Hi all
I had breast cancer 12 years ago.
Had shoulder pain last couple of years but recently worse and often wakes me.
Went to breast clinic yesterday and saw consultant. He could find no lumps on bad side. I had an ultrasound scan which again found nothing.
I had a shoulder X-ray back in December which did show athritis.
However, when I said the pain going down my arm was probably arthritis as my GP suspected he said no. He said arthritis pain in the shoulder would not go all the way down arm! Can’t it?
He said the only way to check was to have a pet ct scan the whole body.
Hospital rang me today to book the ct scan. I missed call but feeling stressed as I’ve had so many ct scans over the last 10 years and don’t want to overload my body!
Also, it’s only my arm that hurts the rest of my body is fine!
This is stressing me out now. I don’t want to give myself a higher chance of cancer by having yet another whole body ct scan.
I wanted to chat it over with my GP but no appts for 4 weeks!
Not sure what to do as feeling overwhelmed and stressed!
The dosage of radiation in a PET-CT is a little higher than in an ordinary CT, because it uses a radioactive glucose tracer. The idea being that cancer cells divide more quickly than normal ones, so take up the glucose. Areas of cancer then light up on the scan. It clears from your body very quickly, and in the grand scheme of things it’s unlikely to make any significant difference to your risk of getting a future cancer. On the other hand it will tell you for certain whether there is anything sinister going on with your shoulder and arm.
2 Likes
So I’m still trying to decide what to do and so quite stressed.
I had Covid, flu followed by pneumonia about 2 years ago and since then half approx half lung capacity with bad chest infections over the winter and always wheezy and quite breathless. The respiratory clinic wanted to do a chest ct scan to find out what was going on then but of course being scared I said no. 
However, now I’m thinking that may possiblly be the better option rather than a full body pet ct scan.
I’ve had stomach, head ct scans within last 2 years plus a few X-rays and a dexa scan so am thinking a chest only ct would be less radiation! 
I don’t want to end yup glowing! 
