Petscan or CT scan

bruins1971

Ok so here's my question. As you all know I just finished up my 12th round of chemo and I also had colon and liver surgeries in the last 10 months. My CEA number was 26 at it's highest point and was 2.0 at my last chemo. I am due to have a CT scan on Feb 1st and a colonoscopy on Feb 26th. My Onc says he like to start with a CT scan and if they see anything unusual then he uses the Petscan. He said the CT is better for some things and the Petscan is better for others. Has anyone heard of this approach or does your Onc start with petscans first. He feels that at this point all the cancer should be gone and the CT scan will show this. Then if I'm clean I'd have my next scan on six months but blood work after three months. If the blood work looked abnormal he'd move up the scan but if not we would wait. Please let me know what you all think or what you've been through after finishing up your initial chemo treatment plan.

Bobby in Dallas

AnneCan

CT
Bobby,

I have never had a PET scan, just CT. I did have some MRIs early on too. I am still on chemo.

thready

Get them both
Hi Bobby,
Well a fellow Texas person! We live in DFW also. I say get them both. My onc only does PET's if there is something on the CT. Seems several here have had both and the PET finds stuff the CT does not, and the CT finds stuff the PET misses.
I have blood work every 3 months, and CT's every six. Thats pretty much standard.
Take care,
Jan

herdizziness

Scans
I've just had ct scans until just before surgery they did a PET to make sure they had everything covered. But in the normal scheme of things just CT scans.
Winter Marie

lisa42

PET vs. CT
Hi Bobby,

I'm on my second onc now. My first onc (who I had for a year and a half)did both- alternated each time, which actually didn't make much sense to me because then you weren't comparing apples to apples from one scan to the next. When I was first diagnosed I had a CT scan. When things were found on the CT in my liver and lungs, a PET/CT was then ordered. That first PET/CT of mine actually found additional areas that were lighting up in my liver and lungs that didn't show on the CT scan.

So, my advice is to ask for both. If you only get one, start with a CT. If it shows something, then insist on the PET/CT.

Best wishes,
Lisa

bruins1971

thready said:

Get them both
Hi Bobby,
Well a fellow Texas person! We live in DFW also. I say get them both. My onc only does PET's if there is something on the CT. Seems several here have had both and the PET finds stuff the CT does not, and the CT finds stuff the PET misses.
I have blood work every 3 months, and CT's every six. Thats pretty much standard.
Take care,
Jan

Where in the DFW do you live
Where in the DFW do you live and where are you getting treated? I am in Grand Prairie but getting treatment in Fort Worth...

bruins1971

lisa42 said:

PET vs. CT
Hi Bobby,

I'm on my second onc now. My first onc (who I had for a year and a half)did both- alternated each time, which actually didn't make much sense to me because then you weren't comparing apples to apples from one scan to the next. When I was first diagnosed I had a CT scan. When things were found on the CT in my liver and lungs, a PET/CT was then ordered. That first PET/CT of mine actually found additional areas that were lighting up in my liver and lungs that didn't show on the CT scan.

So, my advice is to ask for both. If you only get one, start with a CT. If it shows something, then insist on the PET/CT.

Best wishes,
Lisa

Getting CT
I have had plenty of CT scans over the last ten months most of them looking for trouble during trouble from surgeries not really looking for the cancer. The CT's I have had looking for cancer was back in March 2010 which was then followed up by a petscan that showed the cancer to only be in the liver which was great news. I then had another CT scan after liver surgery and all looked good then. Now I am having this CT next Tuesday to see if they got all the cancer. Only if something looks out of the norm will the Onc order a Petscan. I am then going to get a colonoscopy on the 26th even though the colon surgeon said it was not really necessary but that we could do one to make sure and give me peace of mind....

Bobby

thready

bruins1971 said:

Where in the DFW do you live
Where in the DFW do you live and where are you getting treated? I am in Grand Prairie but getting treatment in Fort Worth...

In the Mid cities
Hi,
We are in Bedford, I go to Texas Oncology in Grapevine. I finished treatment in April, but go for my never ending tests. I really found this site helpful, and got to know Craig and his wife. Hope all is going good.
Keep us posted.
Jan