cat scan

[NICK THE BRIT]

Hi everyone.

Just wanted to know what the situation is on your side of the pond regarding cat scans. Im currently half way through my chemo treatment. Is it common practice over there to have a scan half way through the treatment, or to wait until the treatment is over. Stage III. 3 out of 28 nodes positive.

Peace and Love to all

Nick

[missjv]

hi nick,
well in my situation i had cat scan after 4 treatments and pet scan is after 5 treatments and i am scheduled for 6 treatments before surgery. i have 1 more treatment to go on 4 october and that will be the 6th treatment then off to surgery. so i guess they all do it differently.

missjv

[ASTEPHENS33]

I was stage IIIA (1 node out of 33 tested positive). I had a CT scan prior to surgery, none during chemo (which was Xeloda), one after chemo.

[meighan]

Hi there my husband is also a stage 3 with 4 out of 32 nodes positive and is on folfox 6, 9 treatments behind us and 3 to go. For stage three as i understand it with no tumor to monitor the effects of chemo on present they do not normally do cat scans during chemo unless an abnormality shows up. For example my husband had elevated liver enzymes in june so they did a cat scan to clear up any concerns but now he scheduled to finish the beginning of nov, fingers crossed so he will have a cat scan once treatments are over. Then in the end of november we head back to sloan for a visit with the team there and he will have them look at the scans and they will do a scope as well. All the big stuff we have both our MD's here and in NYC look at. Hope this helps our follow up is all we have to monitor this and stay ahead of anything make sure they do it well Best of luck to you and keep us posted on your progress.

[NICK THE BRIT]

Thanks guys for the response

[Chris]

Im currently half way through my chemo treatment. Is it common practice over there to have a scan half way through the treatment, or to wait until the treatment is over. Stage III. 3 out of 28 nodes positive.
Nick

In Spain it is common practice to have a cat scan every 3 months and a combined PET/Cat scan if there is is any concern regarding disease progression.

My husband was initially stage 3 but a met appeared in his lung and later his liver whilst on chemo. Its helps to be pro-active and monitor your blood tests so remember to ask for a copy every fortnight and monitor liver functions also CEA and 19.9 results for any upward trend.

Chris

[Lee]

Just to add my regiment, I was stage 3, had plenty of x-rays, scans prior to surgery, none while on chemo, but did get a scan one month after my last treatment. Now I routinely have a scan once every 6 mths (but see my oncologist every 3 mths).

[suzieh]

Just to follow up, it sounds as we all have a different treatment plan. I had a CT scan half way through treatment, and one 1 month off treatment and every 3months until.......That was with stage 3, finished FOLFOX in April, all clear. My oncologists believes in the proactive approach. Alot can happen with this crazy cancer in 6 months. good luck.

[alihamilton]

I live in The Bahamas but my husband had part of his treatment in the UK because at that time, we had no radiotherapy here. He had a scan half way through treatment in the UK because of a blockage but would not have had one otherwise. I think, had we been here, it would have been the same protocol. Then he had one a few months after completing chemotherapy to see if it had worked. I have read that too many scans are not good either, so it is a balance between monitoring the possiblilty of recurrence and the possible long term side effects of too many scans. Now, three years later, he gets a scan every year. Hope this helps.