PET scan

jackflash22
jackflash22 Member Posts: 524 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

what exactly is a PET scan, how is it different from a ct scan. Why I ask is because I just had a neuclear scan with a radioactive injection. It attaches to neuroendoctrine tumours and lights up. It will only light up these cancers. Is it similar to PET SCANS. the injection alone is very expensive £600 about $900 and has to be brought in by courier from Europe. After the injection which was in a huge syringe I had to wait four hours then go back in the afternoon for an hour and fifteen minute scan. The next day I had to have another hour scan which took photos of me head to toe in slices. This isn't for my head and neck this is for small bowel cancers not related to head and neck cancers. I'm just asking because I've never been offered a PET scan, and how some of you describe it that it lights up hot spots sounds similar. Do they use radioactive injections And have a two day long scan. I'm just curious.

Comments

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #2
    Hi Jackie

     

    That is much like a PET scan; for my PET scan I was giving sugar water with a small amount of radiation. Then I must stay still relaxing for one hour then they will call me in and put me into a machine much like an MRI and start there scan, It normally takes between 30 to 45 minutes and the doctor will give me the results the next day. Not really much more then that

     

    Tim

  • denistd
    denistd Member Posts: 597
    #3
    Hondo said:

    Hi Jackie

     

    That is much like a PET scan; for my PET scan I was giving sugar water with a small amount of radiation. Then I must stay still relaxing for one hour then they will call me in and put me into a machine much like an MRI and start there scan, It normally takes between 30 to 45 minutes and the doctor will give me the results the next day. Not really much more then that

     

    Tim

    Pet scans

    The scan you had Jackie is more or less a pet scan, but it is the beginning of a new generation of tests, it's great stuff, it is a targeted scan for metastatic activity of a particular cancer. A little more pinpointed that a cat scan but pretty much the same as a pet scan. New things are happening at a rapid rate in research, individualising treatment based on hereditary factors, DNA etc. I am confidenty we are on the brink of the next generation of treatment for cancer. By the way, $900 would not buy that stuff here.

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #4
    PET Scan

    PET/CT  or PET/MRI

    A positron emission tomography (PET) scan is a type of imaging test. It uses a radioactive substance called a tracer to look for disease in the body. A PET scan shows how organs and tissues are working.

    They have you wait longer depending what they are looking for. If for cancer you get Glucose with the radiation as suger is drawn to cancer cells and wait 45 min. to one hour. In the states and also where you go the price is very high. I have heard on one that was only $1600. Mine was billed at $12,922.00 and the agreed price with my insurance was   $6,361.62 and I paid $1272.33 of that. The bigger the hospital the bigger the price. It is so worth it as it can see so much for heart, cancer, blocked orgins and much more.

    Bill                     

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