although PET scans are supposed to be the most definitive diagnostic tool for cancer, scan results can include multiple false negatives AND positives. I was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer in 2002. Lumpectomy, revision of lumpectomy, 4 mos of chemo, and completed half of radiation treatments before developed lymphedema and subsequently stopped the radiation. Started Tamoxifen - made me very sick after just a few doses so I stopped taking it; tried Arimidex with same result. Went 5 years with negative mammograms and breast exams. Last fall found multiple very small nodules in my lungs on CAT scan for an entirely different problem. Oncologist felt they were most likely benign, something other than cancer, but we did the PET scan anyway. Based on inconclusive results of PET scan my doc said he was positive that it was not metastatsis, I should not worry, we would rescan in 4 months just to make sure, and I could get a 2nd opinion if I wanted.
Got that 2nd opinion, many more tests, and surgical biopsy/removal of one of the pulmonary nodules. Guess what - metastatic breast cancer, stage IV. The PET scan was wrong - had I not sought 2nd opinion would have been at least another 4 months allowing the cancer to grow unchecked.
PET scans can also have false positives - areas of infection and inflammation can produce the same lighting up effect that the dye gets from tumors. Many people have had biopsies based on PET scan results just to find that they have an infection or inflammatory process instead of cancer or even a benign tumor. Good news to get, but expensive and painful and SCARY process.
The moral of my story: at the very least I would ask the dr to explain the metabolically active nodes, and why he didn't tell you about them. You have a right to know ALL that is revealed by tests, regardless of whether the dr thinks it is important or not. If you do not get a satisfactory answer from your dr, seek a 2nd opinion. Even if you do get a decent answer but still have concerns, seek a 2nd opinion. Your life is too valuable to risk just because some guy or gal chooses to make light of your concerns, and as was the case with my oncologist (whom I really like and actually is a heck of a nice guy) is caring enough but wrong: doctors can and do make mistakes.
The good news is that even though treatment with Herceptin takes longer and may be scary, statistical results are showing that it is a much more effective treatment than any other chemotherapeutic or anti-estrogen or estrogen-blocking drug currently on the market.
You might want to take a look at Ty Bollinger's book Cancer: Step Outside the Box. Available on the internet, and if you can't afford it, send Ty an email and he will send you a copy of the e-book for free, no strings attached. The book is A real eye opener about cancer treatment and big pharmaceutical companies. Also has many helpful suggestions and references for natural cancer treatments, ALL of which have much higher success rates than traditional surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
Be pro-active for yourself - if you aren't, no one else will be either!
.On 6/1/2008 kah49 wrote:
Hi, I am new to this, but I was wondering if I could find answers here. I was diagnosed with invasive lobular breast cancer in Nov, 07, and it had spread to my lymph nodes. I had a mastectomy, had full body PET scan and was told that everything was normal. I have just completed chemo and about to start radiation. I was also diagnosed as HER2+ and have started the Herceptin. My question is, I got copies of some of my test results, and the report on my PET scan says that it is abnormal. There are 3 "metabolically active nodes" in and around the area of my mastectomy. My dr has not mentioned them and I was wondering if this means cancer or can it be something else? It will be 2 more weeks before I see the dr again and it's got me a little worried. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.