PET Scan

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rbylake
rbylake Member Posts: 15
edited December 2015 in Stage II Breast Cancer

Do most people get a PET scan at the beginning of their treatment? I read that these scans aren't as helpful for people with early stage BC, but I really want one for piece of mind.

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited November 2015

    I had a PET scan before I began neoadjuvant chemo; my MO wanted to know whether my cancer had spread beyond the lymph nodes (one lymph node had been compromised). I was considered stage IIIA, so my insurance did pay for it. At stage IIA, your insurance company may not be as amenable to paying for a PET.

    PETs are useful, but they do produce quite a few false positives. For example, all three of my PET scans have shown "something" going on with my hip. But, neither a CT scan nor an MRI show that there is anything going on with my hip, so MO thinks that the PET was producing a false positive for my hip.

    PET scans are also no substitute for other screening methods. For example, I asked MO whether I would need a colostomy because my PET scan was "clean" for my large intestine. She said that PET scans don't always pick up colon cancer, and that they were no substitutes for colostomies.

    Best wishes!

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  • marijen
    marijen Member Posts: 3,731
    edited November 2015

    The question is do you think there's something wrong with your hip? Do you have any hip pain? With it showing up three times I'd check into it. Maybe you could search pet scans of hips? But don't make yourself crazy! Just looking out for you. My Pet Scan picked up pre-diverticulous. That seems pretty sensitive to me, but I don't know much. Sometimes it's a gut thing...

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited November 2015

    Nope, I have no pain in my hip. Even the radiologist, looking at my PET scan, thought it was a false positive. That's why I ended up doing an MRI of my hip, which showed that nothing was going on there. PET scans aren't always reliable.

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  • labelle
    labelle Member Posts: 721
    edited November 2015

    I've never had a PET scan-even with one node positive, the doctors said I don't need it. Personally, some days I'd like one just to know "for sure" even though there is nothing for sure with a PET scan (false negatives are a problem). Other days, I figure I've already had as much radiation in my life as I want.

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  • KellyAnne13
    KellyAnne13 Member Posts: 63
    edited December 2015

    Hey guys,

    I'm a Nuclear Medicine Technologist and can tell you that PET scans are quite sensitive, but only IF a tumor is 1cm or larger.


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  • rleepac
    rleepac Member Posts: 755
    edited December 2015

    I'm Stage IIb with a micro met in one node. I had a PET/CT before chemo and it picked up a 4 mm incidentaloma (totally incidental blip) on my lung. They said it was too small to biopsy and they didn't think it was anything to worry about because I live in an area of Calif that is notorious for Valley Fever and crappy air.

    Post chemo chest CT showed the blip did not change. They said that was great news because if it had disappeared they would have had a higher suspicion of it being cancer. They are calling it probable scar from previous infection and will watch it.

    I was glad to have the PET/CT done. It did give me peace of mind. Some MOs do them and some don't unless there are symptoms. It really just depends on your MO. But I think if mine had needed symptoms...I would have thought of some!

    I'd really like to have one done every year but I don't know if that's in the cards or not. Still finishing up my year of Herceptin and then I'll ask my MO about it

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