Question about full body scans

[stand4hope]

Did most of you get full body scans when you were first diagnosed? or Did your doctors wait to see if you had symptoms in other parts of your body. My husband initially had only headaches and no symptoms, other than weight loss. He didn't even have any chest or lung symptoms. They first discovered the brain mets with an MRI, and then they did the chest CT and found the lung tumor, but they didn't check any other part of his body. He is now complaining of back pain (area of ribs, same side as tumor). I've encouraged him to get it checked it out, but he is convinced it's from a pulled muscle, although he's had it now for more than two weeks. Did any of you get full body bone scans, etc.?

Thanks in advance,

God bless you all,

Peggy

[Jerrye]

I had a bone scan which would show activity in any bone after I had a PET scan. Bone mets can feel like a pulled muscle - it did in my sternum. Get you onc to order a bone scan to be safe. If you husband has not had a PET scan that would be a good idea too.

Jerrye

[Don Wood]

Lucie, my wife, has had full body scans at intervals because she had bone mets all over her body, and the onc wants to be sure he sees any spots early. Lucie has had sharp pain in her rib area several times and a scan showed tumor spot. Luckily, these have all gone away. Lucie's onc usually does an area scan of some type whenever she has acute pain consistently in an area, to be sure whether it is a tumor or not. Don

[Lyn]

Hi Peggy,

When my Mom was first diagnosed, the onc ordered a bone scan of her entire body to see if there were mets anywhere. She also had a cat scan of her lungs. I believe he wanted these tests to schedule the proper radiation and chemo treatments (plus staging). These were done before any radiation or chemo.

Lyn

[MO_Sugar]

I started with a chest x-ray, a CT scan, a broncoscopy, an MRI and then a Bone Scan. Since that time I have had chest x-rays and CT scans of the chest and abdomen every month.

God Bless,

MO

[Margaret]

Before any treatment, I had a chest X-ray, chest CT scan, bone scan, brain scan, PET and, because I had sought a second opinion, two bronchoscopies. I did not know what I should or shouldn't have, but it seems I got the full array of scans. I think it depends on where one is being treated, your oncologist and, in some cases, what your insurance will cover.

Margaret

[Guest bean_si (Not Active)]

I had a PET scan, brain scan, abdomen and full bone scan within days after the dx. I think it is more common to do those tests when the dx. is SCLC as it spreads so fast.

Because I've been having pain in my mid back for weeks and because the recent bone scan mentioned something (probably traumatic) at 6th rib, I did a lot of searches. I've found that you can have a bone bruise, sometimes just from a huge sneeze and that it can hurt quite a bit for months. Hopefully, that's what it is. The treatment is rest and many suggested cold packs to the area.

[Guest bean_si (Not Active)]

I meant to also say that it would be prudent for your husband to have a full bone scan just to r/o mets.

Cat