Why Don't PET scans do Your Head????

idlehunters
idlehunters Member Posts: 1,787 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I have often wondered this. The PET goes from where to where??? Chin to knees???? I am not exactly sure but I do know it does not do your entire head. So why not? What is the logic there? And how do they know if any cancer is in your brain BEFORE symptoms occur??? I am thinking a few of you smart people know this???? Thank you.

Jennie

Comments

  • Lori-S
    Lori-S Member Posts: 1,277 Member
    #2
    Jennie
    I had a friend who died of brain cancer last year and they did a PET of her head. Why they don't include them when they PET us colorectals, I dunno. Maybe because it is expected to show in the other organs well before the brain? Seeing as chemo doesn't pass the blood brain barrier you'd think they would PET our brains.
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #3
    Jennie
    Jennie's answer is better then mine, I was going to say they don't go to my brain because, there isn't a whole lot to look at!!!!
    LMAO, sorry, my blond humor, (if the humor escapes you, remember... I'm blond, my humor may be way different then yours!!!!)
    But do I wish they did our brains? When hell, we're Stage IV, our cancer cells traveling around our bodies you'd think they'd look from toes to the last hair on your head. I can only blame the insurance companies for the lack of this, and of course, if we succeed with this universal health care, I'm thinking forget even having a chance of a total scan done.
    Winter Marie
  • Lori-S
    Lori-S Member Posts: 1,277 Member
    #4
    herdizziness said:

    Jennie
    Jennie's answer is better then mine, I was going to say they don't go to my brain because, there isn't a whole lot to look at!!!!
    LMAO, sorry, my blond humor, (if the humor escapes you, remember... I'm blond, my humor may be way different then yours!!!!)
    But do I wish they did our brains? When hell, we're Stage IV, our cancer cells traveling around our bodies you'd think they'd look from toes to the last hair on your head. I can only blame the insurance companies for the lack of this, and of course, if we succeed with this universal health care, I'm thinking forget even having a chance of a total scan done.
    Winter Marie

    Winter Marie
    I love blonde humor. I was blonde as a child and blonde until a few years back. When my ex asked me why I didn't do my hair blonde anymore ... I told him ... because it attracts men like you. hahahaha

    Believe me blonde or not ... I'm not sure they'd find much in my brain either!
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #5
    Lori-S said:

    Winter Marie
    I love blonde humor. I was blonde as a child and blonde until a few years back. When my ex asked me why I didn't do my hair blonde anymore ... I told him ... because it attracts men like you. hahahaha

    Believe me blonde or not ... I'm not sure they'd find much in my brain either!

    Favorite
    My favorite blond joke? What do you call 20 blonds under the ocean?????


    Frosted Flakes!!!
  • Kerry S
    Kerry S Member Posts: 606 Member
    #6
    if you were thinking about sex
    Darlins,
    I asked the same damn question. I had just had a PET 90 days before this golf ball size tumor showed up in my damn head with the CT scan. I had an MRI today and you can really see the damn thing. Remember it was symptoms that got me there.

    Due to the way the brain uses/burns up sugar, it would show spots in the brain depending on what you were thinking about at the time. Just think how your brain would light up if you were thinking about sex. The trick with PETs is they use radioactive sugar water as it goes to the cells that are using it. Cancer cells love sugar water.

    They don’t worry too much with us colorectal cancer folks as it is very rare for us to get brain cancer. We get it liver – node – lung. I must just have an uncommon brain.

    Jennie, I will be talking to the cyberknife folks at SLU next week. They do take my insurance. See the brain surgeon Monday.

    Kerry
  • Lori-S
    Lori-S Member Posts: 1,277 Member
    #7
    herdizziness said:

    Favorite
    My favorite blond joke? What do you call 20 blonds under the ocean?????


    Frosted Flakes!!!

    Ha !!
    I know one about frosted flakes and blondes ... but it's longer and a bit different. Sending to you in PM winter Marie. don't want to hijack Jennie's thread.
  • idlehunters
    idlehunters Member Posts: 1,787 Member
    #8
    Kerry S said:

    if you were thinking about sex
    Darlins,
    I asked the same damn question. I had just had a PET 90 days before this golf ball size tumor showed up in my damn head with the CT scan. I had an MRI today and you can really see the damn thing. Remember it was symptoms that got me there.

    Due to the way the brain uses/burns up sugar, it would show spots in the brain depending on what you were thinking about at the time. Just think how your brain would light up if you were thinking about sex. The trick with PETs is they use radioactive sugar water as it goes to the cells that are using it. Cancer cells love sugar water.

    They don’t worry too much with us colorectal cancer folks as it is very rare for us to get brain cancer. We get it liver – node – lung. I must just have an uncommon brain.

    Jennie, I will be talking to the cyberknife folks at SLU next week. They do take my insurance. See the brain surgeon Monday.

    Kerry

    Kerry
    SOOOOOOOOOOO glad to hear you are going to SLU. Dr. Dombroski is one of the head honchos with the CK. I am sure some where along the way you will speak to him. Great news Kerry! I know these people will have that tumor gone in no time...they are THAT good. keep us informed..and hey... we should hook up and do lunch when you are in STL one day....ya think?

    jennie
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #9
    Kerry S said:

    if you were thinking about sex
    Darlins,
    I asked the same damn question. I had just had a PET 90 days before this golf ball size tumor showed up in my damn head with the CT scan. I had an MRI today and you can really see the damn thing. Remember it was symptoms that got me there.

    Due to the way the brain uses/burns up sugar, it would show spots in the brain depending on what you were thinking about at the time. Just think how your brain would light up if you were thinking about sex. The trick with PETs is they use radioactive sugar water as it goes to the cells that are using it. Cancer cells love sugar water.

    They don’t worry too much with us colorectal cancer folks as it is very rare for us to get brain cancer. We get it liver – node – lung. I must just have an uncommon brain.

    Jennie, I will be talking to the cyberknife folks at SLU next week. They do take my insurance. See the brain surgeon Monday.

    Kerry

    Monday
    Looking forward to seeing what you found out on Monday.
    Thinking of you and praying hard this weekend Kerry!!
    Winter Marie
  • maglets
    maglets Member Posts: 2,576 Member
    #10
    herdizziness said:

    Monday
    Looking forward to seeing what you found out on Monday.
    Thinking of you and praying hard this weekend Kerry!!
    Winter Marie

    Monday
    oh Kerry ....Monday! that is such good news.....hoping and praying you get some good news...here's to Monday!

    mags
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #11
    Kerry S said:

    if you were thinking about sex
    Darlins,
    I asked the same damn question. I had just had a PET 90 days before this golf ball size tumor showed up in my damn head with the CT scan. I had an MRI today and you can really see the damn thing. Remember it was symptoms that got me there.

    Due to the way the brain uses/burns up sugar, it would show spots in the brain depending on what you were thinking about at the time. Just think how your brain would light up if you were thinking about sex. The trick with PETs is they use radioactive sugar water as it goes to the cells that are using it. Cancer cells love sugar water.

    They don’t worry too much with us colorectal cancer folks as it is very rare for us to get brain cancer. We get it liver – node – lung. I must just have an uncommon brain.

    Jennie, I will be talking to the cyberknife folks at SLU next week. They do take my insurance. See the brain surgeon Monday.

    Kerry

    Kerry, once again....
    You made a mess for me!!! I had just taken a sip of morning coffee, and I sprayed it all over from laughter!!!

    I remember asking about PET and the skull, and the tech saying roughly the same thing as you said, although not nearly so well....lol!

    I have had a patient partner with mets to the brain. Fairly low, near the stem. They used cybeknife. She is doing just fine, and is in remission!!!

    Sending BIG hugs to you!!!!

    Hugs, Kathi
  • Sundanceh
    Sundanceh Member Posts: 4,392 Member
    #12
    Kerry Picked Up On It...
    PETs to the brain does show way too much activity and are thus unreliable.

    MRIs are the standard for brain scans and would show anything were it there.

    And CRC cancer's path of destruction is:
    Liver
    Lung
    Brain

    ...and occasionally the Bone.

    The "Crazy Colon Train" - remember Jennie? That's why it's always on my mind, especially with the folks that it has happened too, including most recently, our friend, Kerry.

    Go get 'em, Kerry!

    -Craig
  • Kerry S
    Kerry S Member Posts: 606 Member
    #13
    Kerry S said:

    if you were thinking about sex
    Darlins,
    I asked the same damn question. I had just had a PET 90 days before this golf ball size tumor showed up in my damn head with the CT scan. I had an MRI today and you can really see the damn thing. Remember it was symptoms that got me there.

    Due to the way the brain uses/burns up sugar, it would show spots in the brain depending on what you were thinking about at the time. Just think how your brain would light up if you were thinking about sex. The trick with PETs is they use radioactive sugar water as it goes to the cells that are using it. Cancer cells love sugar water.

    They don’t worry too much with us colorectal cancer folks as it is very rare for us to get brain cancer. We get it liver – node – lung. I must just have an uncommon brain.

    Jennie, I will be talking to the cyberknife folks at SLU next week. They do take my insurance. See the brain surgeon Monday.

    Kerry

    What the MRI shows

    Guys if you are interested, I put the image of the brain tumor on my expression page as it showed up on the MRI.

    Kerry
  • lizzydavis
    lizzydavis Member Posts: 893
    #14
    Sundanceh said:

    Kerry Picked Up On It...
    PETs to the brain does show way too much activity and are thus unreliable.

    MRIs are the standard for brain scans and would show anything were it there.

    And CRC cancer's path of destruction is:
    Liver
    Lung
    Brain

    ...and occasionally the Bone.

    The "Crazy Colon Train" - remember Jennie? That's why it's always on my mind, especially with the folks that it has happened too, including most recently, our friend, Kerry.

    Go get 'em, Kerry!

    -Craig

    Thanks for the info. I wondered too. So glad to know.
    Thanks for the info. I wondered too. So glad to know. Thanks!

    Lizzy

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