Pet or Ct scan?
 

Hello all,

I have a quick question. My oncologist now wants me to have Pet scans to check my liver as he said the Ct scan doesn't do such a great job of distinquishing between noncancer/cancer spots. What are your thoughts. Do you have CT or Pet scans to monitor your progress?

I also thought that Pet scans were harder on the kidneys and that we should do them sparingly.

Thanks for all your help,

Jackie

Re: Pet or Ct scan?
 

Hi Jackie,

I only had one set of scans of suspected bone mets a few years ago, my Onc chose an mri first and then PET/CT not sure why but do remember reading a PET can detect cancer at cellular level. Good luck!! (I think it ll depends too on what part of the body is being scanned as to which scan is chosen)

Re: Pet or Ct scan?
 

Hi Jackie, I sometimes have PET/CT scan but most times a CT - checking mostly on lung and liver mets status.

My understanding is that the CT is more accurate in viewing and measuring spots, whilst the PET will light up any actual active cancer. Bear in mind that other things may light up, but they can be spots that are showing just high levels of glucose.

As an example, late last year my TM's started to rise. My onc sent me to have a PET to see if my liver tumour was active, which it was, and had doubled in size - no new tumours. If only my liver had lit up, we were going to progress to having the tumour removed from the liver. However, one small lung spot also lit up, so my onc felt it was more important to re-start chemo. So this year I've only had CT scans to watch closely on the reduction of the liver tumour - the lung one never changes in size.

I may well re-investigate the liver resection later this year and I would imagine they would do a PET again. They will only consider removing the liver tumour when they are sure it is active cancer, but won't remove if it if there is other organ active cancer lighting up on the PET.

Hope this makes sense, and I'm sure others will probably have a more learned response!

Best wishes Marie

Re: Pet or Ct scan?
 

Marie,
That's the best explanation of the CT/PET thing that I've ever read. Well said!

I think it also depends heavily on what your onc prefers. Even at my treatment facility it varies from doc to doc. For instance a friend has PET scans and her onc checks tumor markers religiously. On the other hand...I've only ever had one PET, because my onc prefers CT scans, and she doesn't do tumor markers at all!

I guess that's what makes medicine both an art and a science!
Denise

Re: PET or Ct scan?
 

I think PET is for the whole body and is much more expensive ...http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1255942/

Re: Pet or Ct scan?
 

Thank you ladies for your replies. I truly appreciate you all.

Have a relaxing evening,

Jackie

Re: Pet or Ct scan?
 

A PET scan is actually a CT and PET combined. They take CT pictures and overlay them with the PET part, which shows uptake and molecular activity based on the radioactive sugars they put in you. It gives them an idea of how active your cancer is. All of mine have been Whole Body, including head.

I've never heard it's any harder on kidneys than a CT with contrast. I get a PET/CT pretty much every 3 months. I think I've had 17 CTs alone and 10/12 PETs. Can't remember now. And 10 MUGAs. :)

Re: Pet or Ct scan?
 

My insurance company will not approve yearly "surveillance" PET/CT any more. With out a whole lot of DR peer to Peer review, with ins company. So Then you get to get a chest xray, bone scan,Ct of abdomen, with barium and Iv contrast. I refused the barium, it makes me very ill! so cost/ radiation exposure? not sure of the breakdown betwwen a pet/CT and all the other dyes and injections!!!

Peace and prayers to all Darita