Question about scans

orange1

Since I was stage I, my doctor did not do scans (since they don't improve survival).  I have been fine with that - hate to waste the health care resources.  Except now, my husband and I are thinking about adopting a child.  If I am going to recur, we don't want to involve a child.

I know there are no guarantees, but I want a scan before we start this process.  If there is a met lurking there, I want to know it. 

Any advice on what kind of scan to ask for? PET scan, CT scan, MRI?  I read somewhere that tumor markers usually won't show recurrences as early as scans will.

Thanks for your help.

Jackie

juliejfsrj

Pet scan may be your best bet, although depending upon your insurance, they may force you to do ct or bone scans first.  These are also telling, but do not cover EVERYTHING!  Hope you're well!

Jaimieh

I also didn't get any scans besides an MRI of my lymph nodes and I really wish they would have done the scans.  I understand about not wasting insurance $ but at this point I don't care about my insurance company and their $. 

orange1

Thanks Julie.

HOPE65

I had a similar diagnosis but PR+ also, all I had done was a mammogram last year when I was diagnosed. Now another doctor recommends me to have an MRI of the brain and neck, and CT from the neck to the pelvis. She said a scan is needed if you have any kind of symptoms and those are the ones she recommended. She also said that the scans don't guarantee anything, the results are valuable only for a while. What treatments did you receive?

orange1

Thanks Hope.

I had 6 cycles of TCH plus tamoxifen.  Also now I'm on zometa every 6 months - I've had 2 infusions so far. 

What was your treatment?  Are you having symptoms now?

helena67

Maybe a combined PET/CT scan but I am not sure. I did receive a CT scan for staging at the beginning but I had the impression that a CT scan by itself is not very sensitive.

orange1

Thanks Helena

juliejfsrj

I unfortunately have a connective tissue disease which highly interferes with my bone scan results.  My doctor ultimately would prefer I alternate between cts, pet, and bone scans.  He said to always remember that NO test is accurate, and by doing different scans, we will have a more informed look at things.  Now, if only my new insurance agreed with this!!!!

orange1

Have you ended up paying for the scans yourself?  If you don't mind, how much were they?

Thanks,

Jackie 

Liz08

Orange1-

when I was diagnosed stage T1mic(DCIS with a focus of less than 1mm of a microinvasion) node negative. My oncologist did do a whole body bone scan and a ct scan of my head, chest, and abdoment.   I was told that most oncologists do not do this so what my oncologist did is very uncommon.  Wishing you the very best.

Liz

orange1

Thanks Liz.

JeninMichigan

I'll tell you my experience with scans.   When I was diagnosed, I automatically had a CT and bone scan.  They came across a nodule on my lung which couldn't be ruled out with out a pet scan.  My surgeon said she was certain it was focal scaring and didn't think a pet scan was necessary.  My first oncologist wanted a pet to rule out lung mets before he started chemo.   So, three weeks later I have a PET scan and it shows mets to several spots on my liver, ribs, hips, and superclav. nodes,  The nodule on my lung was indeed focal scaring.   I was told a PET scan is extremely more sensitive (obviously).   If I were to request a scan, it would be a PET scan and a brain MRI.  

Jennifer 

orange1

Thanks so much Jennifer.

HensonChi

Well that is pretty scarey Jennifer!  I had bone, mri, and CT scans but no pet scan.  I wonder what else could be there that the CT scan didn't see?  Did you have any symptoms of all these mets?