnosis, staging and treatment monitoring. Our advanced imaging protocols are designed to maximise diagnostic information and support informed clinical decision-making.
Potentially. Spectral CT is an emerging technology that provides more information than conventional CT by measuring the characteristics of tissues, rather than simply their size and shape.
Researchers are investigating whether quantitative measurements from Spectral CT can identify changes in tumours earlier during treatment, helping doctors assess whether a therapy is working before changes in tumour size become apparent.
One exciting area of research is immunotherapy, where Spectral CT may help distinguish between pseudoprogression, a temporary increase in tumour size caused by an immune response, and true disease progression. If validated in future studies, this could help clinicians make treatment decisions in real-time and reduce the need to wait for repeat confirmation scans.
While these applications continue to evolve, Spectral CT is at the forefront of precision imaging and is expected to play an increasingly important role in personalised cancer care.