Gettin' one tomorrow. I hate this crap. Have to take a whole day off to drive to Seattle. It better come back clean!!! I've got stuff to do!! Erik

What's involved in a pet scan. I will be having one in 4-6 months. I've had a CT scan. Are they any different than that other than I think a PET is inside a tube like an MRI instead of the ring like the CT? Right?

It's just like the ct only if they do the full body scan it takes longer.

It's quite different in that the CT part of it allows geometric registration fusion with the PET hot spots dramatically enhancing the accuracy of the scan.

I was wondering more about how they administer the test. Doc has explained how it works - but wondering if there would be another IV injection or if it is a drink you take the night before etc... I'm a bit needle phobic and hate IV's. I almost passed out when they did the IV for the resection.

It's typically done with a IV but a smaller one then the ones they use for chemo. Just take a Zanax and a vicodin if you have too - that's what I did. It really wasn't any big deal. It is a rather long scan however. I slept through it.

It takes a while because after the injection you have to wait 20 minutes (or was it longer?) and you have to be lying down and not moving while you wait (which is why it seems like longer). If you are needle phobic (I am), you learn really quickly in the cancer battle to NOT LOOK AT the needles.

I was having pretty bad mouth pain still when they did my PET and I took an extra dose of painkiller before we started. I ended up dozing through much of it, though it was a little wierd because the whole thing was done in the interior of a truck trailer that was attached to the hospital and it was pretty tight quarters......

Nelie

Erik,
It will be clean.
I chanted that all day for you, lol!
Let us know,
Minnie

Positron Emission Tomography PET is different from a Computed or computer assisted Tomography CT/CAT Scan dramatically. PET is accomplished by administering Glucose (IV Drip) and then injecting a radioactive isotope. You are then left in a darkened room for one hour for the isotope to reach cellular level. they then take you to a CT scanner or a new faster 32 slice CT, the total body scan lasts about 1 hour. When the scan is read the cancer cells light up due to the fact that cancer cells (mutant cells)metabolize sugars differently than healthy cells.
But, let me stress, that it takes a highly trained individual to read a PET scan, there are a LOT of false positives, especially when dealing with lymphatic tissue.
They are a priceless tool for detecting early stage tumors but are vague with metastatic lymphatic disease.
Darrell

Nelie - that is so weird that you said your PET scan was done in the interior of a truck trailer that was attached to the hospital - is this a standard for PET scan equipment? because when my husband had his done, it was the same exact set up. I couldn't go back with him because there wasn't room, and my husband said it was really cold in there because it was in a trailer attached to the hospital and it was a very cold day.
Michele

Not weird at all- many hospitals timeshare this kind of major capital equipment and rotate it to different locations according to their schedules.

My original response stands to Amy's question. It's a similar table, similar looking machines, etc. The physics behind the two scans are very different, for sure. My scan today was from top of head to just above knees. 1 Ativan chilled my ass out, 2 quarts of barium phosphate solution w/pina colada twist. Injection of some isotope via IV. About 45 minute nap in the dark. Scan took about 35 minutes. Piece of cake! I get results tomorrow morning. Minnie I think I felt your chants when the Ativan kicked in!

I hope your results are negative for cancer or "hot spots"! Good luck and thanks for the info on what to expect for mine.

Sending "all clear" vibes, Erik!

Gary, I think that's exactly right about why this equipment is in a trailer. The hospital has two imaging facilities, one one each side of our small city, and I think another one at a facility in the next county over, and I suspect they rotate it.

Even if not, the hosppital is undergoing construction for expansion and has been very low on space anyway, because the construction temporarily closed off some space they had been using. So I didn' t think it was all that wierd. But I was glad it was a beautiful early fall day--not too hot or cold out-- when I went!

Hi --

Darrell mentioned the importance of getting an experienced reading of the PET/CT scan -- this is of course important for any scan -- if the radiologist is used to looking at a lot of head and neck cancer patients, there will be far fewer false positives. When Barry had his first PET/CT scan, we talked to the radiologist who does primarily HNC and brain cancers -- he said they get few false positives because lots and lots of experience has taught them what is cancer and what is inflammation, healing tissue or active tissue. That doesn't mean the rate is zero, however -- if they see something suspicious they might do an MRI, or if area is accessible, would do a biopsy. Or wait a month and re-scan.

Barry's first PET/CT showed no activity in area where he had the cancer but here was activity (that is, uptake of the radioisotope) associated with residual inflammation and some scarring in his right lung where he had the pneumonia, also in some muscle groups like the ones which move arms (they do the head/neck scan with arms at side, full-body scan with arms above head).

He was told to limit activity in the day before the scan, no food for 4 hours before. I have also seen directions (from other hospitals) to limit eating foods high in sugars for 24 hours. This is to get the body a bit glucose-starved so the labelled sugar will be absorbed. The nurse will do a blood-sugar reading beforehand. The label was given by IV -- first saline for hydration and then, the radioactive-labelled sugar injected into the IV tube. Once the isotope is injected, Barry was left in a darkened room for 45 minutes, NO talking, NO reading, no nothing which might involve muscle activity and which might compete for glucose.

The scans themselves took about 45 minutes to an hour. We got the results that day. Barry has another week after next (3 months) so naturally our fingers and toes are crossed until then!

Erik, hope your scan came through clean and wishing you the best!

Gail

My ENT, who has been my customer for like 10 years, called me this morning & was laughing because my scans wer'e all clear & he was relieved because he did not want me out of commission so I could continue to take care of his audio/video/home theater stuff! We had a good business relationship before dx, but since all this, we have become friends.

Congratulations to you and your family Erik!
Marica

I'm having my first PET next Tuesday (I'm 2 years since the end of radio), and it was handy that this discussion arose now. The CT scans haven't really shown why my parotid is enlarged, on the side of the tumour.

Gail, I haven't heard about reducing sugar intake prior, but it sounds quite logical...so no banana smoothies or fruit juice on Monday?

Not really looking forward to the PET, but I do want to know why I'm sore and swollen in that area. Anyone else had such a problem?

Cheers!

Tizz

Erik,
YOU ROCK!!! I'm SO happy for you, your wife and your girls. My third year chest Xray came back clean so we're celebrating ourselves. The results came in the mail, believe it or not. Didn't even know what I was opening. Did a hoopty dance when I read it!
Isn't life Grand??
Love,
Minnie

Erik,

Congratulations! Always good to hear such great news. Wishing you many more in the future.

Give the mailman a peck on the cheek for me, Minnie and congratulations to you, too.

Ed

Hey Minnie! That's AWSOME! Life is grand I do believe! I did not think that the thought of the scan coming up was bothering me, but my wife says I've been like a little kid since the news! I've actually put a couple more pounds on this week!