How do radiologists decide what to put in PET scan reports?

Posted by meme5 @meme5, Mar 15, 2023

Can anyone help me understand how radiologists decide what to put in reports from a Pet Scan. I have metastatic breast cancer and have pet scans every three months.
Hello all… today I picked up my pet scan report and at first went into panic mode.
Then I said to myself that radiologists often put everything in their reports basically saying “it could be this or could be that”. Then I went to see my therapist who reminded me that radiologists are very clinical and sometimes they report stuff that may or may not be what’s going on. Just the facts as they see them. I’ve had various radiology reports.. some are detailed and some aren’t. This one was very detailed. Although it did not find any uptake in bones, lungs or liver it stated that “there is some increased activity in the area of the gallbladder stones (which I have had a couple of years) and this appears progressed”. He then stated gallbladder cancer is a possibility or chronic cholecystitis (inflammation) is possible. Also high density could represent material within could represent milk of calcium sludge. Consider surgical consult for resection”. I have never had gallbladder symptoms or disease so was baffled by this. I have to think that this is his way of covering all his bases.
My pancreas ,kidneys ,spleen, adrenal glands all normal.
I was expecting maybe some suv uptake in bones because my back and ribs hurt sometimes and I do have osteoporosis but nothing showed up in bones for which I am grateful. But the gallbladder thing threw me for a loop and set off panic mode.
So have any of you had radiology report that stated lots of options or opinions for whatever radiologist saw but really was no big deal in the whole scheme of things.
Thanks for any impute. I see my oncologist next Monday.

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My gallstones were discovered well before my kidney cancer. My doctors were not alarmed at all. They can see this in the scans but never say much. I don't worry about it nearly as much as my kidney tumor.

Ask the doctor at the next appointment. Or if you don't want to wait, use the patient portal. (Don't go to Google as Dr. Google is a quack)!

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@meme5, how are you doing? What did you learn about the radiology report from your oncologist?

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My oncologist did not say much about the report except he has ordered an ultrasound and hydascan for my gallbladder. Since the report said there is mild progression he has started me on Kisqali 600mg and switching me from letrozole to a Faslodex shot once a month.
The Kisqali is difficult to tolerate and I am asking my onco if he can reduce it to 400mg to see if that’s more tolerable.

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@cindysummit

My gallstones were discovered well before my kidney cancer. My doctors were not alarmed at all. They can see this in the scans but never say much. I don't worry about it nearly as much as my kidney tumor.

Ask the doctor at the next appointment. Or if you don't want to wait, use the patient portal. (Don't go to Google as Dr. Google is a quack)!

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News Flash! Go to Google search bar and type in GOOGLE SCHOLAR. Once there, click on search and then you can type any subject and read excellent research articles. Try it. No quackery.

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