CT Scan/PET & CT Scan Qutestion

jcavanaugh
jcavanaugh Member Posts: 100
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I have a quick question. Do doctors order just PET scans anymore or are all PET Scans now really CT/PET Scans. The reason I ask is that my dad just supposedly had a PET/CT scan done and the esophagus lite up on the scan. So, the doctor wants to order a CT scan to see if there is anything there. Isn't a PET/CT scan both scans in one. I do not understand this. Either way, we are going to hopkins in two weeks to talk to a real expert. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Comments

  • hopefulone
    hopefulone Member Posts: 1,043 Member
    #2
    I can only tell you based on our own experience. My husband had 3 different tests...PET, ct , and MRI . They each tell a different part of the "story". The pet showed active uptake, the ct showed size, dimension and the mri showed proximity to blood vessels and is more sensitve than the ct. I hope this helps.
    Diane
  • apache4
    apache4 Member Posts: 272 Member
    #3
    Ditto, hopefulone. They are two different tests. They are administered differently and use different machines. For the CT one has to drink a nasty type drink and an IV is used to insert part of the contrast material. The PET scan there is a drink, but not such a big one and no IV needed. They also do a blood sugar test as I think that contrast can have an effect if you are diabetic. The PET scan takes quite a bit longer to do, also. Other then that, the previous answer gives the other differences. Also, for me, the CT scan was used every three months and I only had two PET's in 1 1/2 years.
  • lv2scrap
    lv2scrap Member Posts: 44
    #4
    My Dad has had a PET/CT scan. It is my understanding that it is a PET SCAN and CT Scan and they overlap the two and then read it. Hope this helps.
  • Betsydoglover
    Betsydoglover Member Posts: 1,248 Member
    #5
    Hi -

    My understanding is that PET scanners usually have CT built in - for positioning only. In other words, the CT is sufficient to indicate that the "lit up area" is the esophagus. BUT, it is not a diagnostic CT. That's why your father's doctor now wants a diagnostic CT. (I'm pretty sure this is good information as this is the way it was explained to me when I was evaluated at NIH/NCI a couple of years ago.)

    For what it is worth, I always have both PET/CT and diagnostic CT - with fusion (where they fuse the diagnostic CT with the PET).

    I wish the best for your Dad and I bet Hopkins will run every test in the book.

    Take care,
    Betsy

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