Post treatment question

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arjenkins
arjenkins Member Posts: 36
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Hi everyone,

I try to log on most days and read to keep up with everyones progress. I think quite a few of you are recently post treatment, just had a first scan or getting ready to have a first scan. I say Prayers for all of you going through this ordeal.

My Dad finished his radiation and chemo on February 8, 2011. He met with the radiation oncologist on March 1 for a check-up. She scheduled a CT scan for March 23 but is waiting another couple of months for the PET. My question is...is this pretty standard? I asked her why not a PET and CT on March 23 and she said protocol is for the PET to be later. What have your experiences been as far as the timing of post treatment CT and PET scans?

He is scheduled to have the feeding tube removed on March 23 as well. She is also having him meet with a surgeon in the event that any lymph nodes need to be removed upon CT results.

Thanks for your feedback always!
Andrea

Comments

  • Glenna M
    Glenna M Member Posts: 1,576
    #2
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    Protocol
    Happy to hear your father has finished his treatment and hopefully he is not experiencing many side effects.

    I think it depends on your doctors, some do PET sooner than others, I have not had one since finishing my treatment 17 months ago but have a CT scan every 3 months. From what I have read from many others here it is quite common to get false positives if the PET is given too soon. A CT with contrasts will show them what they need to know so I wouldn't let this worry you.

    Stay strong,
    Glenna
  • ratface
    ratface Member Posts: 1,337 Member
    #3
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    Glenna M said:

    Protocol
    Happy to hear your father has finished his treatment and hopefully he is not experiencing many side effects.

    I think it depends on your doctors, some do PET sooner than others, I have not had one since finishing my treatment 17 months ago but have a CT scan every 3 months. From what I have read from many others here it is quite common to get false positives if the PET is given too soon. A CT with contrasts will show them what they need to know so I wouldn't let this worry you.

    Stay strong,
    Glenna

    I do it exactly as Glenna
    No PET post treatment. I had one prior to treatment as it's a great tool to set up the radiation fields. CT scans every 4 months to include head and neck, chest and abs. You will get answers all over the spectrum. I've seen anything within 3-12 months. Don't fret over this test as there really is no standard. It really depends on your doctor, the institution, and their philosophy of treatment. You can request anything you want but if you have been happy with his treatment so far just let it be.
  • Kent Cass
    Kent Cass Member Posts: 1,898 Member
    #4
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    ratface said:

    I do it exactly as Glenna
    No PET post treatment. I had one prior to treatment as it's a great tool to set up the radiation fields. CT scans every 4 months to include head and neck, chest and abs. You will get answers all over the spectrum. I've seen anything within 3-12 months. Don't fret over this test as there really is no standard. It really depends on your doctor, the institution, and their philosophy of treatment. You can request anything you want but if you have been happy with his treatment so far just let it be.

    PS/CT
    Typically, it seems, the tests used to be ordered for 3-months after treatment. The main reason is to "establish a baseline" for future PS/CT test results to be compared against. Not unusual for the 3-month to show a potential problem, and for that to be a false-Positive, as it was in my case. This was a subject matter awhile ago, here. My ENT brushed-off my 3-month results as typical, and simply ordered the next PS/CT to be done 9-months later. Others have had less-friendly experiences that never should have happened (false-Positives acted upon, rather than seen for what they most probably are). Also, the qualilty of CTs have come into serious concerns about within the past year, so you might want to keep that in mind. There is always the chance the Drs. didn't do their job as well as they should have, and the C was not evaluated to be as bad as it is, which means a 3-month might show a real problem; however, the odds are that treatment has knocked the C onto the canvas, and anything that "shows" is not really C.

    kcass
  • Pumakitty
    Pumakitty Member Posts: 652
    #5
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    Hi
    Andrea,

    I am glad your dad has finished treatment. My dad's ENT wanted to do his PET and CT around 1 month post treatment, but his oncologist put it off till about 2 1/2 monthes. His CT was clean but the PET showed some activity on the original site. He decided to wait to have another scan before doing anything. He will be having that scan on Monday, and it is only the CT.

    I hope all goes well with your dad.

    Kathy
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #6
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    PET & CT
    Hi Andrea, like mentioned, some MD's like to do a PET earlier than others....it seems that in a lot on instances where the PET is given in less than six months, there are higher instances of false readings caused be residual from the radiation.

    I had my first PET at about 4 motnhs, it was all clear for me. I had an annual PET last August and am scheduled for another this August. CT scans I have had about every 3 months the first year, those have been spread out now to one between the annual PET.

    Best to you,
    John
  • rush1958
    rush1958 Member Posts: 221 Member
    #7
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    PET
    Andrea,

    Most folks have touched upon the common concern of doing a PET scan early and getting a false positive reading.

    When I finished treatment, they had me do a CT scan about three out and scheduled a PET scan about six months out. They're explaination was that they're experience had been that earlier PET scans were just to fickle with they're results.

    Rush
  • buzz99
    buzz99 Member Posts: 404
    #8
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    rush1958 said:

    PET
    Andrea,

    Most folks have touched upon the common concern of doing a PET scan early and getting a false positive reading.

    When I finished treatment, they had me do a CT scan about three out and scheduled a PET scan about six months out. They're explaination was that they're experience had been that earlier PET scans were just to fickle with they're results.

    Rush

    Pets
    Buzz has his first PET/CT scheduled for March 15 which is just a bit over two months from the end of treatment. From what I have read on the forum, that is too soon. We are expecting a false positive. What is the point in doing the PET early then? I guess the Oncologist has his reasons....
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #9
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    buzz99 said:

    Pets
    Buzz has his first PET/CT scheduled for March 15 which is just a bit over two months from the end of treatment. From what I have read on the forum, that is too soon. We are expecting a false positive. What is the point in doing the PET early then? I guess the Oncologist has his reasons....

    Not All..
    Mine was earlier than my ENT would have liked (my chemo MD ordered it). Mine was only about three months out. It was all clear, but a lot aren't.

    My ENT's reasoning on not doing it that earlier was as stated above, the high chance of false readings.

    I think some MD's use it as a baseline post treatment.

    Best,
    John
  • ekdennie
    ekdennie Member Posts: 238 Member
    #10
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    PET
    I know that my doctor is holding off on doing a PET scan as long as he can...he doesn't want to introduce too much new radiation into my body and the chemical they use for the PET scan is mildly radioactive. he was going to hold off on another CT as well, but I needed one for a sinus infection, so he checked for any sign of regrowth while he was looking at my sinuses.
    your dad's doctor may be wanting to wait due to false positives, or they may want to wait to make sure that he doesn't get too much radiation exposure all at once. and then there is the insurance issue. some insurance companies will make you wait a certain period of time between PET scans, unless there is a medically necessary reason, such as a suspected tumor on a CT scan or Xray.
    best of luck to you and your dad!
    hugs!
    elizabeth

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