Question:
The first year my husband didn't have a scan until after his surgery and 3 chemo treatments. He then had a pet and ct scan combination. He had liver surgery 4 months after his colon surgery and then did not have a scan for 6 months and then again 6 months later. He now has them every three months. The first oncologist was the one who did the scans every 6 months and this new one is wanting the every three months. He likes to see what is going on. So it does seem like it depends on the doctor and how he likes to do things.
Good luck with the rest of your treatments, keep good thoughts and be good to yourself.
Answer:
I've had 3 ct scans this year so far, I was dx in Feb. I have had one pet scan. I am going to request a CEA level every three months, and biannual ct scans, and 1 petscan annually, as well as a scope annually, they can't do a colonscopy on me because of my total colectomy.
I feel petscans are the best way to go, in terms of colon, the CT scan doesn't show much because it's on the inside, hence the colonscopy. My cancer never showed up on the CT scans but it did on the Pet. This is what I feel comfortable with and with 5 people in my family already passing from this, I don't feel it's an unreasonable request.
GL and keep a chart for yourself, I have one for me.
Answer:
This is a great question. My doc wants to do a chest, abdomen and pelvic CT scan the week before my reversal (two weeks post chemo). I have not had a scan since just before my last surgery - I think that was October. My CEA levels were never high, even with an "active" tumor in my rectum. I have never had a PET scan - should I push for one? My staging was never really certain because I had chemo and radiation BEFORE my surgery, so we don't know if I had positive nodes or not. I do know that I had a "poorly differentiated" adenocarcinoma, which I know is not good. Now you have me wondering if I should push for the PET scan...hmmmm...
Take care,
Cats
Answer:
Larry, called his Mayo Clinic oncologist, and asked her about having a pet scan done. (he never had one done before) She is trying to fit it into his schedule the week of his reversal surgury. When he was first diagnosed I had never heard of pet scans and then found out that insurance companies reguire preapproval to cover them. Maybe the insurance Carriers are starting to realize that finding cancer early is less expensive down the line than treating cancer in later stages ???
Hugs,Kathy
Answer:
My husband has CEA checked every three months with a physical & a CT every year. He was dx'd 2.5 years ago & staged between 3 & 4. They removed his spleen and part of the pancreas.
It sounds like every doc is different and I'm sure it depends on the initial diagnosis. My husband had a terrible time, got a MRSA infection after his surgery so chemo had to wait several months. Horribly sick from chemo landed him back in the hospital after 3 months (half way through chemo). Got a hernia from vomiting (ripped his stitches out) so was back in the hospital a year later to have that repaired.
His next CT & CEA is due next month. Very stressful time for both of us. His aunt had colon CA with mets to the stomach & she is doing fine (83 years old) so we pray for a similar outcome.