Port and pet scan

Annette 11
Annette 11 Member Posts: 380
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I posted a couple of weeks ago that I finished chemo. This past week I saw onc. she said my blood work numbers were always very good and I was lucky as I did well during treatment. She wants me to get a pet scan in Feb. (that will be 6 months since my first pet). Does everyone get pet scan after treatment?? I got my very first pet scan in Aug. She said I could get my port out now but I thought why not keep it in until after pet scan...just incase. What do you all think that, should I get it out now or wait?? Can they do a pet scan with a port in the chest??
I think I'm getting alittle nervous now.
Annette

Comments

  • cavediver
    cavediver Member Posts: 607
    #2
    port or not
    I had a PetScan in August too...then after finishing chemo and rads, just had another PetScan last week (have not heard results yet). My onc suggested I leave the port in for 6 months after finishing treatment, so I am guessing in April or so I will have it removed (hopefully)! I have a power port and was told they would use it for the injection prior to MRI and PetScans. However, when I had the PetScan last week they said they prefer not to use it, so they injected into an arm vein. But, it you keep the port in, remember it has to be "flushed" every 4-6 weeks to keep it functional. Hopefully we will both not have a need for it in our future! Good luck with your results too...........Hugs
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #3
    cavediver said:

    port or not
    I had a PetScan in August too...then after finishing chemo and rads, just had another PetScan last week (have not heard results yet). My onc suggested I leave the port in for 6 months after finishing treatment, so I am guessing in April or so I will have it removed (hopefully)! I have a power port and was told they would use it for the injection prior to MRI and PetScans. However, when I had the PetScan last week they said they prefer not to use it, so they injected into an arm vein. But, it you keep the port in, remember it has to be "flushed" every 4-6 weeks to keep it functional. Hopefully we will both not have a need for it in our future! Good luck with your results too...........Hugs

    I too was told by my Surgeon
    I too was told by my Surgeon that the port could be used for blood draws, injects for scans, and transfusions if needed - anything that can be done with/into a vein. Unfortunately, not all places are set up to deal with using them - techs are not allowed to access them only RN's and MD's (so I've been told) and they don't have the saline and heprin to reestablish the 'block'. Once it was used for a scan and was not a pleasant experience. Before I had my last Taxol, I saw the Rads Dr as Rads would be starting in a week and he wanted a new CT scan done so the 2 offices got together and got the scan worked in next door at the hospital and my Taxol posponed til the end of the scan - so to get the scan. When I got in and they found out that I had a port they wanted to use as some had never seen one used - OK. Well it did not go nice - they had no numbing spray, could not seem to get the needle in - so they finally called over to Chemo and one of the Chemo nurses came up to do it for them. They were told to just send me over for Chemo when they were done and Chemo would take care of 'finishing'. Thankfully I have a great vein so it's easier to just have it used for 'whatevers'.

    Talk about bad attacks on veins though - The last CT I had the first part of Nov, the guy at the Radiology place was horrible. He got blood everywhere and bruised me from above elbow to half way to wrist - stuck me I don't know how many times which I can't ever remember being stuck more than once. 3 days later, I had to have a blood draw for my annual, the guy that usually does my blood draws at VA (he always laughs and says that with veins like mine I should be a man LOL) was horrified at how bad my arm was from what the other guy had done. He was able to go in higher above elbow (no more painful than elbow) for the draw so he didn't have to go into the much more painful hand vein. (Sorry for getting off track)

    Susan
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #4
    Before starting Chemo, I had
    Before starting Chemo, I had MRI, CT, PET, Bone, Bone density scans and EEG/EKG. Since then, I've had 4 every other week A/C, 2 weeks later a mod. rad. mast., 3 weeks later started 12 weekly Taxol, day of last Tasol I had a CT scan, week later I started 25 rads. I burned very bad after rads which took 6 weeks to heal and shortly after healed, I was having a lot of pain in my upper back (have a lot of athritis in the area and have had for years) but my PA wanted to be sure it was 'just' the athritis (it was), so she ordered a Bone Scan. Nextg came a mammogram in Aug (1 yr post DX). In late Oct, I started getting pressure/pain around/behind right eye that pain meds didn't help but Dex did so PA sent me to eye Dr and for a CT (nothing showed up and it's gone now. That's all the scans I've had. Will be having a colonscopy Feb 4 as according to PA, IBC likes to go to the colon so we're checking/getting a baseline just to be safe.

    My port has been in 16 months and will be staying as long as possible - per Dr's wishes and mine. I was originally that it should stay at least a year. It's there and being IBC, I'd rather keep it there, as sort of a 'lifejacket', than have to put another one in IF needed. The only inconvience is going every 4 weeks for a flush. We're all so different and unique - keeping one for extended time is not for every one - but for some it does make sense.

    Susan
  • MammaB
    MammaB Member Posts: 3
    #5
    Scans
    I had acans right after I was diagnosed and have had Chemo , Bilateral Mastectomy and Radiation and have not had anothe scan mentioned. I finished Radiation in October 10.
    I was told regular scans are o longer reccomended. Not sure what to think. good luck!
  • cahjah75
    cahjah75 Member Posts: 2,631
    #6
    Annette
    I had bilateral mastectomy in June. I started chemo in August and had PET scan after 1st treatment. It was clear. I finished chemo last week and will have port flushed first week of January. Onc said I will go to hospital to have it removed outpatient. No one but onco nurses used my port. I will have CT scan for rads on Dec 28 and start rads in January. I doubt my onc will order another PET scan.
    Char
  • jnl
    jnl Member Posts: 3,869 Member
    #7
    MammaB said:

    Scans
    I had acans right after I was diagnosed and have had Chemo , Bilateral Mastectomy and Radiation and have not had anothe scan mentioned. I finished Radiation in October 10.
    I was told regular scans are o longer reccomended. Not sure what to think. good luck!

    I haven't had a PET scan.
    I haven't had a PET scan. Should I have had one done?


    Leeza
  • Heatherbelle
    Heatherbelle Member Posts: 1,226 Member
    #8
    Annette,
    I got my port out
    Annette,
    I got my port out as soon as my Onc gave me the "go-ahead", which was i believe about 5 weeks post chemo. So glad to have that out of my body. I didn't have a scan after finishing chemo, just blood checks. I don't have to go back until mid-January :)
    *hugs*
    Heather
  • mollyz
    mollyz Member Posts: 756 Member
    #9
    Heatherbelle said:

    Annette,
    I got my port out
    Annette,
    I got my port out as soon as my Onc gave me the "go-ahead", which was i believe about 5 weeks post chemo. So glad to have that out of my body. I didn't have a scan after finishing chemo, just blood checks. I don't have to go back until mid-January :)
    *hugs*
    Heather

    My Dr. told me i would have
    My Dr. told me i would have another pet scan at the end of chemo in January before radiation I had my first before chemo to see if the cancer had spread but it was contained in the arm pit where i had 8 positive nodes so far so good. wish you luck MollyZ

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