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Mary Jo · 12-22-2006, 08:01 PM

I'm just curious about something with staging. How can you properly stage when a PET/CT scan isn't done? I mean how do you really know if there are mets or if there are not unless a PET/CT is done?

I was diagnosed June 24,2005. I had a PET scan done on July 5, 2005 to determine if there were mets. They assumed I was a stage 2 by what they felt the size of my tumor was but until surgery was done and a PET/CT scan was done they said they really couldn't be sure.

Thankfully my scan was normal. Nothing anywhere but in my right breast. Also, I was given an MRI of BOTH breasts to see if there was more than one area in my affected breast and to see if there was any cancer in the other breast. Thankfully that test was also negative except for diagnosed breast cancer. I was also given a chest x-ray.

Now though that treatment is complete I go through no scans. Only at the beginning. The only time I will be scanned is if symptoms warrant.

Mary Jo

12-22-2006, 08:01 PM	#9
Mary Jo Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Sheboygan, WI Posts: 2,582	I'm just curious about something with staging. How can you properly stage when a PET/CT scan isn't done? I mean how do you really know if there are mets or if there are not unless a PET/CT is done? I was diagnosed June 24,2005. I had a PET scan done on July 5, 2005 to determine if there were mets. They assumed I was a stage 2 by what they felt the size of my tumor was but until surgery was done and a PET/CT scan was done they said they really couldn't be sure. Thankfully my scan was normal. Nothing anywhere but in my right breast. Also, I was given an MRI of BOTH breasts to see if there was more than one area in my affected breast and to see if there was any cancer in the other breast. Thankfully that test was also negative except for diagnosed breast cancer. I was also given a chest x-ray. Now though that treatment is complete I go through no scans. Only at the beginning. The only time I will be scanned is if symptoms warrant. Mary Jo __________________ "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10 Dx. 6/24/05 age 45 Right Breast IDC ER/PR. Neg., - Her2+++ RB Mast. - 7/28/05 - 4 cm. tumor Margins clear - 1 microscopic cell 1 sent. node No Vasucular Invasion 4 DD A/C - 4 DD Taxol & Herceptin 1 full year of Herceptin received every 3 weeks 28 rads prophylactic Mast. 3/2/06 17 Years NED <>< Romans 8:28