Is it normal to have a Pet scan after a CT scan

[Bobbi4503]

I finished my treatments on 12/23. I had a CT scan but the week before I had the scan I came down with Pneumonia. I called my Oncologist and he still wanted to do the CT scan. He said that my colon looked good but there was a spot on the lung he wanted to follow up on. I asked if it would have been normal to see a spot on the lung due to the fact that I had Pneumonia. He said its possible but he wanted to do a Pet Scan.

Now I am a wreck that this might have spread.

Anyone have any words of wisdom. Im getting really nervous.

[Ivona]

It is VERY possible that what is appearing on the scan is pneumonia related. Rather than going for a PET...why not wait a while until your pneumonia clears up to re-scan??

[eitter]

It is very normal and very common, especially during my year of treatment I think I had 3-4 follwoing CT's. The CT can see a mass, and this mass is of unknown orgin and could be just a spot like spots are common in the lungs especially if you had pneumonia in the past.

So a PetScan is ordered, do you realize what a Petscan is?! What this is.....is this, they inject radioactive glucose substance into your veins and then you stay quiet as a church mouse in a dark room for an hour as this stuff goes through your body. Then you go pee in a bathroom that is marked radioactive do not enter, real comforting, LOL! Then you go through a machine that is a cross between a MRI and CT machine and you get scanned. If you have cancer in your body is lights up and glows! So the mass they may have seen on your lung will light up if it is cancer if it is not then great. A CT does NOT do this, it does not light up if it is cancer. They did a Pestsan when my tumor was still in me and I asked to see my Petscan and WOW it lite up like no other.

So they are two very different tests and yes it is common to have a Petscan after a CT.

[KalisaO]

I am sorry that you are having to go through the wait of a PET scan and I am sorry that your oncologist didn't have the magic words to give you some peace of mind, but I wanted to re-confirm what others have said and that it is very normal. I finished chemo in Jan. 07 and have a similiar story to yours...I had just finished chemo and had come down with pneumonia. I went in for both scans and to this day I have a "spot" on my lung that is there on every scan, but never changes. I am 3 1/2 years NED, so I hope this helps and gives you a little peace of mind. Try to remember...you are healthy. You have just finished chemo and you will not allow any more cancerous cells in that healthy body of yours.

Thoughts and prayers for a beautiful "dark" (nothing lit up) scan result!

[Bobbi4503]

Thanks everyone. I feel better already.

[CRguy]

Anyone have any words of wisdom. Im getting really nervous.

Sounds like you have a very good doctor. CT's show a lot of things which are not cancer AND ...PET scans light up for things which are NOT cancer. Take a deep breath...just another step on the "journey"...OH you can exhale now !!

Cheers and best wishes
CRguy

[catta]

Wow, your in the same position as my dad, he finished his chemo 12/17 and his scan showed a spot in his left lung, he also had a horrid cough(possible pneumonia/bronchitis?) after he completd his final chemo(over christmas/new year).His ct scan was on the 1/27. His next PET is on the 1/17.I will let you now how he goes. I questioned the very same thing on this board only a week ago!.. luckily there are so many insightful people on this forum..and it does seem common.. GOOD LUCK !

[Bobbi4503]

Thanks. Good luck to your Dad as well. I had that cough all thru my chemo. They told me it was a reaction to the chemo. Im wondering if I had it all along. I had no symptoms. No fever. No congestion. Only the dry cough. My Pet is on 2/22.

[mardrobe]

I would also wonder about having the PET Scan before the Pneumonia cleared up. PET Scans will show up positive in the presence of infection as well as cancer. My wife had a false positive nodule in her lung which the report listed as highly probable for Malignancy. After following it for several months it disapeared and her doctors decided it must have been an infection.