PET Scan
Hi
I am wondering at what point will the oncologist order a PET scan. Is it mostly for patients with a high risk or symptoms of other issues? Or can I request one just to be sure that I am "all good"? Just anxious to see if I have or not have any other thing going on. I have a diagnostic mammogram and MRI coming up in September as part of my maintences reviews. But I been hearing a lot on PET scans. Just wondering about it.
Thanks
Comments
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zen,
This is an area where oncologists take different approaches. PET scans are wildly expensive and expose you to radiation. Since only a small percentage of patients are metastatic de novo, about 6%, it’s a very costly dose of radiation that turns out to be negative in a very big way*. That being said, some mo’s do order them but I am not sure what their criteria is. Unfortunately, in the US at least, one’s medical insurance may play a part in this.
My medical group does not do PET scans routinely but if I have any pain/symptoms, will order one.
*Your signature line is not public so I am not sure if you’re asking about a PET after an initial dx or simply a follow up to an earlier dx and tx.0 -
Thanks. I am wondering about it as a method to give us a clean bill of health, post the standard treatments of surgery, chemo/radiation. Like we got what we saw, now lets use other tests to confirm we got it all and there are no other issues noted. If there was a good liquid biopsy, like blood test, then that would be great. As we don't have a good one, then a PET and maybe an MRI could be used instead. Just wondering on that.
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Again, PET scans are outrageously expensive and expose you to radiation. In the absence of symptoms, it doesn’t make a lot of sense with respect to your health nor financially (the sad reality is that money does play a part in the care you receive). If there is no reason to suspect metastasis, it just becomes an expensive way to have a look which turns up nothing the vast majority of the time. That being said, some mo’s do PET scanning on lower stage patients with some regularity. I am going to assume that they know the patients insurance will cover it, though I could be wrong. Most importantly, just remember to contact your mo if you have any pain/symptoms for two weeks or more. This will generally trigger a scan that most insurers will cover. Unfortunately, there is no blood work or simpler, cheaper non-radiation involved tools that can be reliably used . MRI’s are generally not the preferred tool for bc metastasis. Not to belabor the point but PET scans as a routine screening tool for patients who are not stage IV (we do get them routinely) don’t turn up any actionable results most of the time and cost a fortune, therefore the expense is hard to justify as well as the unnecessary radiation exposure.
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Since I keep mentioning the cost of a PET, here is some info on that. It is from 2021 so I imagine the price has only gone up.
How Much Does a PET Scan Cost?
Tripment Health TeamDecember 06, 2021
PET scan average costs
Like other diagnostic tests, PET scans vary in price from state to state. The list below includes the general national price averages for each procedure.
Procedure
National Price Range
Whole Body
$3,000 - $12,000
Heart
$2,800 - $24,200
Brain
$2,200 - $10,700
Skull to Mid-thigh
$3,200 - $12,000
Chest to Neck
$3,000 - $10,700
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Thank you for the numbers exbrnxgrl. I get that with insurances, everything is about cost. I am going to discuss this with my MO see what his take on this could be when I see him next. I am just being paranoid and a little exacerbated that there is no way to see if I am really "ok" for now.
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I think speaking with your mo about it is an excellent idea! Unfortunately, there is never any real way to guarantee or predict who will be ok. Though recurrence rates, local and metastatic, are higher than most people realize, the majority of those treated for early stage bc don’t recur. I don’t know how recently you finished treatment or exactly how far from your dx you are, but your anxiety is common if you have recently finished tx. If you make your signature line public, people will be able to see the details of your unique diagnosis.
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I've had two PET scans as follow-up to questionable CTs due to a different cancer. Something that lit up on the CT also lit up on the PET, so I had to get a biopsy, which was benign. So neither scan type is infallable.
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Thank you. I will be seeing my MO in June (if nothing else comes up by then). Will bring up the PET scan question along with the lung cancer screening question on what he thinks.
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zen,
Sounds like a plan! Thanks for making your dx l8ne public as it helps to understand your situation when people respond to your comments. One small question…do you have IDC or an in situ cancer, possibly DCIS? IDC is invasive, not in situ so that’s why I’m asking. It’s possible to have both but any tx for IDC also takes care of an in situ component. Take care
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