PET Scan

Hi

I was diagnosed, staged and treated and never had a PET scan - only MRI or CT scans - had treatment in 2019 and to date the growth aka "Quentin Tarantumour"  has still left the building.  CT scan can also show if cancer is anywhere else x

Hi Meg .. Yes I’m sure it does .. Good luck with it all!! .. Sharon x

Deb1E,

Thank you for your quick reply. Do you mind if I ask  what stage you were? My tumor is 1.5 centimeters. I’m wondering if the insurance will only cover a PET scan if it is a certain size. I just know that my doctor did not mention a CT scan until the insurance denied the PET scan. So hard to know what to believe.

Hi 

I was T2 which means the tumour was between 2cm and 5 cm in size.  I know other people with larger tumours who only had CT and MRi scans.  Because of the exposure to radioactive rays and the fact that you can only have so many I think they only use PET scan where they have to - I also think it depends on the hospital where I am they only recommend a PET scan if there is an indication that the lymph nodes are involved.. 

Hi Meg (, 

I was diagnosed February 2018 & I’ve never had a PET scan either, I think here in the UK it seems dependent on your treating hospital & oncologist whereas in the US it may be insurance  related & maybe only people with evidence of mets on their CT scans go on to have PET scans. 

Nicola

Hi  here in the UK we would have a pelvic MRI scan and also a CT scan of the lungs and liver. As Nikki65has said I’m pretty sure a PET scan would only be recommended if there was metastasis to the lungs and liver picked up on the CT scan. Hope this helps. Bev.