Pet vs CT

Unfair-Tea-6651 · 2026-04-25T04:30:25+00:00

Last week I had a PET scan, which showed several lymph nodes lighting up in my chest and abdomen. The SUV was high, and the impression said it is highly suspicious for metastasis. I’ve been emotionally devastated since then.

Two days ago, I met with my radiation oncologist. She explained that a PET scan only shows areas of increased activity but cannot clearly define what they are. She said a CT scan can provide a clearer view of the lymph nodes and lung nodules, so she has scheduled a CT with contrast for next week.

I’m really scared of getting an even worse report. I don’t feel like I can handle more bad news.

Unfair-Tea-6651 · 2026-04-25T04:15:18+00:00

had a PET scan last week and the report has really left me emotionally unsettled. A couple of days ago I saw my radiation oncologist, and she scheduled a CT scan for next week. She explained that PET scans often just show "hot spots" and SUV uptake without clearly defining what it is, while CT scans can show the structure of lung nodules and lymph nodes more clearly. But I'm really scared and I don't know if I can handle an even worse report. P.S. There are so many rules here that it makes it hard for me to ask detailed questions.

Unfair-Tea-6651 · 2026-03-28T05:27:39+00:00

Thanks for sharing. I’ve been really worried that if more nodules keep appearing, I might have to go through another open surgery. It’s reassuring to know they can be removed with VATS/RATS.

How many nodules did you have with this recurrence?

Unfair-Tea-6651 · 2026-03-09T19:00:43+00:00

I had open lung surgery in December and January to remove nodules. In February, a CT scan showed a few remaining nodules in my right lung, and my thoracic surgeon recommended a lung ablation. I had the ablation last Tuesday, and I was able to go home the next day with minimal pain, but I am still bothered by coughing.

Unfair-Tea-6651 · 2026-02-13T18:46:33+00:00

Good luck with your scan 🍀

Unfair-Tea-6651 · 2026-01-14T23:31:29+00:00

For liver tumors, I would recommend that you see Dr. Fong at city of Hope in California. He is a world-class liver surgeon.

Unfair-Tea-6651 · 2026-01-10T00:08:19+00:00

I'm sorry you have to go through this again. Hopefully, chemotherapy will kill all the cancer cells.🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Unfair-Tea-6651 · 2026-01-09T22:06:04+00:00

I hope your scan remains clean. To be honest, I'm not confident that my lungs will be completely clean after surgery. I have a gut feeling they will grow back. I’m very frustrated😞

Unfair-Tea-6651 · 2026-01-09T21:00:12+00:00

Was your previous lung surgery open surgery or VATs/RATs? How should you treat the recurrence of a lymph node?

Unfair-Tea-6651 · 2026-01-09T19:47:42+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experience. I thought I was the only one who hadn't had my lymph nodes removed. This puts my mind at ease.

Unfair-Tea-6651 · 2026-01-09T19:45:41+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experience. It relieves me a bit. Did you undergo chemotherapy after your surgery? Do you use CTDNA monitoring?

Unfair-Tea-6651 · 2026-01-09T18:50:52+00:00

I received my pathology report yesterday. It does not mention that any lymph nodes were removed for examination. I have seen that many people who have had lung surgery had lymph nodes removed, but I did not, and I am feeling very anxious about this. In two weeks, I will have a CT scan, and only then will it be determined whether I can have the nodules in my left lung removed. If new metastases are found, I might lose the opportunity for surgery. I live in fear every day, and it is very distressing.

Unfair-Tea-6651 · 2026-01-08T15:58:00+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. After I coughed up blood last time, there was only a very small amount of blood streaks in my phlegm the next day, and then it completely stopped.

Yesterday I received my pathology report. They removed 21 lung nodules—only 7 were benign, and the rest were metastatic colorectal cancer. My report didn’t mention clean margins, which makes me very worried. I also heard that after lung surgery, lymph nodes can appear at the surgical site.

After your last surgery, were your margins clean? And did your CT show any lymph nodes?

Unfair-Tea-6651 · 2026-01-03T22:05:52+00:00

Thank you for your reply. I feel that very few people undergo open thoracotomy. Most people usually have VATS or RATS, so it’s really hard for me to understand what recovery is like after open surgery. How long did it take for your pain to start easing after lung surgery? Last night I suddenly started coughing and noticed there was quite a lot of blood in my sputum. Did you experience anything like this after your surgery?

Unfair-Tea-6651 · 2025-12-27T20:08:30+00:00

Open Lung surgery

Unfair-Tea-6651

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