Bone Scans and Pet/CT scans

planco

Bone Scans and Pet/CT scans

planco

How often if you just finished herceptin should you do these scans. Is once a year common.  And as for follow ups.  Every three months?  What does the doctor do at those follow ups?  Anyone get the Bone and Pet/Ct scan more than once a year?

kimbly

I have never had a pet or Ct scan.  I do the muga scans once every 3 months. 

texasmom

I was wondering the same thing. I got a cat scan and bone scan soon after my surgery. They turned out fine, but I was wondering if the Pet Scan was better because a friend of mine has one done every year for her cancer followup. Someone told me there is a Cat/Pet scan that they can do but they apparently don't repeat the bone scan unless your bones have starte to hurt. I am getting older and everything hurts at one time or another so I don't know how I going to be able to judge if I need one or not.

texasmom

Forgot to comment on the MUGA scan....I have not had one and am starting chemo next week. I'm worried that I was supposed to get one and didn't but I guess my doctor knows best. I may ask about it when I go for my treatment.

mimi1030

A MUGA is required before Herceptin is started so they can see if your LVEF is okay enough to handle the Herceptin.  I would ask them to do a study.  My mom gets them every 3 months as she is on Herceptin and will be indefinitely. 

cath52

I have had continual pain in my right leg and both hips since finishing Herceptin last July. Have complained to my Dr. at every check-up so he has ordered a bone scan in Sept. before my next visit. I was on the her2support.org site last night and found some women complaining of having aches and pains with the drug and afterwards so I am assuming this is a side effect. I will know in Sept.

Yogi70

Texasmom, are you starting herceptin with your chemo?  Do you know if you will be getting Adriamycin?  Both of these drugs REQUIRE monitoring of the heart as they are toxic to the heart.  So please be sure to ask your doctor about if he/she hasn't said anything.

henny

I have been having PET/CT scans every year and probably will for a while longer. My onc now says he recommends them yearly for her2 pts because with tykerb on the market it would be good to find out if you're not a herceptin responder. You could start tykerb earlier than if you wait for symptoms of mets to show up.

If you can, make sure the scan is a PET/CT scan-much better readings than from the old stand alone PET scans

Henny

oldcat46

After finishing 4 X DD A/C  and before starting Taxol/Herceptin, I had my first echo to look at LVEF.  I've had echos every three months since then, three abdominal CT's, a couple of bone scans and a bone density.   I had a bone scan recently because my TM's were up -- it was normal.  Probably the echos will be repeated until I finish Herceptin.  My onc hasn't mentioned any PET scans but I'll ask him next time I see him. 

So far the Herceptin has been easy enough -- no se's of any kind.  I get it every wk until next Dec.  I don't notice problems with my nails or any aching or pain of any kind.  However, my hair seems to be coming back much slower than I thought it would.  Chemo ended 3-1/2 months ago and I've got about a half inch.  Anyone else notice slow-growing hair? 

henny

My hair seems to be slower growing and also thiner than it used to be. Oddly, I didn't get any se's from Herceptin until I was on it for 8 months-bad nails, mouth sores & a big dip in my heart function. Sometimes it seems like there are more questions about these drugs than there are answers. They can't yet explain all that happens and why-Guess as long as it works I'll be happy

Henny

Kerry1000

Henny, Where are you treated?  (if you feel comfortable answering that).  I'm asking because in my area at least (Boston, NCI hospital) the standard of care is not to do regular scans of any kind unless you're Stage IV.  I don't think they check tumor markers either, although they do monitor for liver function every six months or so.  The rationale is that according to studies, finding mets earlier doesn't lead to any increase in life expectency.

I don't totally buy that - in my opinion, new drugs have changed the equation - and will be paying about $1,000 out-of-pocket to have a CAT scan done this summer.

So I have the same diagnosis as you but the level of after-care seems to be totally different.  

Kerry 

bjn850

I finished my Herceptin only treatments last Wednesday. Hurray.

My follow up tests for this first year after treatment will include blood work ups and chest xrays every three months but no scans. My onco says that she can check liver, kidney functions (and other stuff too) through the blood tests and the chest xray will cover the lungs.  She said symptoms such as bone pain that lasts for an extended period will indicate a need for a scan. And she will order one without question. She also has ordered a MUGA scan for the first appointment after treatments and if it is normal that will be the last unless symptoms present again.

My hair is growing plenty fast. It is still very thick (as before BC)and continues to have some curl (unlike before BC).

 I'm anxious to know when my nails will return to my normal and when the aches will be gone. It took 8 months for my energy level to be back to my normal. I hope it isn't that long for the aches too.

Barb

Sassa

I had a CT/PET scan between my mastectomy and starting chemo in 12/06.

I finished 1 year of herceptin on 2/19/08 and was sent in for a baseline post treatment CT/PET a few weeks ago.

My oncologist's follow up plan is a CT/PET scan once a year unless I have a recurrence (I guess they would be done more frequently in that case).

snherrington

I was her2neu+ stage 5.  I get Herceptin every 3 weeks for the last year and will for the rest of my life.  I have Pet/Ct scans every 3 months

Sassa

Follow up on my post above about the CT/PET scan.

The results came back as clear EXCEPT for a 1.5 metabolically active lesion in the spleen.

The radiologist and my oncologist were both sure it was a malignancy.

After a month of hell (and tests, including a high resolution CT of the spleen), the diagnosis is that I have a rare congenital malformation of lymphatic tissue in the spleen that shows as a cyst.  It is benign and has been present since birth.

However, to make sure, I will have another CT/PET scan at the end of this month.  I don't know how frequent the scans will be until my oncologist is reassured that I have a benign cyst. 

Liz08

Hi all-

I was wondering what plain CT scans are good for and how accurate they are?  I know they're a good tool for detecting any recurrence in the organs but how about bones or anything else? If anyone knows your feedback would be appreciated.

Thank You 

henny

I myself would skip the CT only and go for the PET/CT if there is any question- you have to balance the cost tho- but medicare allowance for PET/CT's are about $1100 so the cost is going down.

CT is good for looking at just anatomy but when you put it with the PET that looks at cells that have a higher metabolism ie cancer cells-the 2 together are better than each alone.

There is a new kind of bone scan available,  at least in the northwest (ore and washington state) that is a PET bone scan (with sodium flouride instead of flouride/sugar-the regular PET agent)

Pretty amazing scans but not everyone knows about them yet

Hope this helps a bit

henny 

Carolina59

For those of you who are getting PET/CT followups yearly, is your insurance covering it? My onc says they won't cover it because it's not the standard of care after chemo/herceptin tx. So annoying.

Brenda_R

I would think they would cover if you were having symptoms, such as unresolved pain, or similar.

vhqh

Mine covers it but I'm stage IV

juniper

I get PET scans every 3 months and will continue until I get three stable scans.  Then, I will I go to every 4 months and then to every 6 months.  My onc. has told me that I will have at least two PET scans a year.