pet scans

Lauracec
Lauracec Member Posts: 101
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
I was looking up pet scans on the internet and it looks like it would be more informative than ct scans. like it could show if cancer was still active or not does anyone here have pet scans instead of ct scans or know more about it. Laura

Comments

  • slickwilly
    slickwilly Member Posts: 334 Member
    #2
    PET Scan
    Hi Laura. I am a male NHL survivor. I look through all the Discussion boards as I help friends with cancer. I had a PET Scan last year. I had a mass along my spine and my doctor thought it was a cheaper option than an operaton or biopsy. But it was justified to my insurance as I had already been through cancer. It will show better imaging than a standard Cat Scan or MRI with contrast. In my case the MRI with contrast showed a mass. The PET Scan and Cat Scan together showed a piece of bone off my spine with scar tissue. And there was no blood flow going through it. I suspect the cost and availability of PET Scan machines plays into the use along with what the doctor feels is the best tool. A MRI with contrast on my whole spine was $1500. A PET Scan to a limited area of my spine was $2500. I am sure there is a point where a PET Scan can be justified but I don't know where it is. I know I want the best doctors and best tools but sometimes my insurance is a struggle. And I can understand that as I am sure I have cost them a million dollars by now. Best of luck Slickwilly
  • floridajo
    floridajo Member Posts: 480
    #3
    PET SCAN
    Pet scans are a wonderful tool and it does light up any active cancer cells in the body. The bad part is that most insurance companies will not pay because it hasn't been found to be a needed tool for ovca yet. Hopefully one day it will be. The cost is also another factor. A PET costs around 5000.00 to shoot and then read. I am able to have them because I have lung nodules and cancer of the colon as well as ovca..and it has been approved for Lung and colon cancer so far,I really don't have these 2 types of cancer..but becuase a CT scan saw cancer in those areas,and with some Dr. pushing for it,I have been able to have one so far. For the most part the CT scans and ca-125 have been able to diagnose a recurrence for me everytime....while it was still very very small,with no growths seen,just small patches of areas....so don't fret too much if you aren't able to have one yet.~~Good Luck~~~Joanne
  • BonnieR
    BonnieR Member Posts: 1,526 Member
    #4
    pet scans
    Hi Laura, I have had a couple pet scans over the past 6 years. I had a lot of pain and it was used along with the CT Scan. Most of the docs at the clinic I go to don't think PETS are all that good for ovarian cancer. I know it did light up more areas than I think I had cancer in and if I remember correctly it said possible cancer and some areas showed up that were my cancer. I think it is a good tool but one does have to get preauthorization to have them done. Because the ct scans don't show ovarian cancer in our lungs that well I think then it is a really good tool. The one thing is a person has to be prepared to learn it in in nodes and places you didn't know prior.

    Are you having more problems and the CT Scan isn't show you what you is going on? Or are you in remission and wanting to see there is nothing there? I am curious why you are thinking you may need one or not. Anyway I hope that helps you out.

    Hugs N Prayers Bonnie
  • Lauracec
    Lauracec Member Posts: 101
    #5
    BonnieR said:

    pet scans
    Hi Laura, I have had a couple pet scans over the past 6 years. I had a lot of pain and it was used along with the CT Scan. Most of the docs at the clinic I go to don't think PETS are all that good for ovarian cancer. I know it did light up more areas than I think I had cancer in and if I remember correctly it said possible cancer and some areas showed up that were my cancer. I think it is a good tool but one does have to get preauthorization to have them done. Because the ct scans don't show ovarian cancer in our lungs that well I think then it is a really good tool. The one thing is a person has to be prepared to learn it in in nodes and places you didn't know prior.

    Are you having more problems and the CT Scan isn't show you what you is going on? Or are you in remission and wanting to see there is nothing there? I am curious why you are thinking you may need one or not. Anyway I hope that helps you out.

    Hugs N Prayers Bonnie

    Hi Bonnie, I just had the
    Hi Bonnie, I just had the big surgery in may. they did a complete hysterectomy and debulking and took my omentum out but they had to leave a 5 cm tumor that was wrapped around the main arteries to my liver. they did a ct scan right b4 chemo started and then again after 3 cycles but it hadn,t shrunk at all but it didn,t grow. they are going to do another ct scan after i,m finished with all 6 cyles of carbo/taxol in october. maybe it will be gone or maybe it will still be there and be stable or dead i also have a small something on my lung that wasn,t there b-4 surgery. and they arn,t sure if thats cancer and I was thinking if the tumor doesn,t go away after all 6 cyles that I heard pet scans can tell if the cancer is active or not. I am staged at 3c. I don't give a lot of input to this site but i'm on it everyday and all the people on here have helped me tremendously Laura
  • Lauracec
    Lauracec Member Posts: 101
    #6
    floridajo said:

    PET SCAN
    Pet scans are a wonderful tool and it does light up any active cancer cells in the body. The bad part is that most insurance companies will not pay because it hasn't been found to be a needed tool for ovca yet. Hopefully one day it will be. The cost is also another factor. A PET costs around 5000.00 to shoot and then read. I am able to have them because I have lung nodules and cancer of the colon as well as ovca..and it has been approved for Lung and colon cancer so far,I really don't have these 2 types of cancer..but becuase a CT scan saw cancer in those areas,and with some Dr. pushing for it,I have been able to have one so far. For the most part the CT scans and ca-125 have been able to diagnose a recurrence for me everytime....while it was still very very small,with no growths seen,just small patches of areas....so don't fret too much if you aren't able to have one yet.~~Good Luck~~~Joanne

    thankyou slickwilly and joanne also
    between you guys it,s made it a lot clearer. thankyou Laura

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