PET and CT scans how often?

[buterflies]

On my 6th round of chemo and wondering when everyone else may have gone for another PET scan. I'm not to trusting of the CAT scans meaning I had 3 before being diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer and none of them showed anything or maybe it was the docs that were looking at them. What finally showed what was going on was a colonoscopy!
When I had my oringial PET scan done there was some signs in both my arms I think he said which could of been from my port being inserted and also from the IV sites from beign in the hospital, does this sound right? I'm just afraid that it might be somewhere else and I'd like to know.
I asked my oncologist and he said we would talk next week when I see him but I'd like to go in with some helpfull suggestions.

Thanks
Amy

[ASTEPHENS33]

As I understand it, colon cancer that has not metasticized from the colon is considered stage II, to lymph nodes only stage III, and to other parts of the body stage IV. If your CT scans were clear, but the colonoscopy showed cancer, then stage II or stage III seems correct. If they indicated it was stage III, you might want to ask about the lymph node involvement.

From a previous post, Pet scans provide imaging of the "metabolic" activity within the body. The CT scan provides the "anatomic" detail. The sugar solution that gets infused within the body prior to image acquisition (PET portion) is taken-up and used by both normal and abnormal (cancer) cells. Because the cancer cells are growing at a faster rate, they take-up more of the sugar solution and appear brighter (hot) on the images with respect to the normal tissue. Mimics to cancer can include infections or "healing" (inflammatory) response. Most radiologists should interview patients prior to PET imaging in order to avoid calling recent infections/surgical changes as cancer.

As for the frequency, I had stage IIIA and had a CT scan prior to my colon resection and then after chemo. No PET scans, at all.

[klryder02]

Hi Amy-

I had my first "after I started chemo" CAT scan after 3 rounds. I am going to have my 6th round next week, and I think the onc. talked about doing both scans at the end of Feb, beginning of March.

Personally, if I had gone 4-5 rounds and had not had a scan, I would start pushing for one.

If the results are good, it shows progress..which I think makes this whole cancer process much easier. You know you aren't going through this for nothing.

[pjmanes]

I have CT scans every 6 treatments for the past 3 years. I only had 1 PET scan and that was before chemo began. I asked my doctor about having another one and he said I didn't need. It took us 2 years of fighting after my mom's death from ovarian cancer to get the insurance to pay for her 2nd PET scan so I am afraid to push the issue for fear the insurance won't pay.

[butrflies]

Thanks all for responding. I had stage 3c with 5 lymph nodes affected out of 14. Srugery late September and like I said 6th round of chemo. I will push for the CT scan my doc did seem to not think the PET scan was not needed. The clarification of CT and PET makes more sence to me now. Now I had my other CT before surgery what they said they saw was a mass of waste on my asending colon and they thought it was just pooh, and it most likely was but it was being blocked my a gold size tumor. I just want to know that I'm going through all this chemo crap for a reason and that the cancer isn't still hiding out and nothing is being done about. I'm probably just debbie downer cause I just got unhooked on friday and still feeling pretty crappy!
Last time I went to a CT they gave me this thick white stuff to drink, two times before that it was a clear very tolerable mix to drink. Are there differnt things to take before a CT or is it just the think white crap?
THanks again for the help just wanted to see how often others were getting checked!

[Magnolia]

I got a CT before surgery that didn't show the tumor that we knew was there. The good news was that it didn't show anything in the liver or lungs either. I had a PET right after surgery that was essentially clear. There were "hot" spots on my thyriod that had to be biopsied, but they were negative. I got another CT right before chemo because they wanted a baseline for my protocol, and one three months into treatment, (about 6 rounds) but that one was diagnostic for some abdominal pain I was having. I'm not sure he would have done it otherwise. I got one at the end of chemo and will get another one at the one year mark. He's not planning to do any more PET scans. The first one was done by the first oncologist I saw and that was for staging purposes.

The contrast solution is some kind of mysterious potion. I've had scans done at three different hospitals and all of them are different. The hospital I ended up at, Georgetown, has the thick white stuff. Fairfax used the clear stuff and mixed it with juice. Much better.

Just as an aside, if anyone is having scans done at more than one place, ask for copies of your scans on disc so you can take them to your other providers. It helps them to have your other scans for comparison. I had my colonoscopy at one hospital, then insisted on having my surgery where my family doctor and the surgeon he recommended both practiced. I first consulted with the oncologist in the big multi-practice office with my internist, and he ordered the first two scans at another hospital, then, after two second opinions, I ended up deciding to enroll in a clinical trial at yet another hospital. Just for the record, every one of the docs I dealt with was wonderful. I chose the trail because it seemed to be the best treatment option for me, not because I had any problem with any of the other doctors.