Re: PET SCAN vs. CAT SCANS

[Guest guest]

Barb - the CT is usually better at showing up just nodes - if the doc wants to look at other organs, a PET is sometimes better because of the iodine absorption properties of the procedure - Finally, one site has it all: your friends, your email, your favorite sites. Try The NEW AOL.com.

[Guest guest]

One reason the PET/CT is sometimes given is that less radiation is then used for the CT part of it. In my opinion, the two are complementary. The CT portion focuses on lymphadenopathy, the PET portion is useful in analyzing spreading of the disease to other organs - Stay in touch with ALL of your friends: update your AIM, Bebo, Facebook, and MySpace pages with just one click. The NEW AOL.com.

[Guest guest]

Hi, I'm not as familiar with use of PET for CLL ... what the issues

may be specific to CLL.

I think false postives are possible and common with PET ... areas

that light up because of inflammation and not disease. So this could

be one reason not to use it for follow up, long after treatment.

PET seems more reliable when you have a baseline PET image, which you

compare to a PET image given later, such as during or immediately

after treatment, when the goal is to achieve a complete response.

Here you can judge the activity of the agents against the tumors and

determine if residual lesions that show up on CT are active or scar

tissue.

Karl

>

> I am due to have a CAT scan this week. I have had 3 PET/CAT scans

since

> 10/07, last being June 2008. This is recheck after CHOP+R after 6

months.

> (All clear in June) I am wondering why my local oncologist didn't

order a

> PET instead of CAT. Is there a problem with Medicare & this. Can

you only

> have so many PET's in a certain time frame?

>

> I discussed with nurse, and she said " the doctor usually alternates

these

> tests " .

>

> Checking on recurrence of not only CLL, but DLBCL (lymphoma).

>

> Barb N.. - Arkansas CLL/SLL 5/01 DLBCL 10/07

>

[Guest guest]

Like I said - CT for CLL, PET if you suspect other organs and a transformation - Thanks, Dr. Furman - Stay in touch with ALL of your friends: update your AIM, Bebo, Facebook, and MySpace pages with just one click. The NEW AOL.com.

[Guest guest]

PET scans are not very useful in CLL. PET scans measure the uptake of

radioactive glucose (sugar) in proportion to a tumor's metabolism. While most

all large cell lymphomas will light up with values of 5 to 20, CLL can be

anywhere from 0 to 8.

The only time I use PET scans in my CLL patients is if I am concerned about a

Richter's transformation. The uptake will be much greater and can even indicate

which lymph node to biopsy.

Rick Furman, MD

-----Original Message-----

From: karlamonyc <karls@...>

Subj: Re: PET SCAN vs. CAT SCANS

Date: Thu Dec 4, 2008 10:08 am

Size: 13K

Hi, I'm not as familiar with use of PET for CLL ... what the

issues

may be specific to CLL.

I think false postives are possible and common with PET ... areas

that light up because of inflammation and not disease. So this could

be one reason not to use it for follow up, long after treatment.

PET seems more reliable when you have a baseline PET image, which you

compare to a PET image given later, such as during or immediately

after treatment, when the goal is to achieve a complete response.

Here you can judge the activity of the agents against the tumors and

determine if residual lesions that show up on CT are active or scar

tissue.

Karl

>

> I am due to have a CAT scan this week. I have had 3 PET/CAT scans

since

> 10/07, last being June 2008. This is recheck after CHOPR after 6

months.

> (All clear in June) I am wondering why my local oncologist didn't

order a

> PET instead of CAT. Is there a problem with Medicare & this. Can

you only

> have so many PET's in a certain time frame?

>

> I discussed with nurse, and she said " the doctor usually alternates

these

> tests " .

>

> Checking on recurrence of not only CLL, but DLBCL (lymphoma).

>

> Barb N.. - Arkansas CLL/SLL 5/01 DLBCL 10/07

>