Post 3 month PET Scan

Jilly60
Jilly60 Member Posts: 3
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

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  • Jilly60
    Jilly60 Member Posts: 3
    edited October 2020 #2
    post 3 Month PET Scan

    My husband is 3 months post treatment for head and neck cancer.  He had an enlarged lymph node on the right side of his neck and a primary was never found.  He has just had his Post treatment PET Scan and it shows residual cancer.  Has anyone else had this experience and if so can you share what the course of action  was. ThanK you. 

  • Logan51
    Logan51 Member Posts: 470 Member
    edited October 2020 #3
    Jilly

    Make sure your Husband stresses to his Dr. that false-Positives are common w/3-month PET/CT scans. Typically, those scans are only used to establish a baseline for comparison with future tests. My ENT said something showed on mine, but he wasn't concerned- that was over 11-1/2 years ago!


    I know of cases way back when that Dr.s have been wrong about the 3-month. In one case out in LA, the result was a Surgical removal of many lymph nodes in the neck, and not even one of them came back as Positive for C= the surgary was not needed, and the Dr. was wrong.

     

  • wbcgaruss
    wbcgaruss Member Posts: 2,482 Member
    edited October 2020 #4
    The Last Cancer I Had

    The doc had me get a CT Scan with dye of the head & neck area 3 months after treatment and then a PET scan in 6 months. Logan is right I have seen many stories on here of false positives getting a scan too soon. I would get the doc to relook at it or get a second opinion look by another doc if you are concerned which I am sure you are. Nobody wants to go through this without good results-Take Care-God Bless-Russ

  • armana
    armana Member Posts: 97 Member
    edited October 2020 #5
    Jilly60 said:

    post 3 Month PET Scan

    My husband is 3 months post treatment for head and neck cancer.  He had an enlarged lymph node on the right side of his neck and a primary was never found.  He has just had his Post treatment PET Scan and it shows residual cancer.  Has anyone else had this experience and if so can you share what the course of action  was. ThanK you. 

    I finished radiation

    I finished radiation treatment for Tnosil cancer 6 years ago. My 1st Pet Scan about 4 months post-radiation showed some residual cancer. The oncologist recommended another scan in 6 months which was negative and I've been cancer-free since. Many times the 1st Scan post-radiation may detect scar tissue as cancer which results in a false positive.

    I hope this the case for your husband.

  • Ladylacy
    Ladylacy Member Posts: 773 Member
    edited October 2020 #6
    Pet Scan

    My husband was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer and after radiation and chemo the doctor didn't even wait three months for a PET scan.  It can back fine.  Short story he was wrong and the specialist we then were referred to said the PET scan was done too quickly and that the swelling hide the fact that the tumor was still there.  This was found when he started having difficulty breathing and another biopsy was done.  Needless to say he lost his battle after a long and hard fought battle.  My advice is to get a second opinion and see someone who knows about your type of cancer.

  • big G
    big G Member Posts: 177 Member
    edited October 2020 #7
    Ladylacy said:

    Pet Scan

    My husband was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer and after radiation and chemo the doctor didn't even wait three months for a PET scan.  It can back fine.  Short story he was wrong and the specialist we then were referred to said the PET scan was done too quickly and that the swelling hide the fact that the tumor was still there.  This was found when he started having difficulty breathing and another biopsy was done.  Needless to say he lost his battle after a long and hard fought battle.  My advice is to get a second opinion and see someone who knows about your type of cancer.

    Very sorry for your loss Ladylacy. Great advice for second opinions and try to get treatment at an NCI accredited center or teaching hospital if it is at all possible.

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