PET Scan After Treatment

[Neals Sister]

I was just wondering if anyone knows if it is normal to have a PET scan after High Dose Chemo? My brother just finished his 2nd round and he told the dr's that he doesn't want results until after the new year, so they scheduled him for a PET scan, CT scan and blood work on Jan 10/07. I just keep thinking that may be the dr's know something but aren't saying anything until after the PET scan.
Or may be this is just standard procedure just so nothing gets missed.
If anyone knows can you please shed some light on this topic.

Thanks,
Kim

[mercyriver]

I don't know what is considered standered for after high dose chemo, but we are waiting on approval for a PET/CT scan to confirm that the cancer has spread to his lymph nodes, so I have done quite a bit of reading on the PET/CT scan and they do seem to favor doing one to confirm sucess in treatment.

So I wouldn't worry so much they are not telling you something as much as they are just wanting to make sure the treatment worked.

Becki

[ndboondockid]

I don't know if it is common for high dose, but once I was done with my chemo, 3 BEP, they did a PET just to make sure that the chemo got everything.

[Hopeful]

I think it depends on where you got the HDC treatment done. Kevin (hubby) had HDC at Indiana and they didn't request a Pet Scan. A month after treatment, we went back for follow up appt and they just did blood work only. Kevin was 100% choriocarcinoma, so that cancer is mostly tracked with tumor markers.

I think it would depend on what type of testicular cancer he had. For Kevin's Pet Scan wasn't necessary after HDC, but for others it might be.

patti