I became sensitive to the iodine contrast with the CTscan over time,so now I can only have a PET Scan and/ or a full body bone scan or a MRI. I'm stage4 MBC with tumor markers numbers that get elevated when there's cancer growth going on. As of lately my oncologist has me getting PET scans every 2 months. I'm taking a fairly new treatment and I'm being monitored very closely. So every 2 or 3 months I get scans. I've been having them since my diagnosis in 2021. I can't tolerate a MRI scan,so I travel out of town to get an Open MRI. It's not as claustrophobic as the Tube.
In my experience the answer is no. I didn't start getting regular PET scans until after being diagnosed with breast cancer first and followed by endometrial cancer. When my endometrial cancer returned for the first time as a lump right under the incision scar from my hysterectomy I demanded a PET scan to see if the cancer had spread anywhere else. Ever since then I have been getting a PET scan every 3 months. My endometrial cancer, which returned 2 more times after that, and my 2nd round of breast cancer were all caught by PET scans.
Typically a PET scan will be done if there is reason to believe your cancer has returned locally or has metastacized to your bones or organs like you liver, lungs, brain, etc.
OK, good luck on your journey. I'm on this site sporadically, but do try to respond to posts that I can try to help with based on my own journey.
Ok thank you for info,, li keep you updated in my journey.
No, oncologists don't always perform PET scans. The type of imaging used depends on your specific situation and stage of breast cancer. PET scans are most commonly used when:
• Monitoring response to treatment in metastatic (stage 4) breast cancer
• Looking for potential spread to liver, lungs, or bones
• Checking if Show Full Answer