@A MyBCTeam Member......There are different types of oncologists for all types of cancer. Some specialize in multiple types of cancer and others special in just one type of cancer. From what I've seen most breast cancer oncologists are also hematology oncologists. Then you have the radiation oncologists that specialize in radiation which deals with a variety of technologies as opposed to drugs like chemo and AIs. I think of the radiation oncologists as the techies of the cancer specialties. My radiation oncologist is so cute and funny because she gets all excited whenever the hospital gets a new radiation machine that she gets to use. She's like a kid with a new video game. Out of curiosity what kind of doctor is treating your cancer? Is it an oncologist or a primary care doctor? If it's a primary care doctor I would highly suggest you find yourself an oncologist as well.

A CT scan won't necessarily show cancer. With the PET scan they inject you through your chemo port or an IV with a radioactive sugar substance. Then they wait an hour for it to spread around your body and then they give you the PET scan. The radioactive sugar lights up on the scan in areas where you have active cancer because the cancer cells take up the sugar substance whereas healthy cells typically don't. If the cancer is a few cells it won't show on a scan. If it's really small it may not show up on the PET scan either, but in both cases cancer will show up when it's a bit bigger. One of my cancers that was found via PET scan was 5mm in size which would be 1/2 of a centimeter. For reference there are 2.54 cms in an inch so that 5mm tumor was equal to 1/5 of an inch in size. Mammograms and ultrasounds don't alway show all breast cancers. PET scans and MRIs are more likely to find cancers as they are higher resolution machines and provide far more detailed pictures than mammograms or ultrasounds. There is even a specialized MRI machine for breast cancer. Instead of laying on your back for the scan you lay on your stomach. There are openings in the machine where your breasts hang through and they are able to get really good detailed scans of your breasts from all different angles.

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A MyBCTea...

I didn't know that there is a specific cancer oncologist? But I suppose you are right but do you think a CT scan can be effective?

Don't be scared of the PET scans. I have them every 3 months since fall of 2021 when my endometrial cancer returned for the first time. The PET scans have found new cancer 3 times when they were still small in size. Yes, there is more radiation exposure than with a normal xray, but I think your doctor is being overly alarming. Better to have the PET scan and a little extra radiation than to have cancer return and remain undiagnosed until it is physically obvious like a lump or has a chance to spread elsewhere. For me my radiation oncologist is the one that orders my PET scans and corresponding blood tests as she is the expert in this arena. My breast and OBG oncologists do physical exams and the breast cancer oncologist supervises all the cancer drugs like chemo, AIs, and CDK inhibitor. Good luck to you ❤️

Wishing you the very best. Endless hugs!

Thank you Annette and Karen.

I hope your numbers go down too, Alice.

In all honesty it's a blessing and a curse having researched and learned everything I have about cancer. I, like all of us I think, yearn for the days when I was still healthy and fairly ignorant on the subject 🤯