increased uptake

[Sharon0122]

anyone else get this repeatedly in their scans. I just went over all my scans and it always says this. I’ve never quite given this much thought and my dr has never mentioned it and always says how good I’m doing. I’m beginning to think he wears rose colored glasses? What does this mean? Thoughts and thanks for your input. Im loosing faith in my dr.

[Discocat]

Hello

My understanding is that it implies that areas in our bones that have had tumours are left scarred and take some time to fill in....these areas show as increased uptake as the trace that is injected via IV into our system before scans of this type, concentrates in the damaged spaces...but it doesn't mean that there is active metastasis.

[diamags in reply to Discocat]

Exactly. It means increased uptake compared to the normal bones, NOT increased from the last scan.

[Sharon0122 in reply to diamags]

Kind of make sense. It’s just all confusing and I’m so tired lately all the time. 12 hours of sleep at a time really isn’t normal except if your a teenager!

[Sharon0122 in reply to Discocat]

Thanks for your reply, that makes it clearer.

[love2golfwell]

Do you get PET scans? If so, do you follow the special diet for the day before and day of the test? It requires you to not eat any carbs including fruits, breads, etc. for at least 24 hours before your test and also the day of and you cannot do any strenuous exercise for 24 hours before. They even told me I cannot go for a long walk the day before as it increases uptake in muscles on the scan. Uptake can also show up in areas that have healed.

[Sharon0122 in reply to love2golfwell]

no I’ve never had one.

[TammyCross]

You have never had a PET? What kind of scan do you get that gives metabolic uptake, then? Uptake of what?

I have had PET/CTs every 3-6 months from the beginning. The SUV (uptake) is metabolic activity detected by absorption of the stuff they give me. (The reason for the diet is to avoid carbs and sugar because the SUV reacts to sugar.) There have been a couple of times when they have attributed high uptake to something other than cancer (an infection), but usually they compare it across scans and if it goes up consistently and gets above 6 or so, the radiologist and oncologist do something about it (like change meds).

[Sharon0122]

I get every two months a ct mri and three times a bone scans. The ct I can’t eat or drink from midnight and they do it with and without contrast.