P.E.T. Scan Info / Experiences ?

[ALCapshaw2]

Has anyone one this board had a P.E.T. Scan ?

That's short for Positron Emission Tomography.
I gather that's some sort of medically induced stress and imaging test to look for poor circulation to the heart muscles.

Basically, I'd like to know more about the 'experience', especially first hand knowledge, and the 'RISKS'.

Need to know before Monday morning.

'AL'

 

[LUVMyBirman]

P.E.T scan saved my husbands life 3 years ago. He was admitted to the hospital with a severe case of food poisoning. At the time they "thought" it was accute pancreatitis. They ran him though the P.E.T and found a cancerous tumor contained to the kidney. Rare finding in a younger man indeed. Marty once told me the P.E.T in an older technology that is coming back into play because of it's accuracy. I would not hesitate to have one if needed.

 

[Harpoon]

It's about the same kind of a thing as a CAT scan or MRI, just different physics principles at play that give a different type of imaging for the doctors.

As far as the patient is concerned, it's about the same. You lay flat on a table that gets slid into a big machine and you lay their for a while listening to elevator music unless you brought some CD's for yourself....


I THINK I've had one or two, I can't remember. I've definitely had CAT and MRI scans. I spent almost two hours in an MRI scanner...

 

[tommy]

I had a PET scan last September, 1year following melanoma excision. Lying still for several hours was very boring. Fortunately the technician had a boom box and allowed me to choose the radio station. Wish I'd known, I would have brought some of my CD's. Oh well.

Definitely, do some stretching before hand (and after).

My results were "negavtive" by the way.

 

[Marty]

PET imaging is the fastest growing modality in radiology. It goes beyond simply locating tumor masses but also shows their physiologic activity. It is more and more useful in diagnosing and following cancer patients. My group has just purchased a "hybrid" machine that can do a CT scan and a PET scan at one time.I have not heard of any reactions or side effects from the injections for the test. The most common injection is sugar labeled with the positron emitter F18. Do not be afraid to have this test and as Gina said it may supply critical information. While the test is not risky, it can be tedious and you may have to stay in the scanner 2 or 3 hours.In our practise we have little experience with referrals for heart disease. However more and more cardiologists are reported to use PET to diagnose damaged heart muscle. Dead or anemic heart muscle will not pick up the F18 glucose.This information can help the cardiologist or surgeon plan angioplasty or OHS.

 

[KimC]

AL,

For what it's worth, I was told by a non-medical professional that PET scans were more accurate in detecting myocardial perfusion defects in smaller hearts, i.e., women.

Best regards,

 

[KimC]

P.s.

P.s.

AL,

Reserve all judgment of my spouse who has the following burning question ...

Have you've ever seen the "Chicken Cannon Test" in Huntsville? (He used to work for PPG and was fortunate enough to witness it).

Cheers,

 

[sylviayasgur]

thanks for this explanation...

thanks for this explanation...

hi all!
i haven't been around much lately_ too much going on in our lives...
joey's dad, 86, who swam 75 laps every day in his pool, suddenly got very tired about 3 weeks ago.
we've been on a mission to figure this out. he has hypercalcemia as a result of some sort of tumor or mass (cancer). they haven't been able to find the exact location of this malignancy and just did a pet scan.
it's been a long haul, since they live a mile away from us and joey's sisters don't live quite as close. so it seems we are the ones who are always "on call"_ it's a good thing i love them!!!! it's been so difficult, as many of you know.
i miss you all and hope you are all well. in the meantime, i will be back as soon as we get over this "hump", that is, hoping we'll get past this.
it's so sad to see him wither away with each new day_ he is so weak and tired.
please know that i think of each and every one of you each day.
sending you my hugs, sylvia

 

[epstns]

Sylvia, You and Joey have my heartfelt sympathy. I know what you are going through -- with the mass, the uncertainty, being the closest by and watching a loved one deteriorate. One of the symptoms my mom had when her renal cancer took over way hypercalcemia. They never did get it under control. I pray for a better outcome for Joey's dad.

If you or Joey want to talk, PM me and we can hook up on the phone.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

All for naught...my insurance doesn't yet cover PET scans so I ended up having a standard Cardiolite Stress Test. I did get a little more info on how they do the stress portion of the PET scan, injecting 'Persantin(sp?)' to artificially stress the heart while taking images.

Kim - Re: "The Chicken Cannon Test"

It didn't register with me until you mentioned PPG.

I know a retired PPG employee who told me a story about the Chicken Cannon Test and a British(?) group who was using it to test some of their airplane canopies. It seems they kept breaking their canopies which was causing a lot of concern, until the PPG representative asked them if they DEFROSTED the Chicken BEFORE FIRING
That should get a from your husband !

'AL'

 

[KimC]

Slyvia, my prayers are with you and your family. I'm in DisneyWorld w/ my dad who just turned 68, and for the first time, I think he looks tired. It breaks my heart!

AL, YES, YES, YES! My husband is laughing! Thanks.

 

[Anne-Marie]

I had a Persantine Rubidium PET scan last year. Apparently, it can distinguish between dead tissue and what is called hybernating tissue.

There were two parts to the test. The first part was a regular PET scan testing blood perfusion as well as scanning for scar tissue. The second part, the heart is stressed by giving persantine through a vein and blood flow is assessed.

When I had the stress portion, I felt warm all over, my scalp tingled and my legs felt heavy. I also had an awful headache afterwards. They reverse the symptoms with the drug aminophylline.

I have very small veins and the persantine really burns. The had to have two IVs going. One for the persantine, the other for the rubidium (the tracer they use). They can't be given through the same line. You'll also have the usual ecg lines hooked up. The PET unit I was in was dark and quiet and they did try to make me as comfortable as possible.

I was also told that the amount of radiation received from the rubidium is equivalent to the amount a person would receive naturally just by living in Ontario for three years.

I can't remember much else from the procedure. Good luck!

 

[Georgia]

Sylvia, I'm sorry to hear about Joey's dad. I was one of the lucky ones. My mom got tired last year (she's 80); she was really anemic; they did some imaging and found a nasty mass in her stomach.

(pause for Christmas. Everyone tiptoe-ing around pretending there's nothing wrong)

Did another imaging, nothing there! Apparently there was bad film? a glob on the lens? Whatever? during the first imaging session (I don't remember which was which). But we thought she had stomach cancer for about a month, when she had NOTHING.

The anemia was rectified with iron and they just watch her now.

That's the good story. I hope Joey's dad has an equally benign result. Good luck - you're all in our prayers.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Anne-Marie -

THANKS for the detailed description of the Pet Scan Experience. It doesn't sound like a FUN test

How long did it take for the headache to go away?
Did the 'reversal' help to minimize the head / body discomfort?



'AL'

 

[Anne-Marie]

Al,

The headache lasted until I got home and took a nap. The other symptoms disappeared within minutes of the reversal drug, heart rate returned to normal and the pounding stopped. I also recall my hand really hurt (the hand the drug was injected into) mostly a cramping feeling, but very uncomfortable. The technicians told me that some people have absolutely no symptoms at all. They said the man just before me fell asleep during the test and felt nothing.

My scan showed scar tissue on the front wall of the heart. Since my heart cath was normal, they thought that the scarring may have been an old injury from having radiation to the chest. I mention that because I know you also have a history of hodgkin's and radiation treatment as well.