PET Scan with 2 Artificial Knees

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cowgal
cowgal Member Posts: 833
edited January 2020 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

I was just diagnosed with a recurrence that is stage IV in September 2019. I just finished chemo last week and my oncologist has me scheduled for a PET scan in a couple of weeks before I know what my radiation plan will be. I had to have both of my knees replaced in 2015 and I noticed that he has my PET scan scheduled as head to mid thigh. I am assuming that everyone else who still has their real knees probably gets a head to toe scan. Of course I would like a full scan but understand the artificial knees likely cause a problem with the PET scan machine. I just wondered if there were any others out there getting PET scans with artificial knees and if they just get scans to mid thigh or if they get something to block the machine from the replaced knees and still get the rest of the lower leg?

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited January 2020

    I get pet scans about every six months, they never are head to toe. Always base of skull to mid thigh

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  • 42young
    42young Member Posts: 162
    edited January 2020

    I get Pet/Ct scan every 3- 4 months. Always skull base to mid thigh. I wonder if my upper arms got scanned at all? Anyone know? I feel a bump on my upper arm ( humerus) but scan report never mentioned anything in that area.

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  • LoriCA
    LoriCA Member Posts: 923
    edited January 2020

    Same. Base of skull to mid-thigh is the standard whole-body PET scan. It would be very unusual (although not impossible) to develop mets in your lower legs/feet, so no worries about not scanning them unless you had symptoms that led your doctor to believe there were mets (same with lower arms/hands, also not scanned during PET scan because they are over your head). If they suspect brain mets that would be a separate brain MRI scan.

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  • candy-678
    candy-678 Member Posts: 3,950
    edited January 2020

    I have only had 2 PET scans since this started in 2017. I always thought "nose to toes", but at my last PET the tech said "eyes to thighs". In other words----base of skull to thighs. Brain separate. And not extremities.

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  • pajim
    pajim Member Posts: 2,785
    edited January 2020

    Yep, same. Totally normal. Doesn't have to do with the implants. I had an entire construction zone in my spine and they did PETs anyway.

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  • cowgal
    cowgal Member Posts: 833
    edited January 2020

    Thank you all for your responses. I feel much better knowing I will be getting all of the normal area scanned for my PET scan.

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