Metastatic Cancer Tests

I also had it about a week after the sentinel lymph node biopsy was positive with cancer. Wow! Those early days are such a blur! Looking at my calendar, I see that I had a PET/CT about a week after my surgery and about two weeks before I began chemo. A few cancer cells had been found in my lymph nodes, and my doctors wanted to see whether my cancer had spread to other, more distant parts of my body, like my liver or bones.

In my case, the PET/CT showed a lesion on my liver that was thought to be a possible metastatic deposit. I was very upset. It seemed as if every time I’d gone to the doctor, I’d gotten more bad news. A month earlier, I had been a seemingly healthy woman in the prime of her life. Now I might be facing metastatic cancer.

Since the lesion on my liver was in an area that was difficult to biopsy without major abdominal surgery, an MRI was ordered to examine it in greater detail.

Then a liver specialist looked at all the images, and he said he was absolutely certain the lesion was a hemangioma, a harmless cluster of blood vessels—like a birthmark—that many people have. He said that after I had completed chemotherapy, I should have another MRI to see whether the lesion had changed. If it had shrunk, it was indeed cancer and the chemo had been effective in reducing its size. If it had grown, it was cancer but the chemo had failed to treat it. If it stayed the same size, it was not cancer.

Fortunately, the lesion stayed the same size. The liver specialist was right. It was a harmless hemangioma.

Many surgical oncologists will make sure the melanoma has not spread elsewehere in the body by doing several scans. The most widely used is the PET/CT scan for checking everything (except the brain) including the lungs, liver, and bones - all places to which the melanoma could spread. The brain is often scanned with either a CT scan or MRI - unfortunately the brain is one place to which the melanoma can metastasize. Some oncologists are more selective, only scanning the patients with more extensive melanoma - either very thick (>4mm) , thinner (>2mm) with ulceration, or those with lymph node spread. Many surgical oncologists will make sure the melanoma has not spread elsewehere in the body by doing several scans. The most widely used is the PET/CT scan for checking everything (except the brain) including the lungs, liver, and bones - all places to which the melanoma could spread. The brain is often scanned with either a CT scan or MRI - unfortunately the brain is one place to which the melanoma can metastasize. Some oncologists are more selective, only scanning the patients with more extensive melanoma - either very thick (>4mm) , thinner (>2mm) with ulceration, or those with lymph node spread.

The tests that generally used to determine is lung cancer has travelled to other parts of the body (metastasized) is either a CT scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis or more commonly a PET scan. A PET scan in a cancer scan of the whole body that picks up tumor growth. Generally, a PET scan is considered the standard of care for patients in the initial workup of their cancer. However, if a patient has already been diagnosed and treated, either a CT scan of chest/abdomen/pelvis or a PET scan can be used. Finally, a brain MRI is generally done as well to make sure the cancer has not moved to the brain. The tests that generally used to determine is lung cancer has travelled to other parts of the body (metastasized) is either a CT scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis or more commonly a PET scan. A PET scan in a cancer scan of the whole body that picks up tumor growth. Generally, a PET scan is considered the standard of care for patients in the initial workup of their cancer. However, if a patient has already been diagnosed and treated, either a CT scan of chest/abdomen/pelvis or a PET scan can be used. Finally, a brain MRI is generally done as well to make sure the cancer has not moved to the brain.