Pet/ct scans

Tonora
Tonora Member Posts: 12
in Anal Cancer #1
Do most anal cancer survivors who are in post treatment stage have Pet/ct scans? If so, how soon after you finished treatment did you have a scan? I completed treatment in April 2011 for a stage 2 anal cancer. I had the standard protocol treatment of radiation and chemo.

Comments

  • duckyann
    duckyann Member Posts: 159
    #2
    Hi Tonora,
    Some people have
    Hi Tonora,

    Some people have PET/CT's and some just have CT's, I think it depends on your doctor. I had my first post treatment PET/CT at 4 months out. I have a friend although that didn't get hers until 9 months after. So it all depends I guess on your doctor. I would ask him/her.
  • z
    z Member Posts: 1,414 Member
    #3
    duckyann said:

    Hi Tonora,
    Some people have
    Hi Tonora,

    Some people have PET/CT's and some just have CT's, I think it depends on your doctor. I had my first post treatment PET/CT at 4 months out. I have a friend although that didn't get hers until 9 months after. So it all depends I guess on your doctor. I would ask him/her.

    tonora
    Welcome, sorry you had to find us. I had a pet/ct a merged image at 4 months out also, as Nancy said please ask your dr. They all don't use the same follow up systems, although I think it specifies in the NCCN guidelines. If you do a search on this discussion board of NCCN guidelines the links and information to that site should come up. I wish you well. Lori
  • AZANNIE
    AZANNIE Member Posts: 445 Member
    #4
    Scan
    Welcome...I completed treatment for stage 2 anal cancer June 1. PET/CT scan was 8 weeks later. Next scan is in November.
  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #5
    AZANNIE said:

    Scan
    Welcome...I completed treatment for stage 2 anal cancer June 1. PET/CT scan was 8 weeks later. Next scan is in November.

    PET scans
    PET scans are recommended for staging prior to treatment. However, the most recent NCCN guidelines do not mention getting post-treatment scans (PET or CT) other than in cases of T3 or T4, then they recommend them once for 3 years. That is, of course, in cases where there is no evidence of residual or recurrent disease, based upon DRE's and anoscope exams. If there is progressive disease, restaging is recommend, which would probably involve PET/CT.

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