Pet Scan Verbiage Question

Options
screech
screech Member Posts: 212
edited April 2016 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

What does it mean when they say "reference liver activity is 3.2"?

Thank you.

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • pajim
    pajim Member Posts: 2,785
    edited April 2016

    Most likely explanation is that you have a lesion in your liver. The SUVmax of that lesion is 3.2.

    SUV is just a way to measure the "brightness" of a spot. It's a "how active is this spot" measurement.

    They would compare it to the last or next PET to determine whether activity is increasing or decreasing, along with the size.

    I don't know the standard error of SUV, and when I asked my onc he didn't know either.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • RonnieKay
    RonnieKay Member Posts: 2,067
    edited April 2016

    No info on the verbiage...just hoping the explanation comes soon & it's a good thing!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • screech
    screech Member Posts: 212
    edited April 2016

    At the bottom of the report it says "no evidence of recurrent or metastatic breast cancer" so very confusing!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • pajim
    pajim Member Posts: 2,785
    edited April 2016

    If that's what it says at the bottom, maybe the "reference" is from a previous scan? And now you are NED? Does it say anything about "previous XXX no longer seen"?

    Now I'm confused too, but I hope it turns out well.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Kandy
    Kandy Member Posts: 1,461
    edited April 2016

    It would be helpful to have the whole report. I am hoping it's okay if that is what it says for the conclusion.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited April 2016

    My MO told me that the liver generally has an uptake between 2-3; so, it might be referencing that.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • screech
    screech Member Posts: 212
    edited April 2016

    It was in a section called Findings. The exact wording is: Reference background liver activity is 3.2

    As for the rest of the report: Nothing found in head and neck, nothing found in chest, nothing found in abdomen and pelvis, and nothing fund in musculoskeletal except a thing they feel is a injection granuloma located pretty much where they give me a trelstar shot quarterly-that referenced seeing it in previous scans.

    At the bottom of the report in the Impressions section it says: No evidence of recurrent or metastatic breast cancer.

    I really, truly appreciate everyone chiming in. Thank you.

    I have been NED from completion of treatment-knock wood of course

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Shutterbug73
    Shutterbug73 Member Posts: 791
    edited April 2016

    Hi Screech - I like nb's explanation, but would definitely bring it up with your doctor. "No evidence of recurrent or metastatic breast cancer" sounds like a good report to me! Congrats!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Becs511
    Becs511 Member Posts: 303
    edited April 2016

    Hi Screech. My reports generally say the same thing. Apparently in my first scan, there was a super tiny lesion on my liver, but they don't think it is cancer. Just like a node or something that I was born with, and it has not changed since my diagnosis 2 years ago. There is some small uptake on it, like yours. They include it in every report for me just to keep an eye on it and to see if the uptake changes. So far it hasn't.

    This might be the same case for you.


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • screech
    screech Member Posts: 212
    edited April 2016

    Thank you for the replies - I go to the onc on Monday so I'll report back. Everyone, have a great day.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • screech
    screech Member Posts: 212
    edited April 2016

    nbnotes was right! Turns out it's just a measure to reference other stuff by and nothing to worry about. Thank you ladies

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories