CT SCAN DONE

Matt29
Matt29 Member Posts: 62
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
hey everybody i had my ct scan done on Thursday and they said that there is some residual scar tissue left and they are thinking that's all it is but will not know till i get pet scan done which will be Oct 24 i guess this is normally the case when your getting radiation i just wasn't sure if i need to be worried or not i'm trying not too and just think positive any help would be greatly appreciated.Thank You

Comments

  • Billie67
    Billie67 Member Posts: 898
    #2
    Wish I knew
    Gosh I wish I could help you with this one. I get my first PET/CT post treatment in a couple of weeks. I do know this, my doctor scoped me yesterday and said that I'm still swollen but we need to schedule the scan anyway. We will give it a couple of weeks just to see if more swelling will go down but he said either way, the scans will show some activity because of the swelling. He says it's very common to see that in the first scans after treatment and that they have ways to determine good and bad "activity" he didn't mention anything to me about scar tissue but I'm sure when we go over it together he will tell me about every detail, he's very thorough that way. I guess what I'm saying is, try not to worry about anything right now because as I've heard from the dr and many people on here, false positives happen so much of the time on first scans post treatment. Sorry I couldn't help more.
    Take care,
    Billie
  • ditto1
    ditto1 Member Posts: 660
    #3
    You did not
    make it this far to not be NED so we will assume all is well especially since I have heard so many talk about hot spots or what ever decription they gave which created false or questionable reads. Kind of confuses me, I get my CT October 3rd, so if they get all these hot spots after 8 weeks why not wait 12 or 16 before the 1st scan, I sure there is a reason. So think positive thoughts, I know its easier said than done. I know I am already anxious about my first scan.
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #4
    Hi Matt
    I did a ct right after chemo treatment stopped, the ct came back fine but the PET showed a lot of hot spots. But the hot spots were just false positive reading that is why I always say the PET needs to be 4 to 6 months after your last treatment. So for now don’t worry about it just keep positive and make plans for the future.

    Hondo
  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #5
    first scans are hot ones
    Hi Matt,

    I went back and looked at my comments to you and your around 10 weeks post treatments, which from what I’ve heard maybe on the early side of 3 months, so hot spots can be detected. I think there is always going to be scar tissue left behind, isn’t there? That’s one reason they use the PET/CT scans to see what they can’t see by eye or scope (to see through the scars). You more than likely will have a clean and clear PET scan, but you will definitely have scanxiety.

    Clean scans for Matt and forever!

    Best,

    Matt
  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #6
    CivilMatt said:

    first scans are hot ones
    Hi Matt,

    I went back and looked at my comments to you and your around 10 weeks post treatments, which from what I’ve heard maybe on the early side of 3 months, so hot spots can be detected. I think there is always going to be scar tissue left behind, isn’t there? That’s one reason they use the PET/CT scans to see what they can’t see by eye or scope (to see through the scars). You more than likely will have a clean and clear PET scan, but you will definitely have scanxiety.

    Clean scans for Matt and forever!

    Best,

    Matt

    scans
    I had a CT with contrast 10 weeks post tx. The ONC wanted it 12 weeks out but the surgeon moved it up to 10. I don't have my 1st PET scan til Oct. which is 5 months out from the end of tx. The one thing that I have heard consistently is that they delay scans because there is allot of gray area caused by the tx itself.
    Prayers that all is good for you, I'm sure it is.
  • Tonsil Dad
    Tonsil Dad Member Posts: 488
    #7
    hwt said:

    scans
    I had a CT with contrast 10 weeks post tx. The ONC wanted it 12 weeks out but the surgeon moved it up to 10. I don't have my 1st PET scan til Oct. which is 5 months out from the end of tx. The one thing that I have heard consistently is that they delay scans because there is allot of gray area caused by the tx itself.
    Prayers that all is good for you, I'm sure it is.

    Scan
    I had my first PET at 12 weeks after treatment and I'm having a
    CT scan with contrast in October.
    Matt you shouldn't worry all will be well......have faith my friend.

    God bless
    Tonsil dad,

    Dan.
  • Tim6003
    Tim6003 Member Posts: 1,514 Member
    #8
    Tonsil Dad said:

    Scan
    I had my first PET at 12 weeks after treatment and I'm having a
    CT scan with contrast in October.
    Matt you shouldn't worry all will be well......have faith my friend.

    God bless
    Tonsil dad,

    Dan.

    Hi Matt..
    My first PET / CT scan was 3 months after tx....I got to see the scan on the screen from that scan vs. the screen on the scan from my staging PET/CT (the one they do to determine the tx) ...it was cool to see the difference, yet I showed a "hot spot" or "uptick in heat" in the area of my vocal cords. Like you the docs said it was most likely scar tissue / residual rad...but the written report did say "residual diseaase" could also be a possibility.

    The next scan was a CT w/ contrast done 6 months out and at that time the doc said NED for sure.

    I think it would maek you feel better to see the difference between your initial scan (the one before tx) and the most recent one ...even though mine showed a hot spot ...it was nothing comapred to when the cacner was first detected.

    There's no way to make you not worry ....but if your tumor shrunk and your hot spots are not as hot as they were, then most likely you responded well to treatments and your on your weay to NED...and you got more detailed tx then I did and I am NED. I only got radiation and Erbitux...you got the kitchen sink thrown at you ...so you will do great!!

    Best,

    Tim
  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #9
    Going to have to leave this one up to the pro's
    Matt...I haven't come this far yet. I get scoped every month by the ENT, but the only mention of a "scan" is the PET scan they want to do the end of November (3 months after my last treatment, which was Aug.28)....Nobody has said boo about a CT.

    Now I'm wondering....am I missing out on anything? Did most of you guys get a CT before the first 90 day PET??

    p
  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #10
    phrannie51 said:

    Going to have to leave this one up to the pro's
    Matt...I haven't come this far yet. I get scoped every month by the ENT, but the only mention of a "scan" is the PET scan they want to do the end of November (3 months after my last treatment, which was Aug.28)....Nobody has said boo about a CT.

    Now I'm wondering....am I missing out on anything? Did most of you guys get a CT before the first 90 day PET??

    p

    CT/PET
    P51,

    I had a PET at 3 months. From what I read, a CT is good for determining size and shape of abnormal growth and PET can detect abnormalities in cellular activity early. I don’t know exactly which to use or why. We need Pat to explain this to us better.

    Best,

    Matt
  • Crazymom
    Crazymom Member Posts: 339 Member
    #11
    Scan
    I went through the exact same thing. They did the CT Skan after my radiation. Lymph nodes were a little too large. Did PEt skan 6 weeks later and everything was fine. They think my lymph nodes have some scar tissue. Good luck. Ann
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #12
    Very Common
    Matt, it's very common on first scans to show signs of residual.

    Looking forward to a clean scan upcoming.

    John

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