Brain MRI / PET Scan

shuey · 09-09-2007, 12:00 PM

Hello everyone. I'm new to this site and I was hoping you could help. The short version of the story is that I have had a headache for over a month now. After 2 weeks I went to my GP (I'm six years NED and figured it was just stress). I've now had a CT which was normal and he finally ordered a brain MRI. The MRI came back and he said it was fine except it showed some "cloudy" areas which could indicate that something is wrong with my marrow? I don't understand what that means? Have any of you had this or heard of this? Is it most likely nothing?

Also my GP talked with my Onc. and they said they aren't that worried but that the only way to make sure it's nothing is to do a PET Scan so I'll be doing that I guess in the next week or so. What does this mean that is might be in my bone marrow?

I'm confused?? Any infomation would help. Thanks!

rentrac · 09-09-2007, 12:17 PM

Cloudy spots found by brain MRI and Marrow? I admit, that's a new one on me. The fact that you're getting a PET is very reassuring. That should show if there are abnormally high levels of metabolism (which may indicate cancer) for spots bigger than 4-6 mm. If you find out why your marrow was in question, I'd love to learn more! At least nothing showed up on MRI etc that was thought to be a malignancy. Good luck!
Warmly,Rentrac

shuey · 09-10-2007, 07:40 PM

So I got a copy of the report and it says "there is a heterogeneous appearance to the bone marrow of the calvarium...bony metastases could not be excluded." Apparently this could be an indication of bone mets both in the skull or other bones however, the report does say "bone mets is possible but probably less likely." So I'm trying not to worry too much and I'm reassured that I will be having a PET Scan (my first) this friday.

madubois63 · 09-10-2007, 08:03 PM

The PET scan is easy, so don't be worried about that. I will be praying a watching for your post saying all is good!!!!

rentrac · 09-10-2007, 08:25 PM

Sorry about my brain damage, but the quote from your radiology report makes a lot more sense now. The only way to rule in/out something absolutely is by biopsy... a rather invasive procedure that everyone would prefer to avoid. Based on the radiologist's reading, while mets in the bones of the skull are possible, there are other things that, in general, are more likely. Try not to worry about it, or even think about it until you have the PET results. Sometimes these studies are like puzzles: the docs need several pieces (types of studies) before they can really put together some meaningful information.

Good luck on your PET. If you've never had one, you'll find that you should plan on a nap for the first hour while your body metabolizes the glucose they give you that has been "tagged" with a radioactive molecule so that it can accumulate in those parts of the body metabolizing the most intensley during that hour (you get a little IV, they inject the glucose, remove the IV, make you comfortable with blankets, pillows and you can snooze the hour away.) That means you can't even read (don't want to accidently highlight normal brain tissue). The idea is that cancer cells metabolize sugar pretty quickly, so those cells will pick up more of the tagged sugar. The scan itself is like a CT expect they don't move you through very quickly, after they do a quick CT that acts as a map on which the PET information is superimposed. The PET just detects the amount of "glow" from the parts of the body that took up the tagged glucose; the more taken up, the stronger the glow. Put the glow spots over the CT, know how much glow is normally expected for each organ, and then unusual activity can be detected. But remember, inflammatory tissue after radiation or surgery, for example, also metabolizes rapidly, so it can show up and NOT be cancer. Thyroid nodules can also do that as well ( I had fine needle aspiration and then a hemithyroidectomy all started because of PET results.... and there was no cancer there... it would be I had the one type of thyroid cancer that is very hard to diagnose based on biopsy only!) So, you can see why you have to look at this as only one piece of a puzzle. It's kind of like a devilish jigsaw puzzle!

Good luck, and keep us up to date. I'll be thinking of you on Friday.
Warmly and glowingly (last PET 2 weeks ago) -
Rentrac

shuey · 09-10-2007, 10:41 PM

Thank you so much for the information. Hopefully it will be nothing! I'll let you know what the outcome is.