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What kinds of scan/xrays should I have after treatment has ended

janiegirl
0 Recommendations

I finished treatment for stage 3a nsclc about 5 weeks ago and I am going to have my first CT on July 7th. I had chemo and radiation, no surgery because it was considered inoperable. After my first CT, my doc will followup with chest xrays every 2 months for a while. My tumors (1 in left upper lobe and 3 lymph nodes on the same side involved including mediastinal) barely showed up on the chest xray that was done, so I am concerned about using that as a followup after the initial CT. I am a breast cancer survivor of 6 years and had yearly chest xrays and nothing had shown up prior to this. Is there a standard followup for each stage or does it depend on the doctor?

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Cancer Surgery Gallbladder cancer Lung cancer Breast cancer

11 replies

Veronique

Dear Janiegirl,
As far as I know there is a protokoll for the treatment of lung cancer, and it is the same everywhere all over the world. I am really sorry for you, that it happened so unexpectedly. Sometimes, rarely though, the simple chest xrays don't show the tumour (if it is very small), the CT or MR more safe.

CKP

I was 3a with surgery and chemo (no radiation) and I had CT scans (chest, abdomen, pelvis) every three months for the first year, then every four months, then 6 months. Since I have been NED since surgery (2 1/2+ years!!) my next scan will be in 8 months.

I think you should request a CT with contrast.

As far as a standard, I'm not sure, but you could ask Dr. West at www.cancergrace.org. He's very helpful.

Cindy

stacey1

Hi. I was 3a also. It souds like I was almost exactly where you are. I had chemo, radiation and surgery though. I have had a pet scan and cat scan every 3 months since last August after chemo. Now I have "graduated" to pet scan 3 months and then after that CT next t months so on and so forth. I would ask for a CT if you can. Good luck!

janiegirl

I guess I just don't understand how some 3a can have surgery and some are inoperable. Doesn't all 3a involve the mediatstinal lymph node. It's not that I want surgery, I just want any chance I have of survival. If my upcoming CT is NED, I'm probably going to do the Stimuvax vaccine trial. Also why do some oncologists do chest xrays and others do the CT scans. I think I will insist on the CT and I may get a second opinion at Duke on the surgery. Thanks for responding and stay well!
Jane

BetsyT

Janiegirl,
My treatment (chemo,surgery,then rad.& more chemo) ended 1 year ago. I have had PET scans every 3 months since. At last Dr. visit ,doc said we could switch to Chest x-ray-Alternate every 3months between that & PET. As much as I hate having PET scans the thought of JUST a chest x-ray sort of freaked me out.. I called my surgeon to run it by him-He feels the same as my Onc. & said if there's nothing they are "watching"-- alternate PET/ x-ray is what he recommends too.They ARE watching a nodule so I don't know if I should push for PET or wait & hope ...Good Luck.......Betsy

CKP

I was staged 3a because of the size of the tumor (7cm) and because I had micropscopic amounts of cancer in two lymph nodes outside the lung. The mediastinum was clear.

I was able to have surgery because after all the tests, including a scope of the mediastinum, it appeared the only place I had cancer was in the lung. It wasn't until after surgery, when the pathology report came back on the lymph nodes that had been removed, that I was staged 3a.

I consider myself very lucky and extremely blessed to have the outcome I have had.

Hope this helps,
Cindy

janiegirl

The scary thing for me is that I don't think he plans on doing PET scans at all unless something shows up on the CT or future chest xrays. I will definitely ask for CT at least for the foreseeable future. In your case, at least they are still going to do the PET's twice a year. Good luck to you!
Jane

lorbethm

I'd ask for a CONTRAST CT scan, not just a CT scan. It shows up things a little better than a regular CT scan, from what I understand. I went through I don't know HOW many contrast CT scans before my surgery in October, along with a PET scan. ;) I am now doing 3 month check-ups and they did a PET scan this last time. They'll do a contrast CT the next visit.

Good luck!!

Lorie

Isunique

I'm not sure if this will help. They found my tumor with a chest X-ray and it was only 3 cm. I have found that a lot of all this depends on who is doing the reading of the data. I am 1B and I am going every 4 months for chest x-ray and 6 months for CT scan with lower body. Since I had gallbladder cancer (16 yrs) they want to check my ab area as well.

peyz33

Betsy - I was just told that I am having a PET scan on Friday - I had a PET scan in June - you said that you had PET scans every three months for a year - is this safe??????? Now I'm worried!
Karen

peyz33

thanks Betsy -

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