Should I only depend on this test

I can only answer to the PET/CT question. As it sounds, it is a combination of both PET and CT scans. Because each one has a different level of sensitivity, and "sees" your body mass slightly differently, when then are run together they help diagnose more accurately.



A PET measures the uptake of sugar, which can be absorbed by organs for many reasons, but the one your dr is interested in is possible cancer leision or tumor. These wil "light up" on the film proportional to the sugar uptake and can be measured and compared to previous PET scans.



A CT scan takes special XRays and tomographic scans, and builds a more 3D picture of the body mass by imaging slices of the body. These allow the drs to see more internal structure of a suspicious area to determine if it is cancerous.



Combined, they give a better picture.

I have CT and Bones Scans done every 6 months.  I was 3 years out and she had decided after my next scans I would go to yearly scans.  That's when my liver mets were diagnosed.  I am not trying to alarm you by any means but my bloodwork NEVER correlated with my cancer either time my cancer was active.  My tumor markers were always normal and she doesn't even do them now and when my liver cancer was found, ALL my liver function tests were normal.  The only time I ever had a PET was when my mets was diagnosed.  From my understanding they are pretty pricey but I didn't have any problems with being claustrophobic.  MRIs are worse to me.  As I said, I'm not trying to scare you but I don't recommend just CBC and tumor marker tests alone however, I think that the norm is to wait 6 months after initial treatment is finished.      

Polyana, I had my scans before, during, and after active treatment. My last one, almost two years ago, was in prep for my reconstruction. I wanted to make sure things were still NED.



All along, my onc has been doing CA27.29 bloodwork. It was slightly elevated once, but went back down. I've heard that tumor flare, as the chemo kills off the tumor, can make the numbers rise, so it wouldn't be terribly reliable at that time. But it's one of several tools the oncs have, and for some patients, it is reliable. They just never know which one until something shows up.

Oh, yuck--I forgot about that drink and bladder issue.  I have one scheduled for Sept 13th--last one was 4 1/2 yrs ago when I was diagnosed.  I will try to think about that tropical beach so I can get that lousy drink down LOL. 

P, different places have different policies. Basically, they want you to stay calm and relaxed, so if having your husband with you does that, then let them know. Thinking about that now, having someone there, giving me a foot massage, would have lowered my stress level to 0, lol.