Follow Up Scans Revisited

The protocol here in the US has been criticized for not being aggressive enough. You want to catch recurrences early while they are operable if possible. If you catch them too late, you can miss a chance to return to NED with a simple surgery or targeted radiation. Ultrasounds don't catch things that early. CTs are better at that.

When I had Stage 3, I had an MRI of my brain to make sure that was clean as a baseline, a nuclear bone scan (as a baseline), and a CT of chest/abdomen and pelvis. Then after that I had CT of chest/abdomen and pelvis every 4 months the first year, then every 6 months to 3 years, then was going to have it annually after that forever. I know people that were Stage 1 that had mets 10 even 20 years later. It's not so common. Since I had the met in my adrenal gland, I now get my CT scans every 3 months. I was concerned about the radiation also. My oncologist told me that bad results from this level of radiation doesn't show up for decades and that the amount I'm getting is not a worry. He wants to catch any recurrences early so if possible I can get another surgery instead of having to go on drugs. I'm all for that.

One of my friends that has had this twice (and she had IL2 and was cancer free for several years before it came back), had gotten to 10 years and they wanted to stop paying for her scans. She talked to her doctor, and he said not to worry. He'd find a way to get her a scan every year.

Just do your best to get the best followup you can. That's all you can do.

Todd

I had right radical nephrectomy in 2013.  NED so far but I moved last year and new Doc has me scheduled for MRI and chest xray for my annual.  I thought that CT's were the standard?  New Doc also says this will be the last year for diagnostic scans.  Not sure how I feel about that; on the one hand it will be nice not to worry about scans, but I would hate to miss the opportunity to treat somethng ealry if it returns.  Appartently the standard of care varies even within the US.