Ok so i was told 10 days ago by the oncologist that the biopsy they took is cancer and he has said stage 2. They told me I will be referred for an MRI to be able to see exactly what’s going on. Also told ill probably be waiting about 4 weeks or more due to Christmas. I just got a call to from the Hospital im being referred to and will be treated in, that i am being scheduled for a PET scan. It was the admin team so I couldnt ask much but mentioned to her it should be an Mri and she said only a PET scan has been requested. Still no date given. Can anyone give any clarity on why they would choose to do a PET scan first?
Hey @Sarah1987
Sorry you find yourself in this situation.
It’s good that they are doing a PET scan, and most of us have one pre treatment plan, this will show them if there is any spread.
An MRI will just show the tumour growth but a PET scan will light up cancer cells around the body so they can make sure they can plan the best treatment plan for you.
Amy xx
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Hi @Akj
Thanks for replying. That puts my mind at ease a little. Ive called my “go to person” in the hospital and left a voicemail just for clarity but god knows when I’ll hear back. Appreciate you replying xx
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Hiya Sarah, the PET scan shows how all the cells are behaving & whether there’s spread. My consultant likened it to “any cells that are misbehaving anywhere light up like a Christmas tree”. They picked up lymph node involvement on mine but that it was contained in the pelvis & nowhere else, that didn’t show on the MRI. Sounds silly, but even though they told me it was restaged, the relief from knowing it was nowhere else was unreal. From that I had to have a nuclear kidney test & then a planning CT scan. I got quite upset about all the scans & no start date so told them my worries & they said the lag makes no difference, if it did then it would be different conversations and plans. It’s more important that they have everything in place precisely to deliver the treatment in the right place.
Sorry for the long reply, I know how stressful the waiting is in between when all you want is to get started & start treatment, but trust what they tell you, they wouldn’t let time in between change their plan of action. Please get in touch if you need to, I’m just finishing up week 1 of treatment so happy to chat as you move through the next few weeks. Sending hugs xxxx
