Odd question

Hi

The PET/CT scans head to mid thigh, so yes if there is a suspicion of anything the scan will reveal it.

I don't know if you remember I had a couple of lung nodules that were scanned by CT three months apart with no increase in size. I had my PET after the second lung CT and it confirmed that there was no cancer. I did at that time have a Basal Cell Carcinoma ( a skin cancer) on my thigh which it failed to detect but I wasn't surprised as PET measures rate of metabolism and BCCs grow slowly ( I had mine for 8 years)

markmac said:

and it’s a later stage cancer?

Not sure what you mean. A PET will see anything that "glows" with energy use

Ok so does that mean that the chemo and radiation that people have before their post treatment scan didn’t rid of all the cancer in the body?   I thought it would 

Hi there, I think the treatment is targeted at a specific area ,the chemo part helps to enhance the Radiotherapy by about 5-10 %,, but don't quote me on that.

Radiotherapy in our cases is targeted at that area where the cancer is only ,no where else in the body. I would be very surprised if a later stage cancer was detected in post treatment scan ,surely that would have been found in the scan prior to treatment. Maybe a new one would be found but that's just my guess.

I've just had my post treatment scan and all good ,so I don't want to question it .what I didn't realise was it was a full body scan. I have my follow up MRI on Saturday,that is just for baseline purposes after treatment I've been told ,which is pretty much procedure at my hospital .

I’m glad for you!  I know about the radiation, but chemo is systemic so it targets the whole area.  

Sorry I meant to add I only had 2 chemo to highlight my tongue and lymph nodes. I should imagine it does pick up onto other cancers if they are present at the time. 

markmac said:

Ok so does that mean that the chemo and radiation that people have before their post treatment scan didn’t rid of all the cancer in the body?   I thought it would 

Different cancers respond to different types of chemotherapy 

Cisplatin is commonly used in head and neck cancer. It’s not very effective on its own. It’s used to make the cancer more sensitive to the radiation