How soon after completing treatment did y'all get a scan?

ByeByeCancer
ByeByeCancer Member Posts: 54 Member
edited November 2017 in Head and Neck Cancer #1

My husband is on his F I N A L week of treatment for Stage IV BOT HPV+ SCC.  He's had 30 (out of 35) radiation treatments and 7 (out of 8) Erbitux infusions.  (If anyone wants more details you can click on my name and read the "about me" page.  I know that, when I read other's posts, I always wish I knew more about their diagnosis, treatment, experiences,etc.)

Anyway, at what point will the doctors check to see if the cancer is indeed gone?  Do they do a CT Scan and PET scan?  I hope they don't just do a scope because my husbands cancer was never visible with that nasal scope thing they used.  But, I've also read that the radiation continues to work for a few weeks after ending treatment, so we don't want to scan too soon?  Right?  Just curious as to how soon we get to announce NED??  :)

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Comments

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #2
    Scan this

    BBC,

    For many of us it was a PET at 12 weeks post, along with a scope and feel.  You don’t want to announce too soon and jinx things, but technically if you are NED in 12 weeks you are probably NED today.  Treatments are pretty successful, yours should be successful also.

    Matt

  • Curlyn
    Curlyn Member Posts: 189
    #3
    I'm going to question my

    I'm going to question my doctors very closely about mets and cells that might be left in the irradiated side of my neck. If there is nothing that can be done further, should something show up, I would rather enjoy the rest of my life. I do not want to know, in my own particular circumstances. So, I would think everyone is a different case. I have 3 more rad days to go and then it's back to my life as far as I am concerned. The treatment has been beyond brutal.

  • DarcyS
    DarcyS Member Posts: 81 Member
    #4
    Ct scan

    My husband had a ct scan 12 weeks after he finished treatment.  I don't think he has had a pet scan since he was diagnosed.

  • swopoe
    swopoe Member Posts: 492
    #5
    My husband had a CT scan 1

    My husband had a CT scan 1 month after treatment and was NED and then had another scan 3 months later. Still NED 2 years later.

  • Andy13460
    Andy13460 Member Posts: 115
    #6
    CT scan

    I had a base line CTscan done at 11 weeks post treatment. I get checked every 8 weeks for the first year.

  • OKCnative
    OKCnative Member Posts: 326 Member
    #7
    I have a PET scan scheduled

    I have a PET scan scheduled for 12 weeks post treatment (Dec).

    I also had one just prior to treatment to confirm wherre all the cancer was present (base of tongue and lymph nodes).

    Personally, I prefer a PET over a CT at the diagnosis and immediate post treatment phase - more detailed scan/image.

  • Sprint Car Dude
    Sprint Car Dude Member Posts: 181
    #8
    3 months.

    My first Pet at 3 months still showed some hot spots. My Team was not concerned. On my 6 month PET it was NED. Tomorrow 11/07/2017, marks my one year out of treatment anniversary!

    Unfortuantely most insurance are a going to a limit of 3-4 PET scan in a life time. So it will be CT scan unless any issues arise. I am fine with that. Good Luck... 

  • SuzJ
    SuzJ Member Posts: 446 Member
    #9
    12 weeks

    and a scope and prod...

    too soon, its useless.

     

    For those close to the end, the worst weeks are about to start, sorry :(

  • Dean54
    Dean54 Member Posts: 160 Member
    edited November 2017 #10
    I'm glad this thread came up

    I'm glad this thread came up because I was wondering the same thing since I'm down to less than 2 weeks to go. Also, was wondering about you Curlyn since I knew you were slightly ahead of me. I agree...brutal with the last week going to be the worst but we've made it this far. We can have to get thru it!

  • christine2080
    christine2080 Member Posts: 71
    #11
    Our doctor told us today that

    Our doctor told us today that she would request a PET scan at 3 months after treatment.

  • Curlyn
    Curlyn Member Posts: 189
    #12
    Hi everyone, hi dean, I also

    Hi everyone, hi dean, I also was wondering about you! I am happy to see you here. My last day was today. I am just hoping to recover now. Thankfully, I was fit before all of this started, what got me through. Just want say thankyou to all who listened and offered support. Worth its weight in gold! Hugs to all you strong people, and hopes that you make the right decisions for you xx

  • Dean54
    Dean54 Member Posts: 160 Member
    edited November 2017 #13
    Good deal Curlyn and please

    Good deal Curlyn and please check in later and let us know how your recovery is going. II am going for my last chemo and rad next week and am so dreading it but knowing it's getting close to the end helps.

    Still swallowing ok so not using the feeding tube altho it's getting increasingly harder. Steroids have helped with energy but the doc told me everything side effect-wise would get increasingly worse for at least 2-3 weeks after ending treatment.

  • ByeByeCancer
    ByeByeCancer Member Posts: 54 Member
    edited November 2017 #14
    Circling back around from my

    Circling back around from my origianl post/question. Final Erbitux TODAY and final radiation TOMORROW!  Dr. says they will do a CT Scan at 4 weeks post treatment and a PET scan at 8 weeks.  This seems a little soon, but we'll follow the doctors suggestions.  

  • Dean54
    Dean54 Member Posts: 160 Member
    #15
    Sorry ByeByeCancer

    Didn't mean to hijak your thread and thanks for the info because I was wondeing the same thing about how soon after my end next week. Hope you are feeling up about the last of the treatment! I know I will be if I'm not too sick from the cisplantin.

  • christine2080
    christine2080 Member Posts: 71
    #16
    ByeByeCancer said:

    Circling back around from my

    Circling back around from my origianl post/question. Final Erbitux TODAY and final radiation TOMORROW!  Dr. says they will do a CT Scan at 4 weeks post treatment and a PET scan at 8 weeks.  This seems a little soon, but we'll follow the doctors suggestions.  

    Congratulations!

    I'm thinking of you two today & tomorrow. We're right behind you and can't wait for treatment to be over even though we know the weeks after treatment can be brutal. Please remember that you can count on me if there is anything I can do. I've been wondering how isolated we will feel in the post treatment world.

  • ByeByeCancer
    ByeByeCancer Member Posts: 54 Member
    edited November 2017 #17
    Dean54 said:

    Sorry ByeByeCancer

    Didn't mean to hijak your thread and thanks for the info because I was wondeing the same thing about how soon after my end next week. Hope you are feeling up about the last of the treatment! I know I will be if I'm not too sick from the cisplantin.

    No need to apologize at all!!

    No need to apologize at all!!  Good luck in your last week!!  My husband has seemed to do better in weeks 6 and 7 than he was doing in week 4.  Maybe the excitement of being close to done, lol.  Still on liquid foods (no PEG) but doing pretty well considering.  We are bracing ourselves for the next couple of weeks as we hear the first two weeks post treatment can be rough.  Stay tuned!

  • ByeByeCancer
    ByeByeCancer Member Posts: 54 Member
    #18
    christine2080 said:

    Congratulations!

    I'm thinking of you two today & tomorrow. We're right behind you and can't wait for treatment to be over even though we know the weeks after treatment can be brutal. Please remember that you can count on me if there is anything I can do. I've been wondering how isolated we will feel in the post treatment world.

    Thank you!  He is done with

    Thank you!  He is done with Erbitux! Woohoo! Final radiation tomorrow! I'll keep everyone posted on how the next two weeks go.  He is doing okay for now.  He is on a work call while drinking a smoothie at the moment..... You guys are right behind us!  :)

  • Klingels
    Klingels Member Posts: 78
    #19
    ByeByeCancer said:

    Circling back around from my

    Circling back around from my origianl post/question. Final Erbitux TODAY and final radiation TOMORROW!  Dr. says they will do a CT Scan at 4 weeks post treatment and a PET scan at 8 weeks.  This seems a little soon, but we'll follow the doctors suggestions.  

    CT scan

    My husband‘s CT scan was 12 weeks post treatment. Insurance denied PET scan. After CT scan, the ENT still wanted a PET scan. Insurance finally okayed and he had one today. We found the weeks after post treatment very difficult. Healthcare continued. The only difference was we weren’t there every day. My husband had a home health care nurse, and he had continued appointments with his palliative nurse practitioner. His health team was on top of all his symptoms. There were times of despair. He finally made it through. Quality of life does return.

  • JBBW
    JBBW Member Posts: 30
    edited November 2017 #20
    time between last treatment and scans

    I had two chemo and 33 radiation.  Chemo was at the begining and about halfway through radation treatments.

    I had a CAT scan about two weeks after last radiation.

    I had a PET scan about three months after last radiation.

  • frokker68
    frokker68 Member Posts: 49 Member
    #21
    My 3 month post treatment was

    My 3 month post treatment was last month.  I had both a CT with contrast and a PET scan.  Guess it depends on what your insurance will authorize.  

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