Re: concern about PET scan

[Guest guest]

Barb, I had Pet/Ct scans six months without any side effects. I was told

that the radiation strength would not kill your healthy cells. I believe that

your doctor is right that Pet is needed to determine if your cancer has spread.

That is very important information for you to know. This information is also

a very key factor to determine what kind of treatments that you need.

Yes, Pet may have side effects on you. But it is the best test method that I

am aware of. Other is the blood test of AMAS which is about 90% accurate in

detecting the cancer in your blood but it cannot tell you where the cancer is

coming from.

Good luck.

In a message dated 3/10/2009 5:35:01 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

bjacksha@... writes:

Hi everyone, I am knew here. Have been reading in the archives, but am

hoping for some feedback. I had a total hysterectomy four weeks ago and after

surgery was told that the doctor found a small " superficial " in my uterus, and

because of this, they did not biopsy or remove the nearby lymph nodes during

surgery. Pathology following surgery showed it was a Stage one tumor, but they

also found a few tumor cells where they shouldn't be. So now they are fearing

the cancer may have spread to the nodes. The doctor wants me to do a PET scan

to further diagnose. I am wondering if there are alternatives to diagnose

that are less harmful -- I don't do well with scans, felt lousy for a week

after a CAT scan I had a few weeks before the surgery. My alternative doctor

says

that the radiation can cause more harm than good. I know, of course, it is

my decision...just wondering what your experiences have been.

Many thanks,

Barb

**************Need a job? Find employment help in your area.

(http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=employment_agencies & ncid=emlcntusyelp00\

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[Guest guest]

Hi Barb,

I don't think a PET uses any radiation. A CT scan uses quite a bit, but

if you are looking for a diagnosis, it's a good place to start. I've

had one CT and probably will not do it again for another 5 years.

Make sure your doctor explains what they are looking for, exactly, to

help determine what test is best for you. It seems that many hospitals

won't do a PET until the CT shows something.

Another option may be an MRI. An MRI will not use any radiation,

either.

Remember, each scan shows something different.

ar

--

Arlyn Grant

arlynsg@...

[Guest guest]

Positron emission tomography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Image of a typical positron emission tomography (PET) facility

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medicine imaging technique which

produces a three-dimensional image or picture of functional processes in the

body. The system detects pairs of gamma rays emitted indirectly by a

positron-emitting radionuclide (tracer), which is introduced into the body on a

biologically active molecule. Images of tracer concentration in 3-dimensional

space within the body are then reconstructed by computer analysis. In modern

scanners, this reconstruction is often accomplished with the aid of a CT X-ray

scan performed on the patient during the same session, in the same machine.

[Guest guest]

Read the bottom part of this entry. PET scans are always done with CT scans,

and that is where the radiation is. CT scans have 150x the radiation as a chest

x-ray.

>

> Positron emission tomography

> From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

> Jump to: navigation, search

>

>

> Image of a typical positron emission tomography (PET) facility

> Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medicine imaging technique

which produces a three-dimensional image or picture of functional processes in

the body. The system detects pairs of gamma rays emitted indirectly by a

positron-emitting radionuclide (tracer), which is introduced into the body on a

biologically active molecule. Images of tracer concentration in 3-dimensional

space within the body are then reconstructed by computer analysis. In modern

scanners, this reconstruction is often accomplished with the aid of a CT X-ray

scan performed on the patient during the same session, in the same machine.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Read the bottom part of this entry. PET scans are always done with CT scans,

and that is where the radiation is. CT scans have 150x the radiation as a chest

x-ray.

>

The CT isn't always done. My last one was done on a PET/CT machine, but they

didn't do the CT portion ... only the PET. I didn't have to drink anything;

just got the radioactive tracer injection.

xoxo

[Guest guest]

Are you sure they didn't do the CT?

You see, they need to do the CT to highlight the organs and other structures of

the body. Without this, the PET scan will just show glowy areas, but a doctor

wouldn't have any idea what the glowy areas are associated with.

> >

> > Read the bottom part of this entry. PET scans are always done with CT

scans, and that is where the radiation is. CT scans have 150x the radiation as

a chest x-ray.

> >

>

> The CT isn't always done. My last one was done on a PET/CT machine, but they

didn't do the CT portion ... only the PET. I didn't have to drink anything;

just got the radioactive tracer injection.

>

> xoxo

>

>