Why am I having to wait for a follow up pet scan in 3 months?

Had pet scan done 4/23 results on 4/25 dr told me I have secondary breast cancer in sacral vertebre, but can't start treatment until I have another pet in 3 months because that is what the pet people recommend does this have to do with insurance

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Answer:
In general . . the PET and CT can only record 'changes' in the body . .and it often takes 3 months for cancer to grow large enough to detect or to respond to treatment. So a scan is done every 3 months to measure cancer growth or shrinkage. Sometimes with aggressive cancers the CT or PET will be done sooner . . at 6 to 8 weeks . . but than you run the risk of the disease not being big enough to detect . .than you need to wait another 6 to 8 weeks and the cancer can grow more during this time. It is a diagnostic tool only . . and much depends on catching the cancer image at the 'right' time. (with PET sometimes if there is only residual disease . .it will not 'light' up . . and you again will need to wait).

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No, not insurance. How often, in ones opinion, does a person need one? Sixty to ninety days is more than frequent enough to show any change that may have occured. The scans are not therapy. Just informational.

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Answer:
I have to get pet scans pretty much every 3 months or a little more than three months. It maybe the insurance. I am going to ask my doctor that question as well. I am sorry about your secondary cancer. I am getting an MRI done on Tuesday, because the Pet scan was inconclusive in one area. I will keep my fingers crossed for both of us. God Bless.