CT Scan vs. MRI

Devasted
Devasted Member Posts: 185
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
From your experience:

Are the results from a MRI more detailed than CT Scan if the Dr. is reviewing liver mets?

My husband had CT Scan and will be going for MRI next Friday...just thinking...

Comments

  • Crow71
    Crow71 Member Posts: 679 Member
    #2
    Yes
    An MRI should give you a much more detailed picture of what is going on in the liver than a CT Scan. Why? I don't know. I have 3 mets that show up on the CT. I have multiple mets that show up on the MRI. They are very small. The problem is that they are spread out. The doctors are currently evaluating my MRI to determine if surgery is an option.

    Keep thinking!!!! It's one thing we can do that cancer can't.

    Stay strong and happy.

    Roger
  • Devasted
    Devasted Member Posts: 185
    #3
    Crow71 said:

    Yes
    An MRI should give you a much more detailed picture of what is going on in the liver than a CT Scan. Why? I don't know. I have 3 mets that show up on the CT. I have multiple mets that show up on the MRI. They are very small. The problem is that they are spread out. The doctors are currently evaluating my MRI to determine if surgery is an option.

    Keep thinking!!!! It's one thing we can do that cancer can't.

    Stay strong and happy.

    Roger

    Thanks
    Roger,

    Thanks! My husband completed chemo 2/9, too. We will be seeing the surg. onc.
    for the MRI next Friday. He has 7 mets, spread around. The last CT Scan said there was a slight increase but the onc. said she wasn't concerned unless it was more than 25%.
    Because of different people reading the results and the way the CT Scan is performed,
    the "slice" could have been in a different location?
    The surg. onc. has ordered MRI (to check for sure..I bet) they are hoping for RFA.
    But he hasn't had surgery yet and that worries me. Althouh I think I follow what they
    are thinking...thanks for your help!
  • lizzydavis
    lizzydavis Member Posts: 893
    #4
    Devasted said:

    Thanks
    Roger,

    Thanks! My husband completed chemo 2/9, too. We will be seeing the surg. onc.
    for the MRI next Friday. He has 7 mets, spread around. The last CT Scan said there was a slight increase but the onc. said she wasn't concerned unless it was more than 25%.
    Because of different people reading the results and the way the CT Scan is performed,
    the "slice" could have been in a different location?
    The surg. onc. has ordered MRI (to check for sure..I bet) they are hoping for RFA.
    But he hasn't had surgery yet and that worries me. Althouh I think I follow what they
    are thinking...thanks for your help!

    MRI is considered normal protocol for base line...
    I had a CT and my colorectal surgeon ordered a MRI afterwards. He said that a MRI is considered normal protocol for a base line...
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #5
    Yes, it is for the liver
    Yes, I've been told that an MRI gives the best picture for the liver. An MRI is not as good for viewing the lungs, though- a CT is best for that. Since I have both liver and lung mets and insurance won't pay for separate scans to get a CT of the lungs and an MRI of the liver, I've been just getting a CT or PET each time. Probably if they're wanting to carefully examine a liver, especially to consider for surgery or another procedure, an MRI should be the one to be done. It's nice, too, that an MRI uses only sound waves and there's no radiation from it.

    Lisa

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