PET Scan Follow Ups Don’t Necessarily Impact Survival, Study Finds

PET scans are incredibly valuable diagnostic tools, but their use in follow ups after treatment of lung and esophageal cancer seems to have little correlation to survival statistics. That’s according to a recent study that focused in on more than 100,000 patients treated in the mid-2000s through 2011.

The study tracked patients at hospitals and facilities that had a high use rate of follow-up scans and those with a lower use rate. Hospitals that used follow-up scans more frequently, in fact, did so at a rate that was about 14 times higher than those considered low-use facilities. Despite the extra tracking of potential disease progression by high-use facilities, researchers found that survival rates of patients treated at high and low-use facilities were largely the same.

PET scans, also known as positron emission tomography, are a special form of imaging that enables a doctor to see inside the body to uncover traces of disease. To enable this type of bird’s eye view, doctors use special radioactive tracer dyes that illuminate areas of concern. PET scans are highly useful in enabling doctors to check for the presence of some forms of cancer, heart problems and brain disorders, among other conditions. This type of test can uncover problems at the cellular level, making it especially useful in cancer care.

While PET scans do rely on radioactive tracers, the reality is the exposure level is extremely low. The body tends to be able to easily process the dosage, which means residual effects are highly unlikely. Even so, overuse of PET scans is considered a concern by many in the health care profession. This relates not only to the radiation exposure, but also the expense and time involved that patients must contend with.

The recent study found that patients scanned for esophageal cancer had the same two-year survival rate whether they were treated at facilities with a high follow up rate or those with low rates. The survival rates. The difference in survival rates for lung cancer patients was also statistically insignificant between low- and high-rate facilities.

The bottom line, researchers say, is that evidence-based guidelines for follow-ups make more sense than simply performing tests for the sake of doing so. The recommendation following the study was for clinicians to avoid re-testing unless symptoms indicate a need to do so.

People who are diagnosed with cancer or who are suspected to have the disease will likely find PET scans are ordered. While the tests can prove crucial in diagnosing and tracking the disease, overuse just may not be in order. The best bet for patients is to simply ask their healthcare provider questions about their condition, tests ordered and the need for having them performed.

PET / CT of Las Colinas was developed with both patients and physicians in mind and our services have been used for various types of disease; primarily in detecting, staging and monitoring cancer, but also in heart disease and brain disorders.