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PET scan translation help. PLEASE!
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PET scan translation help. PLEASE!

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › PET scan translation help. PLEASE!

  • Post
    • September 10, 2010 at 1:57 pm
    djpayn
    Participant

      Can anyone explain what this means – " There is new focal uptake within each ovary. This is likely physiologic."

      and – " There is an ill-defined non hypermatabolic nodule/infiltrate in the right middle lobe. This is an area where previously there was a linear atelectasis." (Follow-up is recommended)

       

       

       

      Can anyone explain what this means – " There is new focal uptake within each ovary. This is likely physiologic."

      and – " There is an ill-defined non hypermatabolic nodule/infiltrate in the right middle lobe. This is an area where previously there was a linear atelectasis." (Follow-up is recommended)

       

       

       

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    • Replies
        • September 10, 2010 at 2:22 pm
        jag
        Participant

            Do you know what the SUV scores are?  Pet scans can show takeup for a number of reasons other than tumors.  

          • September 10, 2010 at 2:22 pm
          jag
          Participant

              Do you know what the SUV scores are?  Pet scans can show takeup for a number of reasons other than tumors.  

            • September 10, 2010 at 2:52 pm
            Sharyn
            Participant

              First of all, PET scans pick up any type of metabolic activity. The new focal uptake in your ovaries is likely picking up on your time of the month. It would be unlikely that you would have a new tumor in each ovary all of a sudden.

              Is the second one referring to your lung? There are lobes all over the place. Anyway, all they're saying there is there was something there previously, it's still there, and follow-up is recommended to make sure it's not a metastasis.

              Of course, I'm not a doctor. He/She would be ther best one to interpret this for you. But that would be my take on it.

              Hugs

              Sharyn

              Stage IV

              • September 10, 2010 at 2:52 pm
              Sharyn
              Participant

                First of all, PET scans pick up any type of metabolic activity. The new focal uptake in your ovaries is likely picking up on your time of the month. It would be unlikely that you would have a new tumor in each ovary all of a sudden.

                Is the second one referring to your lung? There are lobes all over the place. Anyway, all they're saying there is there was something there previously, it's still there, and follow-up is recommended to make sure it's not a metastasis.

                Of course, I'm not a doctor. He/She would be ther best one to interpret this for you. But that would be my take on it.

                Hugs

                Sharyn

                Stage IV

                • September 10, 2010 at 2:58 pm
                W.
                Participant

                   "This is likely physiologic." means that the uptake is probably caused by normal physiologic activity, i.e. not caused by disease.

                  I don't have the knowledge to interpret the other sentence. Maybe call your doc and  ask to have it explained?

                   

                  • September 10, 2010 at 2:58 pm
                  W.
                  Participant

                     "This is likely physiologic." means that the uptake is probably caused by normal physiologic activity, i.e. not caused by disease.

                    I don't have the knowledge to interpret the other sentence. Maybe call your doc and  ask to have it explained?

                     

                    • September 11, 2010 at 3:52 am
                    KatyWI
                    Participant

                      The ovary thing means your ovaries sucked up sugar.  They do that when you're close to ovulating.  That's normal, unless you are a man, and then you have bigger problems!

                      The other thing…  The good part is that  it's non-hypermetabolic, meaning it's not sucking up sugar, meaning it's not growing.  Cancer WOULD be hypermetabolic.  But they can't tell what it is (it's ill-defined…which could mean that the image is fuzzy, perhaps because of other body structures in the same area.  In PET they don't use contrast like in a regular CT, so they can't see size & shape as well.)  They want your doctor to do more tests to figure out what it is.  I don't have a clue what a "linear atelectasis" is.  I looked it up here:  http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060824005759AAHvhJU and it doesn't sound like too terrible of a thing.  Something about your lung not properly inflating.  So I'd guess that previously your lung didn't properly inflate (maybe they know that from your past history??) and now they see something in that area, and although it's not looking like cancer, they want your doctor to check it out.

                      So actually that sounds like a halfway decent PET to me.  Query the doctor when you get a chance, but meanwhile relax and enjoy the weekend!

                      KatyWI

                      • September 11, 2010 at 3:52 am
                      KatyWI
                      Participant

                        The ovary thing means your ovaries sucked up sugar.  They do that when you're close to ovulating.  That's normal, unless you are a man, and then you have bigger problems!

                        The other thing…  The good part is that  it's non-hypermetabolic, meaning it's not sucking up sugar, meaning it's not growing.  Cancer WOULD be hypermetabolic.  But they can't tell what it is (it's ill-defined…which could mean that the image is fuzzy, perhaps because of other body structures in the same area.  In PET they don't use contrast like in a regular CT, so they can't see size & shape as well.)  They want your doctor to do more tests to figure out what it is.  I don't have a clue what a "linear atelectasis" is.  I looked it up here:  http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060824005759AAHvhJU and it doesn't sound like too terrible of a thing.  Something about your lung not properly inflating.  So I'd guess that previously your lung didn't properly inflate (maybe they know that from your past history??) and now they see something in that area, and although it's not looking like cancer, they want your doctor to check it out.

                        So actually that sounds like a halfway decent PET to me.  Query the doctor when you get a chance, but meanwhile relax and enjoy the weekend!

                        KatyWI

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