PET scan interpretation help please - ideas ?

Options
Anotherone
Anotherone Member Posts: 633
edited December 2020 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

On my 2 last PET scans size of lesions kept decreasing although slowly and my lymph nodes size either decreased or stayed stable while a number of lymph nodes and one of the lesions had an increase in SUV.

Index lesion in the upper left lung lobe is now 11 mm SUV 3.2 while in June it was 16 mm SUV 1.3. On diagnosis it was 31 mm SUV 12.3.

Lymph nodes ( paratracheal, hilar , subcarinal, left internal mammary) have SUV from 1.2 to 3.3 now while in June it was from 1.8 to 4.5) with their sizes either stating the same or a little bit decrease.

Does anybody have an idea of what might be happening?

All the best to you all

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • JFL
    JFL Member Posts: 1,947
    edited December 2020

    It is hard to know for sure. With the first tumor, it may be it was responding and shrinking and now it is just starting to pick up in SUV or could bejust a fluke. However, all and all, sounds like most (if not all) are still responding and the mild change in SUV of the one tumor (which is still smaller than the last scan) may not be enough reason to change your treatment plan. Likely all still within the realm of “stable”. Your MO should be able to provide more color and if he/she doesn’t actually review the scans and reads the summary report only, perhaps you could request your MO to review the scan either with you or on his/her own.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Anotherone
    Anotherone Member Posts: 633
    edited December 2020

    Thank you JFL. Oncologist did not go into detail of what is the likelyhood of results being the way they are due to each particular reason ( treatment resistant cancer cells emerging or body dealing with cancer cells or fluke in measurements ). Staying on H&P and having another scan "sooner rather than later " as oncologist said - 10 weeks .

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited December 2020

    Wish we could help, Anotherone! It's frustrating when you can't get the proper interpretations.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Anotherone
    Anotherone Member Posts: 633
    edited December 2020

    it's ok. I understand a lot of things are unknow about what exactly is happening in a human body. I am lucky I function well on this treatment. Would be rich to complaint ...

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories