Should I push for a PET scan

Shellies

I am nearly 6 years from dx... I had 1 lymph node involved... Should I have had a PET scan prior to starting chemo? Should I push for a PET scan now?

(2 BC sisters JUST had recurrence plus Olivia Newton John's news has shaken me up again...)

MinusTwo

A PET/CT is a very expensive procedure. Likely you will not get anyone to order one if you are not having any symptoms 6 years out from diagnosis & treatment. I'm assuming you still have regular check ups? My MO gradually moved me from every 3 months to every 6 months. He wants to see me every 6 months until 5 years, then once a year. If you're not seeing your MO, then how about your GYN? You can ask what they think.

ElaineTherese

Minus Two is correct; PET scans are very expensive and it is unlikely that your insurance would pay for one unless it were deemed really necessary. Another thing about PET scans is that they often produce false positives that require further investigation (and more scans and stress). In all three of my PET scans, "something" lit up on my left femoral neck (hip). That meant that I ended up having a CT scan and an MRI to rule out mets. (The "something" did not appear on the CT scan or MRI, so my oncologist believes it was nothing.) If you are having symptoms, you should let your doctors know.