Pet Scan not necessary ?

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colon53
Posts: 56
Joined: Tue May 22, 2012 3:49 am
Location: Greece

Pet Scan not necessary ?

Postby colon53 » Mon Sep 10, 2012 5:42 pm

My mother has ended chemo and everything. She is supposed to be clear for now... and she will have some tests every now and then (i don't know exactly) so as to check.
Her onc told us that is not necessary for her to do Pet Scan.
For now he said to have MRI again on liver (she had done before 4 months i think and it was clear) and blood test for CEA and a chest x-ray .
What do you think?
I see that everybody here does PET no matter the stage, before and after chemo.. He is supposed to be a very good oncologist here in Athens.
I am confused... :roll:
My mother has stage 3 colon cancer
7 nodes positive from 23
Surgery due to obstraction / November 2011
Folfox ended / July 2012 (with 2 toxicity complications between)
Clear colonoscopy + gastroscopy / Sept 2012
I wish my mum become a survivor....

FatBob2012
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Facebook Username: arthur.h.baker1
Location: Texas, USA

Re: Pet Scan not necessary ?

Postby FatBob2012 » Mon Sep 10, 2012 6:32 pm

Hello,
My Onc only does CT's. Wishing your mom a good report. Art
Stage IV 5/2012
FOLFOX + Avastin
Liver res 7/2012
Chemo 9/2012
NED 10/2012
CEA @ 5 mets lung&liver 12/13
Liver spot 3.7 x 2.5 cm found January 2014
Cystectomy 2/14
3/14 FOLFIRI 8 treatments
10/14 CEA 3 with stable METS
12/14 CEA 51 :-((

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dianetavegia
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Facebook Username: Diane Weldy Tavegia
Location: Villa Rica, Georgia

Re: Pet Scan not necessary ?

Postby dianetavegia » Mon Sep 10, 2012 6:49 pm

I don't know why you think everyone here has PET scans.

I had my first PET/CT 38 months after dx when a CT showed a spot on my liver. Since I'm now allergic to CT dye, I have PET scans as a follow up after my liver resection.

X-rays and MRI's seem odd. CT scans are the norm.
Stage III cc surgery 1/7/09. 12 tx FOLFOX
Stage IV PET = 1.5cm liver met. HR 4/11/12

14 years since dx and 11 years post liver resection.
Pronounced CURED and discharged by onc

“O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me.” Psalms 30:2

some
Posts: 578
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2012 1:39 pm

Re: Pet Scan not necessary ?

Postby some » Mon Sep 10, 2012 7:53 pm

The oncologist we saw at the NCI hospital last week seemed to prefer CT with contrast over PET scans...

We had a CT scan before surgery and will have one In a few months to check things.

Best to you.
DH (age 41) diag Stage IV mets to peritoneum - July 2012 (undetectable on CT PET or MRI)
Folfox 7 & Avastin started July 2012 CEA, CA 19-9 not indicators
HIPEC surgery 1/18/13
Folfiri/Erbitux - March 2013
Lots of prayers.

Angiemarie2000
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Location: Eden Prairie, MN

Re: Pet Scan not necessary ?

Postby Angiemarie2000 » Mon Sep 10, 2012 8:01 pm

I have PET and CT scans every 2 months. They switch back and forth every two months. So this time around I'll have a PET, last time I had a CT. The only MRI I had was on the brain to rules out brain mets.

Angie
5/12- @ 37 DX IV KRASmt
5/12- R. Hemi
6/12- Folfox/avastin-(Bad Reaction)
6/12- xeliri-7rds
CEA-DX @ 80 then 11,10,7,14,25,210,340,540,900
12/12-R. Ovary removed
01/13- folfox 4 rounds
03/13- folfox failed, in liver failure, starting regorafebin.

lydia123
Posts: 771
Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2010 11:23 am

Re: Pet Scan not necessary ?

Postby lydia123 » Mon Sep 10, 2012 8:09 pm

My husband has not had a pet scan since the initial one prior to treatment. He has CTs, which we are slowly stretching out.
He has one of the favorite oncologists from this board, who would definitely advise one if he thought it necessary.
lydia123
caregiver to husband dx stage III colon/rectal cancer 5/10
6/10 surgery
7/10: FOLFOX began -- became nausea management expert
12/10: Chemo-radiation ended, scans clean.
NED since, but some scans required follow-up

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Lara239
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Re: Pet Scan not necessary ?

Postby Lara239 » Mon Sep 10, 2012 8:17 pm

I am really really new at all this but my husband has not had a PET scan either since his DX but I am wondering if his oncologist will do one soon. I am curious about this too, I mean, if they are necessary or not.
wife of DH (age 41) DX 8/3/2012 with 10 cm tumor in decending colon
pre-surgery CEA 4.4, no spread to other organs
8/22 - resection DX stage 3c 9/44 positive nodes
10/3/2012 CEA 1.3
Lynch test negative, tumor IS MSI-H
Folfox 10/3/2012 w/Yance protocol

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Ashlee H.
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Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2009 11:50 pm
Location: Southern California

Re: Pet Scan not necessary ?

Postby Ashlee H. » Mon Sep 10, 2012 8:47 pm

Sometimes the decision to do a PET or CT is solely based on Insurance, since a PET is more expensive than a CT. In the past, if my CT showed something, then the next step was a PET. I'm currently in active treatment, so now I have a combo of PET/CT in one scan, and the insurance company never denies the test.
Stage IV w/liver met dx 7-1-09
KRAS Mutant
Member of the HIPECKERS (2011) and OLYMPHIANS (2012)
2/14 - standard chemo has stopped working
3/14 - Stivarga
LIVE LIFE!

SkiFletch
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Facebook Username: Michael Fletcher
Location: Buffalo, NY

Re: Pet Scan not necessary ?

Postby SkiFletch » Mon Sep 10, 2012 8:59 pm

No imaging test is perfect. Each have their strengths and weaknesses. PET's strength is that it gives an idea of the metabolism of things that they are looking at. The downside is that they have the least resolution of all the scans, and they're the most expensive. CT scans offer some of the best resolution through-out the body although they struggle to view things in the abdomen (like the intestines and especially the spaces in between) since that stuff is movign all the time. They are also not good when someone for whateer reason can't have IV iodine contrast. MRI are the least invasive test, provide good resolution (somewhere in between PET and CT depending on the structures) and don't bombard the patient with radiation.

No test is "better" than another by it's very nature, and they all have their specific uses for specific individual patients. My initial reaction to an MRI of the liver-only (if that is what exactly is being proposed) following chemotherapy is that it's a little limited. Followup imaging is usually chest/abdomen/pelvis, regardless of the "mode" of scan chosen. Liver-only is a little limited as recurrences for CRC are possible in many areas. True it's most likely in liver/lungs, but lymph nodes, abdominal, and bone mets are all possible.

Why not bring up your concerns with your mom's onc, and find out why he/she prefers MRI vs the other scan modalities. I would hope he/she has a good answer :)
11/13/09 5cm Stage IV 9/25 lymph nodes w/2cm peritoneal met at 29 YoA
12/15/09 LA right hemi-colectomy
6/16/10 Folfox FINISHED
8/10/10 Prophylactic HIPEC
10/9/10 got Married :D
Still NED and living life to the fullest

"Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life."

Hawaii
Posts: 389
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2007 1:28 am
Location: Calif.

Re: Pet Scan not necessary ?

Postby Hawaii » Mon Sep 10, 2012 11:38 pm

My onc has me do Pet/CT combos every 6 months, blood labs every 3 months. I've had this schedule for 5 years now, i'm glad he orders these.
Dx March '07, transverse resection done
stage III, 27 lymph nodes removed- 1 positive
Surgery to remove the 1 positive node
finished chemo Dec. '07, Folfox, Oxal.
NED!! 2022

michelle c
Posts: 1929
Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2009 3:58 am

Re: Pet Scan not necessary ?

Postby michelle c » Tue Sep 11, 2012 3:14 am

I have never had a PET scan, only CT scans which are done annually., May 2009, June 2010, June 2011 and June 2012. My onc and surgeon have only thought it necessary to do them annually. Since my chemo finished I have my CEA and other blood tests every 3 months.
May 25 2009 Dx with CC (sigmoid colon) 2 days after my 44th b'day
CEA prior to surgery 4.7
Jun 3 2009 LAR - Stage III 3/10 lymph nodes
Jul 6 - Dec 10 2009 - 12 cycles FOLFIRI
Genetic testing - inconclusive for Lynch
Jul 2012 port removed & hernia repair

pukalania
Posts: 454
Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2012 2:54 am
Location: Honolulu, Seattle

Re: Pet Scan not necessary ?

Postby pukalania » Tue Sep 11, 2012 3:23 am

Our onc recommended PET scan vs CT..he explained: "cancer has a sweet tooth..so we infuse a high sugar solution and it all lights up (well hopefully not :)..." and yes here it seems that CT scans are cheaper..also some facilities don't even have PET scan equipment...so i'd say try the PET scan better be 100% sure..hope it brings great results!
wife 34 dx DH stage IV
Feb10 col res
May10 12 x FOLFOX
Aug12 tumor in sig colon,mets in liver
Aug12 Xeliri Ava
Oct12 xel celebrx rad
Feb13 liver/colon res
Sep13 ill reversal, fistula,
Folfiri SBRT,ADAPT ava
Apr 15 continued growth liver and lungs

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RayGirl
Posts: 1282
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2010 4:21 pm
Location: Texas

Re: Pet Scan not necessary ?

Postby RayGirl » Tue Sep 11, 2012 9:25 am

My onc typically prescribes CT scans, but after my first two CT showed suspicious things in the lung that resulted in getting a PET/CT both times, he's just gone straight to the PET/CT for the rest of my scans. He orders PET since they are my baseline scan post treatment and used for comparison purposes. We'll keep with PET until the insurance stops approving, then we'll go by to CT.

If the onc order MRI pre-treatment- they may want to keep with the same type of scan so that they can compare any changes.
Stage III Rectal: T3, 3/21 Nodes
dxn:Feb-10
Radiation&Xeloda
7.5 hr surgery
12th FOLFOX Nov-10
Takedown:Jan-11

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning how to dance in the rain."

Cb75
Posts: 1216
Joined: Sun Apr 22, 2012 3:52 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Pet Scan not necessary ?

Postby Cb75 » Tue Sep 11, 2012 10:11 am

I've had a few cts, ultra sound and a MRI when my one liver met was suspected. I've never had a pet scan. My understanding is that a ct scan is probably the most effective scan as pet scans can pick up on things that may look like cancer but are not. However, I will say that I am located in Ontario Canada and that pet scans are pretty rare. I'm not sure if it is a cost or availability issue.

Carmen
39y female Stage IV
diagnosed April 2012
sigmoid resect May 2012
liver resect Aug 2012
Folfox Oct 2012
lungs Sep 2013
R and L laser lung resection Nov 2013/Feb 2014
FOLFIRI and Avastin Apr 2014 ongoing...

sadysue
Posts: 986
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2011 6:59 pm
Location: Charleston, TN

Re: Pet Scan not necessary ?

Postby sadysue » Tue Sep 11, 2012 11:23 am

Since finishing chemo, I have only had bloodwork and CT scans - no PET scans. Bloodwork every three months and CT scan every six months.
Mary Ann
Rectal dx 4/2011 (Stage 3B - T3N1M0)
5FU/Rad - daily/6 wks ending 6/2011
Surgery 8/19/2011
Finished 8 rounds Folfox 2/2012
Ileo reverse and port out 3/2012
NED


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