Question 1

what does "hypermetabolic" mean on the report of a pet scan?

Accepted Answer

Over-active: A pet scan measures the metabolism of glucose. Areas that are overactive are called hypermetabolic.

Question 2

could you tell me what this print out of a pet scan results means ?

Accepted Answer

Discuss with doctor.: It is best to discuss your pet scan results with your physician so that you can be sure that you have a detailed and correct understanding of the scenario.  If you have any specific questions, be sure to have them clarified.  Without the results, it is difficult to answer your question.  Hope this helps.

Question 3

what does a pet scan done for "multiple somatic complaints" generally mean?

Accepted Answer

: Translation: Multiple- self explanatory .   Somatic= having to do with bodily function/location.    Complaints- self explanatory.  The description is more justification for the study that does not  focus on one area of concern but several.

Question 4

on pet scan the phrase "central photopenia suggesting necrosis" what does this mean?

Accepted Answer

Usually necrosis: PET scan uses F18 FDG (a glucose metabolite) to localize active metabolic processes such as tumors. The uptake of the radiopharmaceutical is considered hot when increased over normal tissues or background Sometimes central portion of tumor is photogenic or cold reflecting necrosis or death of some of tumor. Necrosis can be related to chemotherapy or on presentation when tumor outgrows blood supply

Question 5

when a pet scan report says "no other evidence of metastatic disease." does that mean there was evidence of it somewhere in the body, but nowhere else?

Accepted Answer

Metastatic disease: Pet scans are imaging studies that look for subtle signs of increase metabolism in the body. Cancer cells have an increased metabolism compared to regular cells. If there are no spots of increased metabolism beyond where the cancer started then there are no signs of metastatic disease.

Question 6

what can a lit up pet scan in left subpectoral  area mean in lymph node . ?

Accepted Answer

Several Things: A positive pet scan does not always equate with malignancy. The positive scan reflects increased metabolic activity. Causes of false positive exams include infectious diseases (mycobacterial (like tb), fungal, bacterial infection), sarcoidosis, radiation pneumonitis and post-operative surgical conditions have shown intense uptake on pet scan. Good luck!

Question 7

how does pet scans work when detecting possible lymphoma? does "hot spots" mean malignancy?

Accepted Answer

No: A hot spot means an area of increased sugar utilization. Can be inflammatory, infectious or malignant.

Question 8

not long ago i had a pet scan done, one lympnode lit up, it was light. i want to know if that still means cancer.?

Accepted Answer

Possibly: The purpose of a PET scan is  to evaluate the extent of a cancerous process and see if before treatment there are several sites to be concerned about.  After treatment to see if there is residual disease that may not have responded properly.  If a node lights up it may suggest that there is still remaining disease.

Question 9

what does a cancer free pet scan show? when a pet scan shows that a person is cancer free, does that really mean they're done with cancer? is it cured? are there any general statistics for a person who had cancer, but a pet scan later showed that the canc

Accepted Answer

PET : Pet scans are used for diagnosis, staging, and restaging of certain kinds of cancers such as lung, colorectal, esophageal, and head and neck cancers, and for monitoring response to therapy in breast cancer. Different kinds of cancers behave differently, and there is no guarantee that a given cancer is completely "cured, " even following complete remission. In general, evidence of a complete remission on a pet scan is a very favorable prognostic sign, and indicates that treatment was successful. Followup pet scans are still performed at regular intervals, often for the patient's lifetime, in order to monitor for any possible recurrence that might require new treatment. In general, if follow-up pet scans continue to show no evidence of disease over a period of many years, the likelihood of recurrence is low.

Question 10

on a pet scan does a lower suv uptake mean less aggressive cancer ? the suv uptake was 5.2,

Accepted Answer

No: SUV has no bearing on the aggressiveness of the cancer.  It is a relative measure of the glucose metabolism.  In fact, some very aggressive tumors have no FDG uptake at all. Some benign conditions like infection can have high uptake. The standard uptake value depends on many factors like patient body size and serum glucose level and the normal uptake in the tissue surrounding the target lesion.

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Doctor answers about:

What does hypometabolic mean on a pet scan

A member asked:

What does "hypermetabolic" mean on the report of a pet scan?

A member asked:

Could you tell me what this print out of a pet scan results means ?

A member asked:

What does a pet scan done for "multiple somatic complaints" generally mean?

A member asked:

On pet scan the phrase "central photopenia suggesting necrosis" what does this mean?

A member asked:

When a pet scan report says "no other evidence of metastatic disease." does that mean there was evidence of it somewhere in the body, but nowhere else?

A member asked:

What can a lit up pet scan in left subpectoral area mean in lymph node . ?

A member asked:

How does pet scans work when detecting possible lymphoma? does "hot spots" mean malignancy?

A member asked:

Not long ago i had a pet scan done, one lympnode lit up, it was light. i want to know if that still means cancer.?

A member asked:

What does a cancer free pet scan show? when a pet scan shows that a person is cancer free, does that really mean they're done with cancer? is it cured? are there any general statistics for a person who had cancer, but a pet scan later showed that the canc

A member asked:

On a pet scan does a lower suv uptake mean less aggressive cancer ? the suv uptake was 5.2,

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