info on P.E.T. Scan?

[bumcat]

My dd is going to have a P.E.T. Scan. Has anyone ever had one of these and is there any discomfort? Thanks

[Dan Murphy]

I don't know of anyone who has had one, bumcat, but a quick look at this site does not indicate any unusual pain involved. I would imagine the normal amount of anxious anticipation though. My best for your daughter, bumcat.

http://www.epub.org.br/cm/n01/pet/pet.htm

[Sonya]

My mom is going to have one tomorrow. It will take 2 hours and she cannot eat for 6 hours before. But I think it's like a MRI- nothing to hurt you.

Good luck for your daughter.

[bumcat]

Thanks Dan and Sonya

From what I read it sounds similar to the mri. Good luck to your mom tomorrow.

[Sonya]

Thanks bumcat.

[December99]

My mom had a PET scan done back last October. I can tell you some about it. They inject you or you drink this fluid similar to an MRI (I don't know if it's similar in taste or not). The fluid then attaches to the glucoses in your body. Those glucoses then attach to areas and those areas will show up on the PET scan. This is a much newer scan but they are now concluding that it is becoming more and more accurate as they use it. It was first used for cancer diagnosis for colon cancers, lung cancers, etc. but was not very accurate. They are now determining that these can be more accurate than a spiral scan because it does attach to places and that is what shows up on the scan.

Can I be nosey and ask why she is having the scan??? If you have posted about this I'm sorry if I have missed it. It is not painful at all but like an MRI I believe she has to lay very still. The whole thing lasted a few hours and that included letting the liquid get through the body. I was not with her when she had this done, my brother was.

Please feel free to PM me if you need any more info.

[Towncrier]

Chris - Nice description. The only thing that I will add is that PET imaging shows "function" rather than anatomy. That is the major difference between an MRI or CAT scan and a PET scan. If you have any specific questions arout PET imaging, I'm sure that I could get answers from the engineers that I work with. We manufacture PET scanners where I work (as well as CT, MRI, and Nuclear Medicine Gamma cameras).

I'll keep your daughter in my thoughts and prayers.

[bumcat]

Thanks for the information. I just wanted to let her know what to expect.
December - she has cushings disease (she's 19) and they are looking for a tumor. Her dr. gave us 4 options and the p.e.t. scan was the best option. He believes the tumor is in the adrenal area.She already had an mri of the pituitary and that was negative. Her cortisol level is too high which is what has started this whole thing ( he rechecked it 4 times since May). He did let us know that it could be cancer. From what I am understanding trying to find the tumor is like trying to find a needle in a haystack!Cushings effects 10 out of 1 million, very rare. She took steroids yrs ago for asthma and that is probably what has caused this.

[December99]

I'm wishing her all the luck in the world!!!!! That is indeed how they found my moms "newer" tumors and that the cancer was out of remission in November. The doctor was for sure this probably wouldn't pinpoint anything but when it did, he was surprised! She was going to have another done the week that she died - I would have been interested in knowing if it was anywhere else but hopefully the autopsy will let us know. I asked back last July if this was a possibility but it still was too new and very costly...now more and more hospitals are getting them as they are seeing that they can be as reliable if not more reliable than a CT scan or an MRI (mom had had a CT scan done about every 6 weeks for 6 months before having the PET scan and they all showed clear and negative!!).

If this does show something, at least you will know and treatment can hopefully start!

Good luck and {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

[bumcat]

Thanks December and Towncrier,
On a positive note, she is feeling good and in her second yr of college. We just take one day at a time and hope and pray for the best.