CT-SCAN & PET SCAN — Part 1
Jul 23, 2017 · 2 min read
Most cancers are not detectable early on, the reason being they are meant to be that way. In my case for example I may have had follicular lymphoma for years untill they became aggressive B-Cell Lymphoma.
In this post I will jot down the typical flow of things- B-Cell Lymphoma specific
- Lump in your groin, under the arm pits, near the tonsils — Go to your GP immediately.
- GP will typically advise you to an ultrasound — If a large non-echoic mass will lead to Biopsy
- Biopsy — They will take a sliver of tissue, there are 2 types; one in which they use a needle and the other where they use a gun to extract a tissue sample. Biopsy can be error prone, and you may get a second opinion if you can. Biopsy will typically move the pendulum one way or the other. One way if that one may have cancer.
- Bunch of blood test including LDH — A high lactate may indicate cancer but it is not definitive.
- CT-Scan — Is a snapshot status of your health, it tells you the state of the body and are there any lumps in your body; alongwith the size of your lungs, heart, kidney and spleen. Time : 25 minutes, Fasting for 12 hours.
- PET SCAN — this is pretty costly as well sensitive test. You would need to get pre-authorization from your insurance company before you get to this. This can cause delays but it is a must have for your staging. Be prepared to call and expedite. Before the test,You need to have a low carb ( or zero carb diet) for 24 hours. Drink 3–4 glasses (250ml) water 3–4 hours before the test. The test typically takes around 1:45 minutes ( GIGO : Getting In Getting Out). You would be injected with radioactive glucose and will be left resting for about an hour for the glucose to spread through the entire body. The test typically takes 20–25 minutes. You would be advised to drink loads of water post the test and stay away from kids/pregnant women as you still emit radtiation for about 6 hours . The guidance is vague post that but to be safe stay out of close contacts with kids/pregnant women for about 18–24 hours. The results are available within a day.
- Bone marrow biospy and Medi Port placement — Bone marrow biopsy typically rounds the staging tests. This test is done under local anasthesia and mild sedation. I will undergo it next week ( Week of Feb 27th ).
