Nasopharyngeal 4B NED

caregiver99
caregiver99 Member Posts: 27
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Hello All, my girlfriend completed her rad treatment in late September for nasopharyngeal carcinoma stage 4B and she completed her last chemo about 4 weeks ago. She had her PET scan last week and today we got her result...it's NED! This was her first post treatment PET scan. Doctor said she is all clear from her PET scan but they want to schedule her for a head MRI. The following two big questions came to my mind.
(1) Is it standard practice to get MRI even after the PET scan shows NED?
(2) What percentage of stage 4 head and neck cancer patients get NED on their first post treatment PET scan?
Happy and health New Year everyone!

Comments

  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #2
    Great news
    It isn't exactly ordinary to do both the MRI and PET at the same time. They may have a reason dating back to when they first designed therapy for her to do this. I would guess this won't be the routine for longer term follow up.

    I don't know what percent of Stg 4 have a negative PET at first follow up, but a lot don't. This is obviously very good news.

    Best to you.
  • luv4lacrosse
    luv4lacrosse Member Posts: 1,410 Member
    #3
    AWESONE NEWS
    I cannot answer your questions, but do want to pass along my happiness with the NED.

    What a way to ring in 2012.

    BEST!!

    Mike
  • jim and i
    jim and i Member Posts: 1,788 Member
    #4
    Hurray for NED
    My husband had stage 4b tongue cancer his first PET was not clear. The doctor told us he saw three patient that day for PET results Two were not clear, one was NED so I would say your girlfriend is one you should do the Happy Dance about. As for MRI? That is a question I would have asked the doctor as soon as he told me they scheduled it.

    Congrats
    Debbie
  • kokomc
    kokomc Member Posts: 22
    #5
    MRI / PET
    With my husband the doctor would always do a MRI following the PET scan, we never asked why. But it was always a good feeling to hear the words I see nothing in the scans. Congratulations on your NED scan report

    Mary
  • Kent Cass
    Kent Cass Member Posts: 1,898 Member
    #6
    kokomc said:

    MRI / PET
    With my husband the doctor would always do a MRI following the PET scan, we never asked why. But it was always a good feeling to hear the words I see nothing in the scans. Congratulations on your NED scan report

    Mary

    Caregiver
    Congratulations. I am/was NPC, also, with last rad in early-4/09. Never have had an MRI for the C- only had the PS/CT scans. My first PS/CT had something which showed under my tongue, but my ENT was not concerned with. All scans to follow have come back clean. Sounds like you've got a great start on the 2012 year.

    kcass
  • HAWVET
    HAWVET Member Posts: 318
    #7
    Kent Cass said:

    Caregiver
    Congratulations. I am/was NPC, also, with last rad in early-4/09. Never have had an MRI for the C- only had the PS/CT scans. My first PS/CT had something which showed under my tongue, but my ENT was not concerned with. All scans to follow have come back clean. Sounds like you've got a great start on the 2012 year.

    kcass

    Congratulations
    Glad to hear the good news and wish her the best. Am also a NPC survivor. I never did have a MRI and was not declared NED until a couple of years after my last treatment.
  • Kyle Gilmore
    Kyle Gilmore Member Posts: 55
    #8
    HAWVET said:

    Congratulations
    Glad to hear the good news and wish her the best. Am also a NPC survivor. I never did have a MRI and was not declared NED until a couple of years after my last treatment.

    Fellow NPC locol boy from
    Fellow NPC locol boy from the windward side here.In oregon now but family from Haleiwa and Kahuku

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