How PET Scans See Cancer

[@chigboyrock]

As a Nuc Med TechnoloGIST, I love seeing that you’re making videos of what we do. Please make more videos on PET scans and nuclear medicine ☢️ and you’ve got this!! 🙏🏾👏🏾

[@SciShow]

I'd love to do one on the different tracers y'all use now! It's not just glucose anymore!

[@yusefdanielhassounharmouch1520]

@@SciShow Rad tech student and Nerdfighter here! It would be great if you would make more videos about the imaging sciences! Really transfomative fields. Congrats being done with the chemo! Perhaps you can do a video on radiation oncology as well?

[@daveh7720]

@@SciShow If you do, could you look into what the people who work with it call that stuff? I talked to a friend who works in the imaging records department at our local hospital and I mentioned the word "dye." She stopped me and said, "You never call it _dye_. It's called 'contrast.'"

[@kc9scott]

@@daveh7720 I believe “contrast” is what they use for CT scans, and it’s non-radioactive, just affecting the X-rays in some manner. I’ve had PET scans while undergoing melanoma treatment, and the radioactive stuff they used was called FDG.

[@MossyMozart]

@@kc9scott - MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) utilizes contrast, too.

[@amai_zing]

You’ve got this, Hank. Everyone is rooting for you, man

[@falcon1209]

I mean. He's done with chemo.

[@nrsrymj]

​@@falcon1209now radiation right?

[@wraithship]

​@@falcon1209stopping chemo doesn't mean he's out of the woods yet. But he's well on the way.

[@crystalmiller6464]

Leave it to Hank to still be working while whipping cancers butt. ❤

[@salt-emoji]

Not me. I'm rooting for the cancer /s (heavy sarcasm)

[@johnathonallen2545]

Having a science communicator who is also going through cancer treatment to talk about cancer treatment adds a perspective to the conversation that I find appreciative.

[@osmia]

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[@lizsteilkie]

Next week me too Hank...

[@ragnkja]

@@lizsteilkie Good luck!

[@dancoroian1]

You don't "find [the perspective] appreciative," as that simply does not make any sense...Rather, *you are* appreciative of the perspective; that is, you appreciate the perspective

[@alsund1866]

Sometimes a great way to cope with a problem is by talking about it to others.

[@TheFalseProdigy]

I can’t believe you’re doing these videos WHILE FIGHTING CANCER! You go Hank!

[@SciShow]

Being sick is so boring...very happy to be able to come in and shoot sometimes!

[@natalievancouver8188]

@@SciShowI agree since being diagnosed March 2020 I’ve never watched so much tv or KZbin! Also it’s boring having to rest except when I’m worn out but steroids interfere with my sleep. Thanks for the info🎉

[@Starwarman1]

@@SciShowmy dad went through his APL leukemia chemo during lockdown, poor guy almost went crazy only being at the hospital getting the drip or at home, no where else.

[@Starwarman1]

@@SciShowAND IM SO HAPPY TO HEAR YOURE IN REMISSION. CONGRATULATIONS HANK SO MUCH LOVE TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@rogergadley9965]

I’m in remission times three. I had (have?-doctors don’t ever seem to want to say you’re “cured,” so apparently the best diagnosis I’ll ever hear will be remission) three different kinds of cancer. I’m very familiar with the PET scans and the “bright spots.” Beautiful technology, and I don’t have to tell you how reassuring it is to see the changes in the scans as treatment shows success. Good luck to you, and hang in there.

[@shoot-n-scoot3539]

I had stage 3 cancer. Had radiation, chemo, and surgery. At the moment, I'm cancer free. I would have died without the treatments. Cancer can be beat. I believe it depends upon how aggressive the particular cancer. Always enjoyed your educational and entertaining videos. Good luck to you.

[@jrbqto]

What a trooper, you mentioned it and shrugged it off. I'm happy and proud of you! Way to kick cancers ass!

[@MeaHeaR]

Saymé hear, so did Eié

[@SciShow]

yeah, I'd definitely be on my way out without treatment as well! Wild... - Hank

[@lacasadelvideojuego3880]

It will return, it always returns

[@cousiwa09]

@@lacasadelvideojuego3880 yes. No one is ever "cancer free". This stuff is microscopic. Cancer may become dormant aka under arrest. So it's sleeping as such, then for some unknown reason it fires up again and the cycle begins again. I'm an advanced stage 4 cancer patient. The other thing that bothers me that people misunderstand as well is that if an adult has children, and then gets cancer, it's highly probable that the gene for cancer has been passed on to the children. So its vital that the children are monitored over their lifetimes.

[@Trekki200]

Those episodes clearly inspired by real life really add to the channels character. like this is maybe a very big channel, but it's still run by people who have normal lifes and interests and illnesses. And I'm glad you feel well enough to make videos Hank. Chemo absolutely sucks

[@tbella5186]

Yes, it makes SciShow so special.

[@osmia]

+

[@ilect1690]

Hank isn't on chemo anymore, his cancer was extremely responsive to treatment and hes going to go through radiation now to get rid of the last bits of cancer. He said in a vlogbrothers video assuming nothing goes wrong he'll be in remission by the end of september

[@cassandrakarpinski9416]

​@@ilect1690 that's brilliant news. That update hadn't made its way to scishow as episodes usually take a week or 2 to produce so its good to know that hanks treatment has been so successful

[@SciShow]

We're just some folks! And yes, chemo is THE WORST oh my god!!

[@SmittenKitten.]

Hank using his cancer diagnosis to teach us about cancer is so Hank-like!

[@Jenn12141983]

Forever in awe that Hank has been teaching us about cancer WHILE BEING TREATED FOR CANCER

[@mstorrboy]

If he and his brother are not on Times' next people of the century list, .....

[@PetalPalmer]

As a current cancer patient myself (diagnosed Aug 2022), I love that you’re creating these videos. I’m a pre-med student so it’s always so interesting learning about different treatments while I’m quite literally going through those treatments haha. Just creates a whole new perspective. And it’s inspired me to finally post a video on KZbin about my own diagnosis story and share other interesting health related stories that I’ve found. You’re very inspiring and wishing you the best Hank!

[@Francescadbg]

Since you’re unfortunately a patient right now and is experiencing all these, I wonder/hope that when you become a doctor you’ll be warmer, nicer, emphatic to patients. I feel that a lot of healthcare workers aren’t. Anyway, I wish you a speedy recovery as well.

[@HexerPsy]

I hope you are doing well and make it through everything okay! As a fellow health care worker - there is always time to ask the techies to see if you could lay down on the table and get pushed into the machine to see what the experience is like. We got visited by a doctor once that ordered MRI tests on his patients before, but never had laid in one. We put him on the table so he could experience the narrow feeling within the MRI machine. It makes things easier to understand.

[@PetalPalmer]

@@Francescadbg For sure - in a sense it's nice knowing that I'd be able to genuinely understand exactly what patient's are going through. Learning about it is of course important but it's definitely a whole different game actually experiencing it. Thank you very much, I appreciate that!

[@PetalPalmer]

@@HexerPsy Thank you so much, I appreciate that! Oooh that is very interesting, definitely think that would be helpful seeing exactly how that'd feel - MRI's definitely aren't the most comfortable experience.

[@HexerPsy]

@@PetalPalmer I have been a test subject for scans before. The experience isnt too bad (ear plugs in, headphones over that against the noise). It gets a little weird when the gradient switches and stimulates nerves and makes some muscles twitch outside of your control. But my worst experience so far was a head-neck scan. Best I can describe it, is like the feeling of someone with a electric saw working on your bed with you in it - first at the feet end and then at the head end. But then again, if I was seriously ill, I would go through that ordeal if the doctor needs the data.

[@MCA2A]

I'm so sorry, Hank, but everyone's on your side. There's a whole lot of people who are in your corner and thinking of you! Please keep us posted, so we can celebrate with you when you beat it!

[@ashleelarsen5002]

Ditto

[@peggedyourdad9560]

He finished chemo and is now on radiation I think.

[@StonedtotheBones13]

^ also he's been updating vlog brothers, and his channel, and I believe the newsletter (?) Just bc it's easier and well cancer treatment is hard.

[@peggedyourdad9560]

@@StonedtotheBones13 Oh yeah, that along with posting shorts and longer videos to his personal KZbin channel.

[@MCA2A]

@@peggedyourdad9560 I had no idea he had a personal channel

[@daveh7720]

After my wife had a PET scan her doctor showed us a printout of the result. We could clearly see the tumors, but I also noticed a bright spot low in her abdomen. I asked the doctor about that, concerned that it might have spread further. "That's her bladder. That's where the contrast ends up if it isn't absorbed by the cancer cells. It'll go away soon."

[@OllieOxyn]

Still great you asked!

[@wizardgradstudent]

Makes me wonder how they do a PET scan if someone has cancer in the bladder, they might have to do something different

[@KristenRowenPliske]

@@wizardgradstudentmake them pee right before the scan probably or put a catheter in so urine drains automatically. I’m just guessing though.

[@leogama3422]

Brain and Bladder go Bright!

[@leogama3422]

​@@LangThoughtsI can't see a correlation there

[@JustMeJH]

Videos like this are the reason I always watch the ads for SciShow. I don’t know if you could have not provided cancer education while you’re being treated Hank, but I am so glad that you are making these videos! As always, my continued best wishes, and my thanks to the SciShow team for excellent cancer education videos!

[@SciShow]

[@Suprm_Lord_E]

Get well soon Hank, you got this. You're an inspiration to us all and will win this battle

[@Dan-Simms]

I can just imagine him talking to his doctors and asking smart questions that none of their other patients have ever asked before, and them being like wow, who is this guy?

[@ryno4ever433]

They're probably just annoyed. That's how they get when I ask questions.

[@kathrynblack9152]

Then you need different doctors. Mine answer my questions after they get over the surprise of a question that no one has asked before.

[@diegosaurusrex8652]

I’ve been going through PET Scans for the past 5 years. You got this, Hank.

[@leogama3422]

You can tell people you are regularly injected with antimatter!

[@karatsurba4791]

Wow, hope you're healthy. I read too much of it can be harmful. Is it being used to track some cells or some unique purpose ?. Thanks for sharing your experience

[@diegosaurusrex8652]

@@karatsurba4791 I’m a stage IV cancer patient… PET scans every 6 months.

[@Unbeatable0007]

​@@diegosaurusrex8652 OMG is it curable? Or does it gets increased stage 5 or something

[@gillhall7590]

Sending best wishes and healing prayers to you.❤

[@susanne5803]

I really like how you're sciencing the sh*t out of cancer! So glad things are looking good and you can move on to radiotherapy. Thinking of you and your family and wishing you all the best!

[@TG-nd9rj]

Just a little note, but I love the addition of the "Not Hank's Scan" note in the bottom left corner when showing PET scan results. Very nice way to help keep people from freaking out lol

[@chadbarger9808]

You’ve been the face of educational videos for so long man you’ve made such an impact, so many people love your voice and delivery. We’re all wishing you the best Hank! ❤

[@jenniefrmthebloc]

Scishow has taught me more than my university degree 😂 Hank you're the best. 🎉

[@briefcandle]

[@rodee1671]

May you heal quickly and permanently.

[@anthonynichogi7266]

Love and prayers brother. Got a college classmate that has glio and I was diagnosed terminal back in 14'. Neurosurgeon gave me 6 months. No treatments later, still here. Not saying it went away or didn't create complications but again, still here. Definitely had to be more responsible with diet, physical and psychological health. You got this brother.

[@143366220798]

Did you smoke??...

[@Arc_Firstlight]

My mom has been diagnosed with cancer for the second time, this time in the lung, and she has to go for a PET scan this week. Knowing how it works, and why the prep for PET scans is so miserable, helps me a little.

[@Sassy-b6c]

I always wondered how injecting me with a radioactive substance could possibly find the cancer. Thank you now I know. You got this dude from one cancer survivor to another. You will make it.

[@SoAnswerAway]

I've been watching your channel for MANY years. Brings thoughts of "nostalgia" in me since I watched much of these videos in binge mode when I was in learning mode. Sorry to hear about your cancer. Wow. Thinking of you. ❤

[@ioioioiooioioi]

My mom was recently diagnosed with cancer. Our appointment is today. There’s a lot of uncertainty. So Thank you for this info!

[@brandonkennedy4160]

So sorry for what you’re going through, but amazing that you’re teaching us about the process as you go through it. You’ve got this! Been a fanfor about a decade now, and it’s awesome to see all the support.

[@SleepyMatt-zzz]

I really appreciate how you guys have been making videos that help normalize cancer. My wife's mother went through breast cancer treatment in 2021, which became one of the roughest moments of all of our lives. Luckily her treatment was successful, and had since made a sound recovery 😊

[@carolinaramirez6580]

hank, thank you for this. my mom just got diagnosed with breast cancer and got a PET scan done to see how much its spread through her lymphatic system. Its interesting to see it explained and broken down so well. Get well soon Hank! We're in this together!

[@sallycapotosto6927]

I wonder if that's why some dogs can "smell" cancer - because of the extra glucose. This is all so complicated. Thank you, Hank, for helping us understand this very complicated process and sharing your path with us. God bless.

[@HexerPsy]

But then they would go off at diabetics as well. Likely the dog is capable of smelling the disturbed metabolites, or the waste products of killed cancer cells (your immune system actually fights the cancer cells it can detect, but cancer cells attempt avoiding detection, and obviously in that state, are outgrowing the immune response).

[@Armistead_MacSkye]

Dogs cannot "smell" disease.

[@luskibendyfork4472]

Hank, you're an inspiration! Stay well!

[@Sarappreciates]

Thanks for this video! Cancer is a head game. Scan anxiety, then Keto diet over the weekend to prep for PET scan, then another little while waiting for results. Every 6 months now for the past 3 years. I try to make myself look forward to the scans, like we're going on a mini-quest to learn new stuff! My next PET is due at the end of July, then wait for results in 1st week of August. I'm nervous but also grateful. My lymph nodes are clear, the original tumor is tiny now, and you'd need a medical degree just to see the lung nodules my doc points to because they shrank so much on Ibrance, Letrozole and Lupron that I can't see them. However, now this new thing on my spine... *HOW can cancer tumors shrink whilst new ones grow?* That's what I wanna know. I'm still "responding well to treatment" but the very idea of this new growth on my spine - I try not to freak myself out, but it's freaky, man! It's still itty-bitty, but *HOW can a new tumor grow while the rest are shrinking???* Crazy. Nevertheless, *_GO HANK!_* I'm totally Team Hank on the side of kicking the crap outta cancer!

[@daphnefernandez6589]

First of all, I am sorry to know that you have cancer! May your treatment make you feel much better! The unfortunate thing about cancer is that these cells constantly mutate, and this new cancer in your spine doesn't respond to the treatment you are currently receiving due to its mutation. This is why scientists don't have an answer to cure cancer yet. It is so complex! Hopefully, your results in August came back even better! May God give you more opportunities and continue improving from your cancer. All the best, Daphne. ❤😊

[@Sarappreciates]

@@daphnefernandez6589 Thanks! Yeah, my scan was last week, and it was the same as my last scan, which is excellent news!! ❤

[@godschild3640]

@@daphnefernandez6589🩷PLEASE🩷 ANSWER 🩷I HAVE STAGE 4 NON SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER HOW LONG WILL OT TAKE FOR IT TO GO TO BRAIN 🧠. I CAN SEE THE YELLOW ON PET SCAN BUT WHAT ARE THE 🔴 DOTS .MY CANCER GLOWES YELLOW WHITE .. I would really love to know how long it would take. How many months does it take to go out of the lung and into the brain or somewhere else and thank you so much for being here to support us all.🩷

[@raecoffey]

I think it’s extremely admirable that, despite having his own struggles with it, Hank is willing, able, and happy to teach us about cancer and cancer treatments. You’re amazing Hank and a hero to many

[@scottbruner9266]

Only Hank can turn what most of us would consider a personal tragedy, into an opportunity to educate the world….

[@TekkitTurtle]

I love you Hank

[@gauravdesale9552]

knaH uoy evol I

[@dustyprater7884]

Perfect timing as my dad went in for his PET Scan today. Thanks!

[@STEVEARABIA1]

Glad to see you’re doing well. Good luck. We’re all pulling for you.

[@lilacsnroses247]

I just had my second PET scan on friday. The tumor in my lung shrank, so im going to surgery in two weeks. Im terrified!! But going through it with Hank has helped a lot. Great info. Thanks. And we are both going to get through this

[@tommunyon2874]

My partner's malignant melanoma was one jump ahead of the medical profession. He became terminal about a day before his scheduled PET scan and entered hospice, instead. Less than 3 weeks later he was gone. Nurses that didn't return phone calls as promised, and a doctor who was on vacation without making it known didn't help. These developments are a great advantage, but only when access allows for their timely use.

[@milanobmx]

hope everything goes smoothly for Hank, we love you man

[@RicardoRivera-o7c]

Hope you can go through this process as soon as possible and fully recover. You have been an educational voice in my home, and we enjoy every video you do. Cheers brother!

[@lisaharvey9940]

Praying that you heal up well and completely!

[@anniestroklund2442]

I'm an oncology nurse & I'm thrilled you made this video! I will use this as a teaching aid, as I have done with some of the other videos you've made since your diagnosis. I wish you well on yourjourney to remission. Your doing great & helping so many of us along the way. I send you & your family (John too) all the love the universe has to offer! 💖☮️💘🕊💛✌️💜💐💗🥰💝😘❤🌈❤️‍🩹🤕💚🤢💙😌🧡☺️❣️

[@lf3skillz921]

I knew it already, but hearing you say it out loud really hits home. Thank you for everything you do for the scientific community Hank! You're one of a kind and I'm rooting for you!

[@jmznie]

Im rooting for you Hank. I survived stage 4a colon cancer...so it can happen. Yeah the road was tough as nails, but it can happen.

[@ag135i]

Good luck and best wishes for your recovery Hank don.

[@PraveenSrJ01]

My 70 going on 71 year old dad has had lung 🫁 cancer for the past 2 and a half years and he gets treatment once every 3 weeks at Duke University Medical Center and miraculously his cancer is stable and hasn’t spread. The cancer was caught by a sheer accident which I attribute to divine intervention.

[@Kim.E347]

I found out I have lung cancer 2 days ago. I live in NC and I wanted to ask you if Duke has a different treatment plan than others?

[@Bethanyview]

Our God is a good God. Praying for your dad.

[@chinolebron6233]

Aw Hank, I'm so sorry to hear that. You're in my thoughts. Stay strong! 💪🏼 You got this! I wish you all the best.

[@believeinpeace]

Hank, you are an amazing human being. Thank you for this video.

[@MSK-jd5fi]

As a lymphoma survivor, I’ve been following your journey with a great deal of interest. This video brought back the memory of my first post treatment PET scan. Our daughter was pregnant when I was diagnosed and while I went through treatment. I’d gone for the PET scan after I completed radiation treatment and came straight home when my then son-in-law called to say that my daughter had gone into premature labor. “I’ll be right there” I said….and then remembered the instructions from the radiology staff to not be near pregnant people for the rest of the day, so going to a hospital with lots of pregnant women around was not good. The staff assured me i could go after around 6 more hours when the radiation in my body would have dissipated. Our grandson was not born until the next morning, so I was safe to be around. That sweet boy turns SEVENTEEN next month. Hank, I know that cancer will soon be in your rear view mirror as it is in mine. All the best to you!

[@143366220798]

How did you beat it ..what kinda of foods did you eat??

[@MSK-jd5fi]

I had radiation that killed the cancer cells. That type of lymphoma is very sensitive to radiation. I try and eat a healthy diet for general health but I don’t believe you can beat cancer strictly by diet

[@abiubelo2763]

This guy is sick and still share his knowledge to the world. Thank you man. You are inspiration

[@0111vramj]

I found you shortly after I was diagnosed with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma in May. You have been very helpful in my research to understand what is going on. Thank you for all you do!

[@nicklas7377]

6:28 One of my previous bosses was a botanist who survived breast cancer. She told us about how cancer loves sugar and therefore she consumed less sugar and on top of her regular treatment was fasting. Too bad no doctor ever sat down with her to explain why it was a misconception. She was a smart lady who did have some faith in modern medicine. She definitely would have understood. According to her they all just told her she’s crazy.

[@Bravedom]

The way this is written makes it seem like a loss but this is a success story

[@nicklas7377]

@@Bravedom She did make it yes, and as far as I’m aware by now she even hit the 5 year remission mark. But still, she probably made the treatment more difficult for herself without it helping much and last time I saw her she still restricted her diet because she believed it would lower the chances of it coming back (back then it wasn’t 5 years yet)

[@Bravedom]

@@nicklas7377 Sounds like she found herself a healthier lifestyle :) To my knowledge whatever benefit refined sugar might have is negligible compared to its harm.

[@nicklas7377]

@@Bravedom True. I was just referring to the effect she desired, which was that it helped with her cancer. Which we learned is a myth. And that no doctor ever sat down with her to talk about that.

[@Bravedom]

@@nicklas7377 I wouldn’t rule that out. Avoiding added sugar might not cure everyone’s cancer but that does not mean it can’t help some.

[@davidgroll-cook7125]

Hope all is getting better for you, thanks for sharing your medical condition, you got this. F Cancer

[@russellrini6575]

What I want to see is treatments being made for stage 4 cancer that has already metastasized in some people. And the answer they still get is “It’s too late there’s nothing we can do we’re terribly sorry” I want to see that change some day.

[@WarrenGarabrandt]

We're actually starting to make headway on that. Instead of thinking of cancer as something invasive that must be eradicated aggressively and as fast as possible, some treatments consider cancer to be a part of you, just a part that is cheating on the whole "cooperation for survival" aspect of being a multi cellular being. Rather than therapies that seek to destroy the cancer entirely, these therapies seek to make cancer something that can be coexisted with long term. The patient undergoes treatments to shrink the tumors as much as feasible, then surgery and radiation to remove what can be killed, but the rest is tested with maintenance treatments weekly or so to slow or stop their progression. This can extend the life of the patient for many years beyond what could have been expected otherwise.

[@got_rats]

Then work for it man, you got this

[@conlon4332]

I think sometimes people still can get treatment... I'm not an expert but I think it still depends on the type of cancer.

[@russellrini6575]

@@conlon4332 I Lost one of my Grandfathers that way 18 years before I was born in 1982 from stomach cancer so I never meet him, because of he died of cancer.

[@pilotavery]

@@conlon4332 My friends grandpa has leukemia. He refused treatment. He also was allergic to peanuts, and he did an immunotherapy thing and suddenly his body killed his cancer really quickly. The doctor says it's rare but it happens, some targeted immunotherapy works really well for only specific kinds of leukemia. He got lucky. Someday I hope to see a cure, a way to sample cancer cell and release a virus to kill all cells matching that DNA.

[@ravin007jb]

Did not know you are undergoing cancer treatment. Wishing you the best of luck, and wildly amazed at your positivity and courage! Looking forward to hearing you overcome this💕

[@maryann3820]

My mom is getting a pet scan Thursday. We already know she has cancer that spread to her brain they think it came from her lungs. She is getting her first dose of chemo after the pet scan. Watching your videos talking about cancer related things has helped me a lot with understand what my mom will be dealing with and what's going on.

[@HexerPsy]

Within radiotherapy there are options to fight brain metas quite well with minor side effects (not the whole brain which has inhumane side effects, ask them for Stereotactic Radio Surgery aka SRS). Its not a cure, but it could help quality of life going forward. Also dont take medical advice from strangers online - but I hope this might be helpful in the doctor's office. -Radiotherapy tech.

[@maryann3820]

@@HexerPsy she has had 3 doses of radiation and had surgery to remove 2 of the biggest brain tumors. Now they are starting chemo.

[@jay23cr]

I am sorry that you have cancer, you seem to be taking it really well! I’ve been watching you for severals years now! You’re one of the last persons I’d thought I’d hear has cancer. MY BEST WISHES TO YOU! For a full remission my friend!

[@pkilam]

If you use sugar to light up cancer, imagine how cutting out sugar from food and diet can benefit people. Fairly logical

[@whitulf]

Good luck, Hank, to get well soon with a lasting victory over your cancer! Great explainer video again, amazing to know!

[@edwardsmallwood1201]

FYI: The tech injecting you with the radioactive stuff and performing the PET scan on you is probably a Nuclear Medicine Tech. The next time you go in for a PET scan (hopefully it’s clear this time!) bring a small piece of electrical tape with you and cover the lens of your cell phone camera with it. Then after you’ve been injected with the radioactive stuff, take a video with your cell phone camera pressed against you. Those white specks that keep showing on the screen are gamma rays hitting the cameras CCD sensor. Yeah, I totally did that when I had to have a PET scan. I’m a complete geek. We’re all behind you! You’ll beat this!

[@bryanlatinka]

I love everything the Green brothers have produced. So glad that you look like in high spirits. Good luck Hank!

[@terryenby2304]

I love how clever it all is. Also, wearing a Cat hat in a Pet scan video is funny!

[@emmaceccarelli6958]

Hank, this is heart breaking … I watched all your anatomy crash course videos from 10 years ago this summer and they really helped me to prepare my medicine admission test. We went through nuclear medicine on one of our first days of uni (I am now a med student also thanks to you) So I looked up pet scan videos to go into further detail and I find this We are all rooting for you Hank stay strong you can do this!❤

[@johndemeritt3460]

I had a PET scan a LOOOOOONG time ago, before anyone knew how to say "MRI". Now, it seems that we're mostly using CAT scans and lab work. So although the tools are different, we're still using pet scans. I hope you have a pet to share your cancer journey with! And good luck!

[@rethinkOURreality]

He does, a cat named Gummi Bear!

[@johndemeritt3460]

@@rethinkOURreality, thanks for that information! But now I'm curious . . . why would anyone name a cat "Gummi Bear"?

[@rethinkOURreality]

@@johndemeritt3460 his son named the kitty lol

[@nannywhumpers5702]

Thanks for doing these, I know it's tough to work with cancer the treatments drained my husband. He's going through a lot of scans and the doctors mentioned this one, so perfect timing, so very appreciated.

[@jyairbellot8418]

Feel better man

[@usernameONBEKEND]

You look and sound good Hank. Thank you on taking us on your journey, Sharing your thoughts and feelings is huge.

[@Xandycane]

"Everytime we find a one size beats dome solution, those people's lives get that much better." Very beautifully said and very hopeful. That should be the catchphrase for every scientist working on eradicating complex, deadly diseases.

[@yudcrazy4964]

Good luck Hank! You never lose your spirit and keep this channel as cheery as usual! You've got this! Lets celebrate when you beat the pesky cancer!

[@x3xDair]

Pretty cool feeling to see a new video pop up talking about something you do for a living. The syringes coming in lead cases might seem a little strange (if ambient exposure is that much of a hazard then is it safe to inject?) but it follows the same principle as techs leaving the room while they take an x-ray. That amount of exposure is within acceptable levels, but not when you're working with it all day or giving a dozen x-rays. At any rate, your average commercial flight should be more concerning in terms of radiation exposure.

[@shadowmystery5613]

It's because these tracers emit Gamma Radiation/Beta Radiation (in PET scans) which pretty much goes through any material that's not dense enough. If you handle such material on a regular basis the single dosages add up over time and would increase the lifetime risk in medical personnel, thus the syringes are shielded. The dose of these radioactive tracers, in the case of thyroid diagnostics, is about the equivalent of an x ray done spread over several hours (until the tracer decayed and/or got excreted from your body) Diagnostic tracers also have to emit gamma radiation because you're measuring the radiation outside the body so the radiation needs to be able to pass through tissue and in the case of PET scans are the byproduct of the used Beta Decay, 2 gamma photons and 1 positron (antiparticle of the electron - basically an electron with positive charge) are emitted for every atom undergoing said decay and detected for diagnostic imagery.

[@tbella5186]

Congratulations on finishing chemo. Ive got so much Love for you and John, and so proud of NerdFighteria!!!!

[@Biga101011]

Fun fact. The resolution of PET is determined fundamentally by the distance that positrons can travel on average in tissue before decaying. It just so happens that it is a distance that is useful, but we have already reached basically the limits that are physically achievable.

[@danielcarroll3358]

It is possible to reduce the average range of positrons by using a strong magnetic field. This causes them to circle tightly and travel a shorter distance before meeting an electron. But this gets complicated fast and I don't know if someone has actually tried this with a patient.

[@Biga101011]

@@danielcarroll3358 That is true. When you said that I tried to do a quick calculation of the field strengths required and came to realize that distance also depends on the decay that created the positron, specifically the momentum that the positron has to begin with. I am not aware of any companies actively attempting to use a magnetic field for this, but thank you for pointing out that there are ways around this. What I said was certainly overstated.

[@HexerPsy]

@@danielcarroll3358 Development for PET-MRI is ongoing. The issue is not so much the displacement - you can correct for that, knowing the surrounding tissue information and your MRIs field strength. However, you run into problems in the thorax, where the displacement in lungs is much less reliable to correct for thanks to the much lower lung density.

[@darmawanbdg6431]

Wishing you get well Hank. Please share your treatment and progress. We love u Hank

[@nursemelissajane]

Hank I know exactly what you mean about how surreal it is having something that another person cannot even touch getting injected into your veins. About 10 years ago, my boyfriend was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer & at the time he was given less than 6mos even with treatment. (Spoiler alert: he's still with us, apparently cancer-free, 10 years later). Surgery & radiation were out because the tumors were in nearly every single organ system in his body at that point so all they could do was aggressive chemotherapy & on the first day he was astounded to see the extreme precautions the nurses took to ensure the chemicals didn't touch even their clothing, let alone any part of their bodies. Watching him watch them suit up in what looked like every single piece of protective clothing ever made, I leaned over & teased him, "She is going to spend the entire rest of her shift buried in incident report paperwork if that stuff so much as drips on her clothes...ok honey, lean back & let her get to your injection port." He looked at me & started laughing uncontrollably; thankfully we both have the same dark gallows sense of humor & for the rest of his chemo it was a running joke. The staff thought we'd lost our minds but who cares if it helps you get through? Best of luck, Hank.

[@HexerPsy]

You dont last long if you dip your fingers in chemo every day, nor do you get a lot of children if you work in chemo soaked clothes :P The incident reports these days are a grewling 20min with too many yes/no questions... Good luck finding the time during a shift for that... Glad your boyfriend survived!

[@mikesanders8621]

I've got stage 2 Hodgkins Lymphoma. Watching you stay strong is helping me cope haha.

[@stevencarrollscorpio]

Hope things go well.

[@grafix_plus]

Wishing you a speedy recovery Hank!

[@gsilcoful]

Love you Hank.

[@jnzkngs]

I am so glad that I only live an hour away from the Mayo clinic because when I went through my treatment the level of professionalism was amazing. Even the maintenance guys that showed up after I broke the toilet were very professional.

[@Brown95P]

Since everyone else here is seemingly so late on the uptake, let me instead be the first here to say you actually don't look too bad without hair, Hank -- not unlike Reid in a way even; so while this current state is hopefully temporary, should there ever be an age where your hair naturally regresses, the silver lining will be that you will look good no matter your hair length. 👍

[@somepath410]

KZbin is recommending less scishow videos and among that few am not seeing Hank, couldn’t guess why but didn’t expect cancer. With all our prayers and your scientific research helps you alongside the treatment, we’ll see you back healthy Hank💪 ❤

[@RD9_Designs]

The good news is that I am getting a lot of Sci Show recommendations, so that means that it's popularity isn't declining... I notice that when I save videos to watch later, I get fewer recommendations for that channel, which makes little sense, because those are the videos that I most look forward to watching!

[@neofox411]

By some strange coincidence, my current job is making the radioactive sugar used in PET scans. As a side note, it is fairly safe by the time it's injected in a patient and it has a short half-life of about 2 hours so within a day or so it's decayed to nothing.

[@fransinigiraldo4695]

You’re one amazing human. A big hug from a caring and nerdy nurse. Keep your beautiful energy shining and all my energy to go through this process 🙏🏼💕🙏🏼💕

[@LaxmikantKachhap]

My dad is fighting cancer and we're about to lose him. It's weird because two months ago he seemed fine and now he's turning into a skeleton. I have grown a love for science through this channel and can't believe you've got cancer too. Hope you get well soon, Hank!

[@StrangeChickandPuppo]

I'm in your corner for your dad to recover

[@kituscattus5836]

I’m so sorry🫂

[@harmonicaveronica]

I'm sorry about your dad. Sometimes this stuff happens so fast! I hope that he has as many good days and good moments as he can possibly have given how sick he is ❤

[@silvieb2024]

Try all the alternative treatments you can find. You have nothing to lose. BEST WISHES.

[@wbnc66]

just had this conversation with my wifes Oncologist, you went into much mor detail than he could...It wasn't that he didn't understand he just could not sum up the info as effectively as you did... so thanks man ya answered some questions for me.

[@mikefelber5129]

I got a pet scan lately, bad news - no pets

[@deborahmarlewski6786]

Please get well soon. You have a great optimistic outlook. You ROCK

[@peter5628]

But the question remains... Can the PET-Scanner actually scan pets?

[@im_agine852]

I named my dog Deogee.

[@pierreabbat6157]

Dogs can't operate MRI scanners but catscan!

[@tarmaque]

@@pierreabbat6157 "911, what is the nature of your emergency?" "There's a lethal Dad Joke loose in here!" "Please stay calm! I'll have a certified comedian there as soon as possible to help."

[@nursemelissajane]

​@@im_agine852My auntie named their mini pin "Dioji" -- took me a minute but I eventually figured it out & absolutely love it. Your alternative is great too.

[@hindolbhattacharya9715]

Hope for a quick recovery Hank.

[@connorwallace8576]

Allopathic medicine has you do CT scans, PET scans and mammograms as "preventative measures", which ironically only cause cancer. The ionizing radiation from these specific imaging machines induces cancer by disrupting the molecules and electrons in your cells. The radiation is strong enough to cause double-strand damage and thus a gene mutation which eventually leads to cancer 6-7 years after exposure. Allopathic medicine also has you do biopsies, these help cancers grow because it punctures the extracellular matrix that a cancer is encaged in and helps it grow. Chemo and radiation don't distinguish between healthy and cancer cells, they kill all cells, which leads to rebound cancer later on, so avoid this also, but most people don't listen and "trust/believe the science" instead of following the evidence

[@hmgrraarrpffrzz9763]

Unlike alternative treatments, allopathic medicine has at least a track record where it cured people. Alternative treatment providers are just a cesspool of scammers and religious fanatics who want to strip the most desperate of their money.

[@osamudazai579]

Sorry to hear about your cancer. Hope your treatment goes well Hank!

[@joshuap8224]

Pee out that cancer dude! You got this

[@monk607]

I think I can speak for literally the entire world when I say we are all beyond thrilled that you are now cancer free. I don't want to live in a world without all your amazing knowledge and videos

[@egreenmiii]

Good luck with your cancer, we have always loved your shows

[@PraveenSrJ01]

We are all praying for you to make a full recovery ❤️‍🩹 from your cancer

[@quintinwaterhouse5804]

Love you hank, I never comment on KZbin but I watch it like a quarter of my life, but I just have to say you got this hank. Your a huge inspiration. Stay strong my friend!

[@6ix4our]

I worked as an IT professional for a company that maintains and resells PET, CT, and MRI equipment. I learned a lot about this equipment before it was used on my daughter to detect her cancer. I'm glad to see SciShow covering the mechanisms that these devices utilize to save lives.

[@graemeo3440]

It is good to see that the cancer has not dimmed your enthusiasm or energy. Good luck in your fight.

[@MrPuma949]

As a SW developer for a major PET scanner, I'm very proud of this tech and all the good it does! Hope for the best in your fight!

[@javadog6288]

I have just learned about this in the last week or so. It is amazing that a CT scan can be done at the same time as the PET, then the images can be fused together like a double exposure in an old fashioned film camera. So there is the structural image from the CT plus the hot spots from high FDG glucose uptake areas.

[@dishabrahmbhatt3365]

My respect for you just increased!! Making videos WHILE going through the treatments.