PET Scan/MRI

[dg39]

Does anyone know which test is more accurate for cancer, PET Scan or an MRI.

I don't want to know to much information, as then I just sit home and worry.

TIA
denise

 

[Purrrrfecta]

I think it depends on the organ or part of the body where they are looking. I heard that the PET scan is more accurate for lungs. What organ or what part of the body are you having scanned?

 

[dg39]

Thanks for answering me. I had a PET scan for my entire body and the results came back great. From what I understand they checked every organ, nook and cranny in me. The breast cancer hasn't spread to any where else in my body. But, now the dr. wants an mri also. She says that there is a spot on my left thigh that she doesn't know what it is.

She says that she doesn't believe its bone cancer . Its just that spot that showed up on the PET Scan. So now she just wants an mri of my left thigh. She even asked me if I had an injury to that thigh. I don't remember having one.

In any event I go on Monday morn. for a thigh mri and I'm praying that its one of those things with no explanation and it's nothing to do with any additional cancer.

TIA,
denise

 

[Chesire]

nm ... glad you got an answer!

 

[hlbtimes2]

For my mom, the PET scan was the better of the two. She had esophageal and lung cancer (two different primary cancers). The PET scan "lights up" the cancerous cells and makes them easier to see.

 

[feenie]

Pet scans don't show smaller malignancys, so tumors that are too small don't show up.
But usually you do a PET/CT scan, and the smaller nodules show on the CTs

 

[PADISFAM]

http://www.springboard4health.com/breaking_news/scans.html

CT Scan, MRI and PET Scans…What are the differences?
CT, MRI and PET scans are all diagnostic tools to non-invasively (non-surgically) look inside the body.

CT (computerized tomography) uses a sophisticated X ray machine combined with a computer to create a detailed picture of the body’s tissues and structure.

MRI uses a magnetic field from super-cooled magnets and can often distinguish more accurately between healthy and diseased tissue. A contrast agent is usually used. MRI can provide pictures from various angles and construct a three dimensional image.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans measure emissions from positron-emitting molecules. Because many useful, common elements have positron emitting forms (carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen), valuable functional information can be obtained. This is the main difference between the CT and MRI scans. The PET shows molecular function and activity not structure, and therefore can often differentiate between normal and abnormal (cancerous / tumor) or live versus dead tissue. PET also can product three dimensional images, and is usually used to compliment rather than replace the information obtained from CT or MRI scans.

 

[dg39]

Thankyou all for answering....


denise