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Whole body or head to thigh?
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Whole body or head to thigh?

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Whole body or head to thigh?

  • Post
    • February 11, 2020 at 9:29 pm
    Baby_Girl
    Participant
      I am stage 3 and my last scan was about 4 months ago and was clear. I will have my 12th and last dose of Opdivo this month. All my scans have been clear since my WLE/SLND January of 2019. My next scan is in a couple weeks. I called to asked and they said this was a head to mid thigh PET scan. The last one I had was whole body. I am wondering what other stage 3 (or stage 4) patients usually get. Whole body or skull to thigh? It seems my surgeon is more aggressive and he has been the one to order whole body scans but my oncologist seems to only order to thigh. Should I call and request whole body or is skull to mid thighs sufficient?
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    • Replies
        • February 12, 2020 at 12:10 am
        Edwin
        Participant
          From August 2014 to August 2017 I received whole body PET scans at my local cancer center. In August 2015 I received a skull to thigh PET scan at the Rochester Mayo Clinic. From December 2017 to December 2019 I received skull to thigh PET scans at my local cancer center. Nurses preparing me for recent PET scans told me that PET scans do not show melanoma well in the lower leg. They would do whole body PET scans for me, if I had had melanoma in my lower legs. I had melanoma in both femurs ( thigh bones ), but not below my knees.
            • February 12, 2020 at 3:13 pm
            Baby_Girl
            Participant
              Thank you for your reply!
            • February 12, 2020 at 10:59 pm
            maryb-z
            Participant
              I get full body PET/CT scans as all my recurrences have been on my lower leg. Many of my lesions over the past 11 years have been found by PET/CT.
                • February 22, 2020 at 3:52 am
                Baby_Girl
                Participant
                  Thank you for your reply. My primary was on my abdomen and the nodes affect were on my right arm pit. I’m guessing the doctor thinks a whole
                  Body scan is not needed at this time? I am going to ask him about it at my next visit, and maybe request a whole body scan.
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