PT vs CT post xeloda b4 surgery

[TracieLynn]

Hi Folks. Newbie/lurker here who is extremely grateful for the wealth of information and support shared here. One question drs can't seem to clearly explain and I can't get a good feeling about is the CT scan they are doing this week. Finishing my 4 week recovery from radiation and xeloda. Surgery sometime June likely. Biggest concern is that while CT scan prior to treatment showed no spread-just a "cyst" on my liver. I am in Chicago area seeing docs at Dupage Medical group and got a second opinion at Northwestern. Both were aligned on treatment plan for stage III and in cyst being a cyst but I am still freaked. Question:::how best to ensure we are taking most aggressive look into my body to confirm no mets prior to surgery. I've read many peoples stories regarding mets appearing after surgery, after FU5/xelox and it is devestating to image that. How can be sure CT is right vs PT? Many thanks!!

[KWT]

You've done the standard approach with no mets showing. Go with it, plenty of time to worry if something shows later. Pet never showed me anything the ct did not

[vilca11]

That is not entirely true, Kenny. PET is a pretty good alternative to biopsy. It shows malignant vs benign. That is exactly the situation she has - cyst on CT could be a met on PET, if it lights up.... CT does not show the etiology of the tumor, only the shape. And most of the time, shape reveals to a good oncologist or radiologist if the lesion is benign or malignant. But it is just an educated guess, the documentation requires exact info. On PET, by uptake on the film, it is clear right away if lesion is malignant. Anyway, I would double check on that cyst...Finger crossed, it really is a cyst. PET is in order.
Hugs, Vilca

[megan120]

My understanding is that until you are fully healed from radiation, everything would light up with a PET, which would make it useless. My docs are waiting 10 weeks from the end of radiation before repeating my pet-ct. Your surgeon may not want to wait that long before surgery.

[KWT]

I'm just saying if two docs say cyst and don't recommend pet, then go with it.(for now) That's just me. If you're doing chemo would anything change at this point if it were a met? Maybe Avastin? They did do an mri during dx. I say if you'll sleep better get the petscan.

My pet that I pushed for last time against the advice of two oncs didn't help me. One lung thing they said didn't light up, but may be that it was too small. So wtf?

[rp1954]

We had two liver cysts to ignore according to multiple doctors. Oddly, they disappeared on intensified biomodulated chemo...

[KWT]

We had two liver cysts to ignore according to multiple doctors. Oddly, they disappeared on intensified biomodulated chemo...

What did the petscan reveal? It's great when things dissapear although I guess I wouldn't know.

[TracieLynn]

Thank you all for the feedback. Will see how CT goes first and see what complaints I need to submit to get them to cover Pet (rules, rules!).
My dr seems a little more conservative (told me not to take cimetidine during chemo or after) but I have been taking since chemo/radiation stopped and will take until surgery....Northwestern Dr told me she had no issue with her patients it. Thank you for recommendation and sanity check and good luck to all of us!

[rp1954]

Kenny, everything had been treated for a year already with chemo and off label stuff before the PET scan, not so much glow by then even in some enlarged, recently grown nodal mets. The liver "cysts" probably began to shrink soon after removal of enlarged lymph nodes - chemo with less met mass, with a better biomodulated chemo, and they eventually disappeared off CT over the next year. PET/CT has been most useful for the most active cancer focal areas in this case. Most of our scans are CT only.