done with chemo...now what?

[Guest]

I am finishing soon and want to know what to expect for follow-ups.Are there scheduled check ups with the oncologist? How soon after scans done? What scans should be done, CT and/or PET...anything else? How frequent are the scans and colonoscopies? Sorry for all the questions. Just want to be informed before I talk with my doc.

[CBLACK]

I have been wondering the same questions. My husband finishes mid-March and his doctor suggested only a CT scan, not PET. Is this normal? I appreciate anyone's advice on this subject.
~Colleen

[momof2crazyboyz]

[quote="CBLACK"]I have been wondering the same questions. My husband finishes mid-March and his doctor suggested only a CT scan, not PET. Is this normal? I appreciate anyone's advice on this subject.
~Colleen[/quote]

Hi CBlack and Guest... I finished with chemo in Jan have to wait 4 weeks to get a CatScan done -- My onc. said that we do not need a Pet Scan at this time. (I was dx in July 2006 with Stage II CC, Had Surgery for removal of tumors with no bag (very lucky). He did say that I would need to go in July for a colonoscopy and if the scope comes back clean it would be every 6 months, if I have polyps then every 3 months until no polyps are there. He also said that I should get pap smears and uterine biopys done in about 6 months. They believe that my Ca was genetic, since my Father had it when he was 33 and I am 36 right now. Since it most likely is genetic they said that I would have to be very careful and closely monitored for uterine Ca. He just said that I would see him for the rest of my life and need to keep up with the testing..

Good Luck to both of you --- stay positive. !!

Cathy

[pjpeace]

i asked my oncologist the same thing on my last round of chemo. I got a CT scan a week after finishing chemo (no mets yeah)!

Ok CT scans every 2 months first year
2nd year scanned every 3 months
3rd year every 4

Or that was for appointments? i think that was for scans though? Trying to figure out my notes!

Of course this is before he thought i could do surgery too...i freaking hate barium for the contrast...ugh...does anyone else get explosive diahrehha from the barium contrast for CT scans? that stuff is the worst. i can drink it down ok so drinking it's no problem just having it come out sucks!

[nodo]

I had a CT, chest x-ray and blood work done 3 months after finishing chemo. For the first two years, they recommended blood work every 3 months and CT/x-rays every 6 months. I think the fear is having too many CTs and xrays and what all that radiation may do. My onco agreed to continue the 3 month blood work/6 month CT/xray regimen to my five year mark. At two years, they did recommend making it 6 month blood work and yearly CTs and x-rays. However, I was not comfortable with that so we are going with the 3 month blood work and the 6 month CT/xrays. I will tell you that I have had strange things come back from time to time on those CTs. It has freaked me out, but none of those things has ever turned out to be a recurrence. As for colonoscopies, I have them yearly. They have deemed my cancer to be genetic (although not HNPCC), so they are watching carefully. Good luck!

[ASTEPHENS33]

Some website links that I found interesting and helpful

http://www.fightcolorectalcancer.org/ne ... cancer.php - ASCO updates colorectal cancer surveillance practice guidelines

http://caonline.amcancersoc.org/cgi/con ... l/56/3/160 - Guidelines for Colonoscopy Surveillance after Cancer Resection: A Consensus Update by the American Cancer Society and US Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer

http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyO ... py/dh/4590 - This is a research study that that cancer chemotherapy appears to have a temporary and reversible effect on thought processes and memory.

As for this last reference and from my own experience (I completed chemo about 8 months ago), it does take a while for the chemo effects to go away. My physical symptons - such as feet problems - are still lingering and emotionally I got very down - this "lost feeling".

[ASTEPHENS33]

Another comment about post-chemo was my CEA. It was about 1 prior to chemo (in other words, wasn't a good marker to indicated cancer for me). The CEA, however, went up during chemo. The first CEA test after chemo continued to climb a bit taking about 7 months to get back to 1. This freaked me a bit, so wanted to share this, as I'm not sure if its normal or was just me.

[momof2crazyboyz]

[quote="ASTEPHENS33"]Some website links that I found interesting and helpful

http://www.fightcolorectalcancer.org/ne ... cancer.php - ASCO updates colorectal cancer surveillance practice guidelines

http://caonline.amcancersoc.org/cgi/con ... l/56/3/160 - Guidelines for Colonoscopy Surveillance after Cancer Resection: A Consensus Update by the American Cancer Society and US Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer

http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyO ... py/dh/4590 - This is a research study that that cancer chemotherapy appears to have a temporary and reversible effect on thought processes and memory.

As for this last reference and from my own experience (I completed chemo about 8 months ago), it does take a while for the chemo effects to go away. My physical symptons - such as feet problems - are still lingering and emotionally I got very down - this "lost feeling".[/quote]

Thanks for the website -- very interesting read... Cathy

[Guest]

Articles talk about standard of care for the average aged person with colon cancer, not young ones like us. do you have to have genetic testing to get extra treatment approved?

[Guest]

That's the problem I can't seem to find any articles or treatment plan information for young people either. If someone knows of any pass it along.

[nodo]

My oncologists in Texas have basically told me that the earlier you catch a recurrence, the more likely you will be to treat it successfully. The smaller the recurrence, the more likely it would be operable and then treatable with chemo. That being said, they are doing CTs, xrays and blood work. Blood work is not always reliable; therefore, there is a need for the additional testing. I had normal CEA on the day of my colon resection and I was a stage IIIC. They also told me that CTs would pick up a tumor approximately 3 months before I would feel any kind of pain or pressure. Now, that's not an absolute, but they feel the more testing you do (without overdoing it), the higher the chances are of successfully treating a recurrence. I am in my 30s and they felt that the follow up should be aggresssive. My local oncologist, who is just wonderful, did not feel the need for such aggressive follow up. He only wanted to do the blood work. When I questioned him on this, he said that "there have not been any studies" showing that doing regular CTs/xrays increases chances of survival following a recurrence. That just doesn't make sense to me, which is why I sought the advice of oncologists in Texas. If you have one small met that is operable, I would sure as heck rather know about it at that stage than when it grew larger, multiplied and was inoperable. Aggressive follow up is very important. You need to decide what is best for you and find a doctor that will give that to you.

[nodo]

I meant to post this link:

http://www.plwc.org/portal/site/PLWC/me ... 730ad1RCRD

[CBLACK]

This is all good information. Thank you.
If my husband were to find out that his is genetic would his treatment plan be different from the standard follow-ups? We are debating on doing genetic testing and if there are benefits with insurance coverage and care we would do it.

[momof2crazyboyz]

Hi cblack -- search under genetics on this site. There is great infomation regarding this topic. Cathy