PET scans for Brain Melanoma

A PET scan can show abnormalities, but a MRI with contrast gives the doctors a much clearer image of the abnormality (i.e. brain met/tumor).

I will again recommend that you get a 2nd or 3rd opinion and would further recommend having every treatment done under one roof.  –  My Mother had gamma knife radiation treatment in Beverly Hills but her oncologist was at USC, we were referred there by the doctor who discovered the undiagnosed brain mets from a scan done in Beverly Hills.  The radiologist missed one tumor and the neurooncologist he worked with gave us terrible advice, they did not communicate with each other and neither communicated with her oncologist at USC.  I was the go between and even then was not provided with enough information to provide to her oncologist.  When we had an emergency consult at USC, regarding my Mom's brain MRI in April of 2014, the radiologist (Dr. Eric Chang) at USC found 5 tumors in her prefrontal lobe alone and everyone one needed treatment. We were told we should "watch and see" by the doctors in Beverly Hills and that she only had 1 tumor that was of concern.  However, a week after we were given that "advice" Dr. Chang and his team treated 17 tumors with gamma knife radiation and we were told she should have been treated much sooner…

Since we brought things under one roof I've noticed that all the doctors communicate among themselves about what is discovered between various appointments, which I think provides much better care and they are really on top of things. I am not sure that this happens at every hospital, but the care my Mom has received has been excellent at USC.

My Mom was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer with brain mets in November 2013. (She is RAF positive.) Dr. Mike Wong recommended Yervoy treatment because of the synergistic effects it has with gamma knife radiation.  My Mom has done amazingly well even with have 25 brain tumors treated (18 tumors on here head, 1 on her neck,  6 in her trunk and 25 brain mets.)  The lesions on her head and neck are gone and the lesions in her trunk have either disappeared, or are the size of pencil lead  (est of 13mm down to .5 – .6mm.) Despite the number of brain mets she had have No cognitive issues. She has had a reoccurrence that was discovered earlier this month in a tumor that was treated in Beverly Hills, but she was a super responder to Yervoy and she should do as well, if not better, on Keytruda because of this after her craniotomy she is scheduled for this week.

If this is a brain met, which it sounds like it is a good possibility of, you want to find the best doctor you can who can preform gamma knife radiation for your husband.  Here is a link to Dr. Eric Chang's bio. I don't know that you can find a more experienced doctor than him in the area and I'd recommend that you get an appointment with him, even if it's a 2nd opinion, and Dr. Wong.  

http://www.keckmedicine.org/doctor/eric-chang/

Good Luck!

A PET scan can show abnormalities, but a MRI with contrast gives the doctors a much clearer image of the abnormality (i.e. brain met/tumor).

I will again recommend that you get a 2nd or 3rd opinion and would further recommend having every treatment done under one roof.  –  My Mother had gamma knife radiation treatment in Beverly Hills but her oncologist was at USC, we were referred there by the doctor who discovered the undiagnosed brain mets from a scan done in Beverly Hills.  The radiologist missed one tumor and the neurooncologist he worked with gave us terrible advice, they did not communicate with each other and neither communicated with her oncologist at USC.  I was the go between and even then was not provided with enough information to provide to her oncologist.  When we had an emergency consult at USC, regarding my Mom's brain MRI in April of 2014, the radiologist (Dr. Eric Chang) at USC found 5 tumors in her prefrontal lobe alone and everyone one needed treatment. We were told we should "watch and see" by the doctors in Beverly Hills and that she only had 1 tumor that was of concern.  However, a week after we were given that "advice" Dr. Chang and his team treated 17 tumors with gamma knife radiation and we were told she should have been treated much sooner…

Since we brought things under one roof I've noticed that all the doctors communicate among themselves about what is discovered between various appointments, which I think provides much better care and they are really on top of things. I am not sure that this happens at every hospital, but the care my Mom has received has been excellent at USC.

My Mom was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer with brain mets in November 2013. (She is RAF positive.) Dr. Mike Wong recommended Yervoy treatment because of the synergistic effects it has with gamma knife radiation.  My Mom has done amazingly well even with have 25 brain tumors treated (18 tumors on here head, 1 on her neck,  6 in her trunk and 25 brain mets.)  The lesions on her head and neck are gone and the lesions in her trunk have either disappeared, or are the size of pencil lead  (est of 13mm down to .5 – .6mm.) Despite the number of brain mets she had have No cognitive issues. She has had a reoccurrence that was discovered earlier this month in a tumor that was treated in Beverly Hills, but she was a super responder to Yervoy and she should do as well, if not better, on Keytruda because of this after her craniotomy she is scheduled for this week.

If this is a brain met, which it sounds like it is a good possibility of, you want to find the best doctor you can who can preform gamma knife radiation for your husband.  Here is a link to Dr. Eric Chang's bio. I don't know that you can find a more experienced doctor than him in the area and I'd recommend that you get an appointment with him, even if it's a 2nd opinion, and Dr. Wong.  

http://www.keckmedicine.org/doctor/eric-chang/

Good Luck!

A PET scan can show abnormalities, but a MRI with contrast gives the doctors a much clearer image of the abnormality (i.e. brain met/tumor).

I will again recommend that you get a 2nd or 3rd opinion and would further recommend having every treatment done under one roof.  –  My Mother had gamma knife radiation treatment in Beverly Hills but her oncologist was at USC, we were referred there by the doctor who discovered the undiagnosed brain mets from a scan done in Beverly Hills.  The radiologist missed one tumor and the neurooncologist he worked with gave us terrible advice, they did not communicate with each other and neither communicated with her oncologist at USC.  I was the go between and even then was not provided with enough information to provide to her oncologist.  When we had an emergency consult at USC, regarding my Mom's brain MRI in April of 2014, the radiologist (Dr. Eric Chang) at USC found 5 tumors in her prefrontal lobe alone and everyone one needed treatment. We were told we should "watch and see" by the doctors in Beverly Hills and that she only had 1 tumor that was of concern.  However, a week after we were given that "advice" Dr. Chang and his team treated 17 tumors with gamma knife radiation and we were told she should have been treated much sooner…

Since we brought things under one roof I've noticed that all the doctors communicate among themselves about what is discovered between various appointments, which I think provides much better care and they are really on top of things. I am not sure that this happens at every hospital, but the care my Mom has received has been excellent at USC.

My Mom was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer with brain mets in November 2013. (She is RAF positive.) Dr. Mike Wong recommended Yervoy treatment because of the synergistic effects it has with gamma knife radiation.  My Mom has done amazingly well even with have 25 brain tumors treated (18 tumors on here head, 1 on her neck,  6 in her trunk and 25 brain mets.)  The lesions on her head and neck are gone and the lesions in her trunk have either disappeared, or are the size of pencil lead  (est of 13mm down to .5 – .6mm.) Despite the number of brain mets she had have No cognitive issues. She has had a reoccurrence that was discovered earlier this month in a tumor that was treated in Beverly Hills, but she was a super responder to Yervoy and she should do as well, if not better, on Keytruda because of this after her craniotomy she is scheduled for this week.

If this is a brain met, which it sounds like it is a good possibility of, you want to find the best doctor you can who can preform gamma knife radiation for your husband.  Here is a link to Dr. Eric Chang's bio. I don't know that you can find a more experienced doctor than him in the area and I'd recommend that you get an appointment with him, even if it's a 2nd opinion, and Dr. Wong.  

http://www.keckmedicine.org/doctor/eric-chang/

Good Luck!

A PET scan will always light up in the brain because the scan reveals areas of high sugar absorption.  Rapidly growing cells (like tumors) use a lot of sugar for energy.  That is why the brain always uptakes a lot  and lights up.  Women's ovaries will light up too during certain times of the menstrual cycle.  This is why they always do an MRI to check for brain mets.  

A PET scan will always light up in the brain because the scan reveals areas of high sugar absorption.  Rapidly growing cells (like tumors) use a lot of sugar for energy.  That is why the brain always uptakes a lot  and lights up.  Women's ovaries will light up too during certain times of the menstrual cycle.  This is why they always do an MRI to check for brain mets.  

A PET scan will always light up in the brain because the scan reveals areas of high sugar absorption.  Rapidly growing cells (like tumors) use a lot of sugar for energy.  That is why the brain always uptakes a lot  and lights up.  Women's ovaries will light up too during certain times of the menstrual cycle.  This is why they always do an MRI to check for brain mets.  

My husbands brain mets were found on his CT. Then he had an MRI as part of the prep for STS. Be sure to ask for 1mm cuts on the MRI. The norm is 5mm.

My husbands brain mets were found on his CT. Then he had an MRI as part of the prep for STS. Be sure to ask for 1mm cuts on the MRI. The norm is 5mm.

My husbands brain mets were found on his CT. Then he had an MRI as part of the prep for STS. Be sure to ask for 1mm cuts on the MRI. The norm is 5mm.

I was offered brain MRI but when I told them I have metal in my head (which I could have removed for the purpose of an MRI), they said a brain CT would work just as well at identifying the existence of mets.  And this came from more than one doctor.  I'm not sure why one is preferred over the other.  Nor why it is usually CT for the body and MRI for the brain (why not MRI for the body?).  But I was told the CT could work for the brain.

I was offered brain MRI but when I told them I have metal in my head (which I could have removed for the purpose of an MRI), they said a brain CT would work just as well at identifying the existence of mets.  And this came from more than one doctor.  I'm not sure why one is preferred over the other.  Nor why it is usually CT for the body and MRI for the brain (why not MRI for the body?).  But I was told the CT could work for the brain.

I was offered brain MRI but when I told them I have metal in my head (which I could have removed for the purpose of an MRI), they said a brain CT would work just as well at identifying the existence of mets.  And this came from more than one doctor.  I'm not sure why one is preferred over the other.  Nor why it is usually CT for the body and MRI for the brain (why not MRI for the body?).  But I was told the CT could work for the brain.

In Australia they do the PET/CT scan at the same time. I believe the CT scan is better to detect brain mets.

It is also free in Australia for all citizens.

In Australia they do the PET/CT scan at the same time. I believe the CT scan is better to detect brain mets.

It is also free in Australia for all citizens.

In Australia they do the PET/CT scan at the same time. I believe the CT scan is better to detect brain mets.

It is also free in Australia for all citizens.