Reading scans is definitely an "art" -- the radiologist who reads the Hopkins ones is an expert on HNC and also on brain cancers -- our ENT says unless you get someone like that who sees lots and lots of these, so he/she can learn what is serious and what is not, then the scan is not worth doing. It is just more apt to produce angst (as Gary says) on part of both patient and doctor.

I wouldn't go to a community radiology center where most of what they do is general stuff for a post-treatment PET or MRI...and just because it a CCC doesn't necessaily mean the radiologist sees 100s of HNC scans, either, if they don't have that many oral cancer patients.

But physical exams can miss stuff as well -- so that is why so much research is ongoing for new biomarkers for all sorts of cancer, some of which is promising but none ready for prime time yet...

Gail