Differing Opinions Between Surgical Oncologist and Medical Oncologist–Who to Believe

[TiffanyS]

I have an appointment with my family doctor in a couple of weeks, and I’m going to ask him what he thinks. I’ll see if he can refer me to someone who can give me a third opinion. I’m not disputing the fact that my cancer has spread, and I want to treat it aggressively, but I would also like to have a realistic assessment as to how bad it really is.

I’ve asked my oncologist about getting a PET scan, but she doesn’t think it’s necessary. I’ve already had a breast MRI, an ultrasound, a bone scan, and a CT scan and my oncologist has agreed to send me for a brain MRI to confirm that the cancer hasn’t spread to my brain. I don’t know much about PET scans, so I’m not sure if it would show anything different than the tests I’ve already done. Is this something I should push for? I know some of you have had PET scans done, and if it’s worthwhile, I will push for one.