Have you had a PET scan? I would describe it as one of the least invasive of advanced diagnostic tests; as long as you don’t mind getting an IV and spending half your day hanging around. For those of you that are unfamiliar with PETs, here’s a quick primer.
You can’t eat or drink anything except water after midnight. A tech starts an IV and injects you with radioactive glucose–not my breakfast of choice! You wait a couple of hours for an anticlimactic pass-through, lying in a large white tube similar to an MRI, but not as tight or noisy.
That’s it! A week from today I’ll learn if there were any “hot spots” on the films; glowing orbs of light that indicate there may be cancerous activity there.
My myeloma markers have been relatively stable, but my right hip has become more and more painful, so that could be a warning sight. As a bonus, a few rogue plasmacytomas might be lurking somewhere in my bone or muscle, but I’m not overly concerned.
I haven’t had one of these for over two years. My myeloma specialist, Dr. Melissa Alsina, ordered one as a precaution. I thought it was a good idea at the time. But right now my blood sugar is so low, the hunger gods might not agree!
I have been writing about Total Therapy and the Myeloma Institute in Arkansas a lot lately. My notes–and a lot of reader comment and debate–have centered on treatment philosophies. But I should have also pointed-out differences in testing protocols between TT and many other cancer centers as well. There is a significant difference in the way docs in Arkansas test and monitor their patients, and the direction my doctors and I have decided to go.
But the techs are ready to take me back for my scan so I’d better continue this tomorrow. Not a bad idea, because broaching technical topics after taking oxycodone on an empty stomach–while my blood sugar is so low–has left me feeling loopy. Nice! Maybe that’s why they keep checking everyone’s armbands so often; to keep teenagers from sneaking in, hanging out and getting high!
In the meantime, how ’bout sharing a little positive energy to help make any of those frightening, bright and glowing spots go away? But for now, no worries!
Feel good and keep smiling! Pat
March 7th, 2013 at 1:42 pm
Hi Pat!
I hope you get to eat soon. The most memorable thing about the PET scan for me is that I was allowed to read. When I have to wait, I typically pick up a book to keep myself from focusing on the procedure and in the case of PET praying, like you, that I do not light up like a Xmas tree on the film!
I asked the tech why I could not read and he said that it could distort the test, since it is based on the metabolism of glucose and that muscle tissue uses glucose when active. the radioisotope is taken up by metabolically active cells. Which means he also requested that I remain relatively still. I followed his advice.
Hoping that you have great SUV values and that the hip ache is only arthritis.
March 7th, 2013 at 1:48 pm
Hearing from Myeloma Cinderella always makes my day!
March 7th, 2013 at 6:59 pm
Hi Pat,
Eva here from Scotland. I’ve had a few petscans. Unfortunately I’m very claustrophobic. I take quite a bit of valium to almost knock myself out. Then after the radioactive glucose has penetrated my innards, an assistant comes and puts a small towel on my eyes. I’m like a horse that’s had its eyes covered. Then I’m led in to where the petscan machine is, and helped to lie down. When it’s over, my husband walks me to a very cheap Hare Krishna restaurant nearby which has wonderful food. I eat in my stuporous state, still enjoying it. I’m not normally a vegetarian.
Good luck with your test.
March 7th, 2013 at 7:35 pm
I forgot how long one needs to stay “in the tube” for a PET. 20 minutes upper body, 14 minutes legs. Not as tight or noisy as MRI, but I had to “talk myself down” once or twice before a bit of panic set in…
March 11th, 2013 at 7:34 pm
Pat -
As you note, testing at UAMS is indeed aggressive. During therapy, PETs are done as follows:
* Before commencing any therapy (this is baseline)
* After one week (biological changes in response to the first doses of therapy have been shown to correspond to treatment outcome, so this is an early read on effectiveness)
* Before transplant 1
* Before transplant 2
* After transplant 2
* Annually thereafter
Throw in an extra one that I had for initial testing before I decided to start treatment and I think I’ve had close to ten of these things in the last four years. I have another coming up next week.
I find them pretty painless and the surface area of the “donut” through which you pass isn’t enough to make me claustrophobic at all. The biggest deal for me is the pricked finger for the glucose.
I’ve got a port so I have them access it for the bloodwork, thus the radioactive die can just be administered that way rather than via IV. For those with a port, don’t accept lab techs that say they can’t use a central line for this — of course they can. They just need to flush it with a saline to get the die out of it when they are done.
One thing that would have been helpful for me to know before, say, the 9th one that I had is that unlike an MRI, you can listen to an iPod. So pop in your favorite album and drift off. It’ll be over before you know it.
March 11th, 2013 at 11:32 pm
I always thought you were a “tough guy,” Nick! A port? HA! PET scan is a lot easier to take than 45 minutes in that tight, noisy high tech MRI tunnel. I need an Ativan and a beer before I do that one!