Scans After Initial Chemo/Radiation

mcci47

I was wondering if anyone could give me an idea of when scans and what scans are done after inital chemo/radiation treatment.

My husband has Stage 4 rectal cancer and has gone through 5 and a half weeks of combination chemo pills and radiation.  Next is surgery but I wanted to know when/if any scans are done from now to the surgery.

If anyone has any info on this, I would appreciate it.  I have been waiting for the oncologist's office to get back to me for a week to answer this question.

abita

I imagine every surgeon is

I imagine every surgeon is different. I had 4 rounds of chemo before my liver. I had a pet scan and a ct scan. My liver lesions were large so the scans helped plan the surgery and was to see if there was any spread that we didn't know about.

Tunadog

Sounds pretty standard

I also had radiation and chemo to shrink the tumor before surgery.

Then they will know more.

 

Good Luck 

Trubrit

All over the place

It is true, each Oncologist has a different approach to treatments and such.

My Oncologist wanted no scans or CEA bloodwork until I was completely done with treatment. I had my first scan a month out of treatment. 

Keep calling the Oncologist nurses to get your answer. 

tru

airborne72

Scans

mcci47:

My treatment consisted of 5 1/2 weeks of radiation and chemo (Xeloda pills) simultaneously.  That began in early July and finished in mid August.  Then in mid September I had a CT scan.  In mid October I had my surgery (resection).

As others have said, all cases are different and unique.  Plus, ask your oncologist and if he/she is slow to respond then be persistent.

I wish you both luck in this journey.  Review the previous posts included in this forum, especially those concerning caregivers for a spouse who has been diagnosed stage IV.

Jim

Annabelle41415

Schedule

The schedule of treatments, followup, scans, etc is really up to the doctor.  Diagnosed in November and My treatment (rad/chemo) started in January, surgery in March, more chemo started in May and ended in September and then a scan the end of October.  My staging was different than your's also, but each doctor wants to do it according to the individual and a pattern they think best.  Wishing you well.

Kim

mcci47

Thanks for the info!

This is just what I was looking for.  We are just trying to get an idea of what to expect as far as scans.

We are a little frustrated with the oncologist's office as this seems to be the pattern when you need something.  We are considering a different doctor, but who knows, it may be the same

Thanks everyone for responding!

Mikenh

My surgeon requested an MRI

My surgeon requested an MRI after chemo and radiation and before surgery. I'm Stage 3B.

mcci47

Mikenh said:

My surgeon requested an MRI

My surgeon requested an MRI after chemo and radiation and before surgery. I'm Stage 3B.

MRI

How soon after you completed the chemo and radiation did you have the MRI?

SandiaBuddy

mcci47 said:

MRI

How soon after you completed the chemo and radiation did you have the MRI?

Scan

I had my first scan, a CT scan, about three months after wrapping up chemo.

Betsydoglover

Scan after chemo-rad

I can't speak directly to this, because my tumor was sigmoid rather than rectal, as I gather your's is based upon treatment.  However, rather than waiting for your onc to return a call where the message may have been relayed through someone who didn't really understand the question, you should probably make an appt.  With my onc any active treatment, non-emergency  patient could get an appt in a couple of days, and that was a much better way to get info.

 

Take care,

 

B312C

my wife

 had her first scan six weeks after starting chemo which was much earlier than the other doctors we met with suggested they would do

st iv - mets to liver - left side wild kras