After HR, what has been your follow up schedule?

PatchAdams
PatchAdams Member Posts: 271
in Colorectal Cancer #1

I had a hepatic resection over 3 years after my Stage III dx for colon cancer.  That was over 2 years ago and I'm on an every 6 month follow up.  I called the ACS and asked what they recommended as follow up.  They're going to send me something in the mail saying it depends on so many different things. 

Tell me your time out from surgery and...

 

How often do you have your CEA drawn?  Mine has always been done before my CT scan because the hospital or radiologist requires that.  

How often are you scanned and what type scans?  

Does your oncologist say you will be considered cured 5 years or 10 years after HR? 

 

Anything else you might think to add?  

 

Comments

  • fatbob2010
    fatbob2010 Member Posts: 467 Member
    #2
    Post HR

    Patch,

    The blood work pre scans is to check for Creatine levels in order to know if the contrasts used in the CT are a good idea.  My oncologist is not a big fan of PET scans or MRI's for liver involved metastasis.  At the same time as the draw for the Radiologist is done CEA may be calculated along with other values useful to the Onc. depending on what tets have been ordered by who.   I was two years post HR when there was a recurrence.  Surely others will have other experiences.  We have never discussed cure as a viable option.

    Best of luck to you,

    Art

  • PatchAdams
    PatchAdams Member Posts: 271
    #3
    fatbob2010 said:

    Post HR

    Patch,

    The blood work pre scans is to check for Creatine levels in order to know if the contrasts used in the CT are a good idea.  My oncologist is not a big fan of PET scans or MRI's for liver involved metastasis.  At the same time as the draw for the Radiologist is done CEA may be calculated along with other values useful to the Onc. depending on what tets have been ordered by who.   I was two years post HR when there was a recurrence.  Surely others will have other experiences.  We have never discussed cure as a viable option.

    Best of luck to you,

    Art

    CURE

    Both my liver surgeon and oncologist have suggested I may be one of the 50% who are cured by surgery alone since my met was so small, so far out from dx, etc.  I hope so, but want to keep on top of this! 

  • ron50
    ron50 Member Posts: 1,723 Member
    #4
    G'day Patch

       I had a scan every year for six years ,cea twice a year for two years , then with the scan . At the end of six years I was Told I was cured of that tumour but to stay vigilent for new primaries starting up from polyps. I have faithfully followed a regime put forward by my GI and have dodged a few bullets with polyps. No recurrence of the original in 15 years. best of luck mate. Ron.

  • ron50
    ron50 Member Posts: 1,723 Member
    #5
    ron50 said:

    G'day Patch

       I had a scan every year for six years ,cea twice a year for two years , then with the scan . At the end of six years I was Told I was cured of that tumour but to stay vigilent for new primaries starting up from polyps. I have faithfully followed a regime put forward by my GI and have dodged a few bullets with polyps. No recurrence of the original in 15 years. best of luck mate. Ron.

    Slight correction on that

       I read your question again . I in fact had no liver surgery only colon and regional nodes. However my friend in New Zealand had a wedge resection of her liver prior to the same chemo that I had. Virginnia (Foxy) is out to twenty years now so I guess that equates to a cure. She lives in a regional area with no large hospitals. Still the results show you can get a frst class outcome despite the lack of high tech options. Cheers Ron.

  • DD3
    DD3 Member Posts: 136 Member
    #6
    My wife

    Is one year out from her colon resection.  Just got a CT scan and colonoscopy done.  All clear and CEA level is 1.0...

    She gets her CEA level checked every three months for the first two years.  CT Scans yearly, unless there is something amiss.  Now he did mention he will be doing a Flexible Sigmoidoscopy every three months for a period of time.  Not sure how long.  I guess PET scans are out unless needed. 

     

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