PET scan "worth it" ?

Hi,

Yesterday I was able to talk for the first time with an English man in the
cancer clinic (he was physically unable to talk until yesterday thanks to
radiation therapy for his esophageal cancer).

He showed me the results of his PET scan done at a Bangkok Hospital for
about 70K baht (about US $ 2011 if you use the exchange rate here in
Thailand which is higher [because of Thai central bank intervention] than
that available outside Thailand). Chiang Mai does not have PET scan
facility at present.

It was a very impressive document, and he received a CD with it containing,
I guess, all the scans in digital format.

He felt the PET scan was "worth it" in order to identify (according to him)
more clearly exactly where his cancer primary and secondary sites and lymph
node involvements were.

I would appreciate any comments on what criteria you would use to evaluate
whether a PET scan would be valuable in your treatment.

In my case bone scan, liver scan, and chest scan are all clear; there's no
sign yet of any metastases from my primary tumour site (T2N2 lower tongue,
some lymph node involvement).

thanks in advance for your time and comments !

Uncle Sally

"Uncle Sally" <uncleSally@auldUncleSally.com> wrote in message
news:QanRh.128189$8_1.55635@fe05.news.easynews.com ...
> Hi,
>
> Yesterday I was able to talk for the first time with an English man in the
> cancer clinic (he was physically unable to talk until yesterday thanks to
> radiation therapy for his esophageal cancer).
>
> He showed me the results of his PET scan done at a Bangkok Hospital for
> about 70K baht (about US $ 2011 if you use the exchange rate here in
> Thailand which is higher [because of Thai central bank intervention] than
> that available outside Thailand). Chiang Mai does not have PET scan
> facility at present.
>
> It was a very impressive document, and he received a CD with it
> containing,
> I guess, all the scans in digital format.
>
> He felt the PET scan was "worth it" in order to identify (according to
> him)
> more clearly exactly where his cancer primary and secondary sites and
> lymph
> node involvements were.
>
> I would appreciate any comments on what criteria you would use to evaluate
> whether a PET scan would be valuable in your treatment.
>
> In my case bone scan, liver scan, and chest scan are all clear; there's no
> sign yet of any metastases from my primary tumour site (T2N2 lower tongue,
> some lymph node involvement).
>
> thanks in advance for your time and comments !
>
> Uncle Sally
>
>

It's more useful in oesophageal cancer than H&N cancer because the lymph
nodes in the mediastinum ore often more difficult to see on CT than lymph
nodes in the neck. It is being used more and more in H&N cancer too, though.
Like every test, it isn't perfect

"Steph" wrote :

.... original post from Uncle Sally deleted for brevity ...

"It's more useful in oesophageal cancer than H&N cancer because the lymph
nodes in the mediastinum ore often more difficult to see on CT than lymph
nodes in the neck. It is being used more and more in H&N cancer too, though.
Like every test, it isn't perfect"

Thanks very much for this helpful and supportive response, Steph !

I will run the idea by my primary Onco-Doc Monday, though, in this case,
that will be like waiting for a Sphinx to speak

best, Uncle Sally