DLBCL: My Dr. said a PET Scan is not necessary

Jim M
Jim M Member Posts: 25
in Lymphoma (Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin) #1

Hello everyone

  I am almost finished with R-Chop and intrathecal therapy. I didn't have a PET Scan at the beginning of treatment. My Dr. said unless there is something suspect he won't give me a PET Scan. 

  How do I know I am in full remission without a PET? Have others gone through treatment with no PET Scans? Your advice please.

 

 

Comments

  • ShadyGuy
    ShadyGuy Member Posts: 922 Member
    #2
    Wow

    can you change doctors?

  • Sandy Ray
    Sandy Ray Member Posts: 144 Member
    edited October 2017 #3
    Peace of mind

    Jim M,

    I could not imagine not having a PET scan after treatment. From all I have read it is standard practice to have a PET scan during treatment and if it shows clear then 2 more treatments to make sure they have gotten any residual cancer cells. That is how my doctor did it and everyone I have read about the same. I also had a PET scan 6 weeks after the final treatment. I would do my best to find another Doctor to get a second opinion. I wish you the best.

    Sandy Ray

  • dana-mihaela
    dana-mihaela Member Posts: 39
    #4
    Hi Jim,

    As I mentioned in your other post, my doctor also is not very fond of PET scans. Sometimes they are false and get you to check some areas that show activity but it is not cancer. You are scared and want to do biopsy and get anxiety over it. For a tumor that it was not in the lymph nodes you can check with simple CT or MRI. MRI is the best since there is no radiation there and a CT is better than a PET considering the amount of radiation. My last PET was a year ago 3 months after I finished chemo and this year we did an MRI on my back to see what happened to the tumor. My doctor said that as long as there are not symptoms, the blood work is fine we don't need to worry. If you are asking, my tumor was gone but after almost a year after chemo. The immune system needs to recover after chemo to be able to start cleaning all the dead cancer cells. It takes a while depending on the size of the tumor. 

    Good luck,

    Dana

  • Jim M
    Jim M Member Posts: 25
    #5
    ShadyGuy said:

    Wow

    can you change doctors?

    Difficult because I don't

    Difficult because I don't have private health insurance. I go through the public health system. (of Costa Rica)

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