 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,384 Likes: 1 | PET scans are prone to show areas of rapid healing process, infection and sometimes for reasons as yet unknown (besides cancer). The rate of false positives causes many to suffer from unfounded fear and sometimes additional treatment that is not necessary. It is sometimes tough to comprehend why less is more with regard to advanced scan technologies. Trust that your medical team knows their stuff. As you have read many of us have never had any post treatment scan. I do not believe we are a minority either. Sometimes it might simply be what kind of insurance we have for coverage. Pet scans are way too new to know whether they help cause better survival or not.
Sometimes not knowing is a blessing.
Mark, 21 Year survivor, SCC right tonsil, 3 nodes positive, one with extra-capsular spread. I never asked what stage (would have scared me anyway) Right side tonsillectomy, radical neck dissection right side, maximum radiation to both sides, no chemo, no PEG, age 40 when diagnosed.
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