Enhancement On CT Scan After Taxotere, Perjeta and Herceptin

[Ramsay_Bolton]

Hi Guys,

My wife had a Chest Abdomen and Pelvic CT on Saturday. The previous CT scan was 3 months ago. My wife was always been NED to the body. She started Taxotere, Herceptin and Perjeta a few days after the last CT scan.

The latest CT scan shows enhancement on both arms in the same place. The Doc thinks this is effects from the treatment and will just rescan again in 3 months as per usual.

My wife has finished Taxotere now and is just having Herceptin and Perjeta every 3 weeks.

Has anyone had a similar thing happen before?

Thanks

[Ramsay_Bolton]

Has anyone had this?

[Melissa]

Hello,

I remember when I had my pet scan after all the initial treatment the areas where I had surgery lit up and the dr said it was inflamation. The areas included my left breast/chest area, arm pit and my left clavicle where I had a positive lymph node. When scanned after 6 months it was clean.
I hope someone else will chime in with more information.

I'll be thinking of her And wishing her all the best!!!

[Ramsay_Bolton]

Thank You.

[Paula O]

I haven't had that happen to me but just wanted to chime in that I wish you and your wife the very best. How is she feeling/doing? How about you? It's certainly very hard for our husbands,children, and those who love us going through cancer too. I hope she has an excellent response to treatment. :)

Rooting for yas,

Paula

[MaineRottweilers]

I did not have that experience because I was not scanned after treatments until I was Dx'd metastatic. I was scanned regularly (every three months) after that Dx and it took until my third set of scans to have a negative PET. I was able to drop the cytotoxic chemo and remain on Herceptin and Perjeta. A comparison of our situations is irrelevant (which is why I didn't respond initially)but I didn't want you to think no one was reading.

Many MOs choose not to do after treatment scans, perhaps just for that reason (inflammation and false positives).

I wish you both the best. Fingers crossed for a clean scan in a few months.

[Ramsay_Bolton]

Thanks everyone. As it's just both arms, and there was no enhancement 3 months before, the onc isn't worried.

Hopefully next scan it would of gone.

[SoCalGal]

I've never had my arms scanned. It's not a common place for mets unless you are referring to lymph nodes in underarm area. How are her markers? Please encourage your wife to communicate directly with us!
:)

[Ramsay_Bolton]

SoCalGal,

She had a Chest, Abdomen and Pelvic CT Scan. I thought arms must of shown in this, and I'm a bit confused now.

[MaineRottweilers]

In all but bone scans, my arms have always been over my head and out of the image field.

[Ramsay_Bolton]

My wife is normally the same. This time they said she could place her hands on her head.

[SoCalGal]

Neck to knees is typical scan field.

Unless it's a bone scan, as MaineRottweilers' said.

Not sure what you are reading on the report, perhaps you want to revisit that info or contact the doc and ask for clarification.

Also, the fact that there was enhancement on both arms in the same place does not sound at all like cancer, which is not really known as a symmetrical disease-------->
even when there are tumors in both breasts they are often first and second primaries.
-SCG

[Ramsay_Bolton]

We saw the Onc again today. I spoke to her about this issue. She checked the CT scan report and enhancement is showing in the bone marrow at the top of both arms i.e. Shoulder. She isn't concerned by this and said it can happen with treatment.

Will rescan in two months.