Evaluating Sclc using CT no Contrast

rayyates
Posts:19

Hi,

What is the view on using CT without contrast for detecting small cell? In my initial investigation they used contrast but post treatment they are not using contrast (kidney function not too good).

Everything I read says you need contrast for sclc? Is it that important?

Thank you

Ray

Forums
General SCLC

Reply # - December 1, 2018, 10:05 AM

JanineT GRACE …
Posts: 661
GRACE Community Outreach Team

Hi Ray,

Welcome to Grace.  I'm sorry you're going through all this but you probably don't need to worry about the CT without contrast for following the disease.  Plus, it makes getting the scan sooo much easier. 

Contrast does add a bit more clarity to the overall picture but also adds toxicity to the kidneys that can cause more harm than good for those with renal problems.  It's not unusual for oncologists to order CT without contrast for following lung cancer, contrast adds detail that isn't as necessary for follow up as it is during diagnosis. 

I hope you do well.

All best,

Janine

I joined GRACE as a caregiver for my husband who had a Pancoast tumor, NSCLC stage III in 2009. He had curative chemo/rads then it was believed he had a recurrence in the spine/oligometastasis that was radiated. He's 10 years out from treatment.

Reply # - December 1, 2018, 10:19 AM

rayyates
Posts: 19

Thanks Janine, it will be nice to get a scan without needing an injection. I did some reading and it seemed to say that no contrast was fine for non small cell but not for small cell. As I understand it, a scan will only pick up an anomaly, it can't tell if it is non small cell, small cell, or even just an innocent lump! So maybe the article is misleading, or my interpretation of it is incorrect.

Thanks again

Ray

Reply # - December 2, 2018, 08:23 AM

Jim C GRACE Co…
Posts: 147

GRACE Community Outreach Team

Hi Ray,

Let me add my welcome to GRACE. Though oncologists tend to routinely order CTs with contrast, whenever there is a situation in which the contrast may be a problem, the added benefit of the contrast is not considered sufficient to outweigh the possible risk. And I can't think of any reason why contrast would be more necessary for SCLC than for NSCLC.

Best wishes for great scan results.

Jim C Forum Moderator

Reply # - December 8, 2018, 01:38 AM

rayyates
Posts: 19

I did ask the hospital about this and they did clarify a bit for me. They said sclc normally grows in the inner third of the lung and in the middle area between the lungs. Both of which can be busy areas and contrast differentiates the structures. As you say, they said they will get sufficient detail from non contrast.

Are you making any progress on the older forums becoming visible? I do hope you get a solution soon as you all put so much work into it.

Thank you

Ray

Reply # - December 8, 2018, 08:00 AM

JanineT GRACE …
Posts: 661
GRACE Community Outreach Team

Hi Ray,

NSCLC grows in the same way you described above for SCLC.  Perhaps adeno more than squamous (both adeno and squamous are subtypes of nsclc) because squamous tends to begin nearer the surface of the lung where adeno tends to grow further inside the lung.  NSCLC also tends to move toward the mediastinum like sclc.   The main differences in growth patterns between sclc and nsclc are the rate at which sclc grows tends to be much faster than nsclc and sclc tends to metastasize in the brain more often than nsclc (squamous does not metastasize to the brain as often as adeno or sclc).   If you would like to paste the link to the article you're referencing we could take a look.  

I don't know when the old forums will be available.  I hope they will be back soon too.  It's not the hard work put into them that bothers me it's the amount of incredible information they contain that can't be replaced.  I've been assured that will become available.  Another good point to know is that google still produces results for old forum posts that are broken (that should change) so it's important to do a search on the Grace site for posts (articles and videos).

Take care,

Janine

I joined GRACE as a caregiver for my husband who had a Pancoast tumor, NSCLC stage III in 2009. He had curative chemo/rads then it was believed he had a recurrence in the spine/oligometastasis that was radiated. He's 10 years out from treatment.

Reply # - December 8, 2018, 08:32 AM

rayyates
Posts: 19

Hi Janine,

Hi Janine,

I am unable to post a link. I keep getting a message telling me that my browser doesn't let me post the way I am trying and to use cntrl v, but a am on a tablet type device and don't have a keyboard with a cntrl key! 

The information in my post above came from someone in the imaging department. I think they asked one of the radiologists for me.

Thanks you for replying.

Ray

 

Reply # - December 8, 2018, 09:19 AM

Jim C GRACE Co…
Posts: 147

GRACE Community Outreach Team

Hi Ray,

I'm not sure what's up with that, but I will inquire about it. I have posted links and other text into GRACE posts on my phone up until now, but today I can't.

In the meantime, there is a work-around. If you click on the "Disable rich text" link below the text input area, you can then paste your link or other text. After pasting, you can re-enable rich text and your paste will remain.

Please let us know if it's still not working for you.

Jim C Forum Moderator

 

Reply # - December 8, 2018, 09:28 AM

rayyates
Posts: 19
Thanks Jim! I think that this is one of the links talking about using contrast in CT for sclc https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.medicalschemes.com/files/PMB%2520Definition%2520Project/FinalPMBDefGdSmlCellLungCancer.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiokJit4JDfAhVEDewKHa5SCH0QFjAQegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw0kFpwQuqK_gD9-cbDG-kbc Thank you Ray

Reply # - December 8, 2018, 09:36 AM

Jim C GRACE Co…
Posts: 147

GRACE Community Outreach Team

Thank you for the link, I'll check it out.

A question for you: on the tablet, are you using Chrome (which I use on my phone) or another browser? It would be good to know if the problem is browser-specific.

Jim C Forum Moderator

 

Reply # - December 9, 2018, 11:53 AM

JanineT GRACE …
Posts: 661
GRACE Community Outreach Team

I use chrome and normally am told to use ctrl/v but today am not even given a dropdown paste option.  

However for posting 'live' links click the link icon on top of the text box. It will give you the ability to click 'paste' and it will be a live link. 

I joined GRACE as a caregiver for my husband who had a Pancoast tumor, NSCLC stage III in 2009. He had curative chemo/rads then it was believed he had a recurrence in the spine/oligometastasis that was radiated. He's 10 years out from treatment.

Reply # - December 9, 2018, 12:02 PM

JanineT GRACE …
Posts: 661
GRACE Community Outreach Team

OK, I see the paste click option shows up if you right click directly on the cursor, but it still tells you to use ctrl/v. 

Using the link icon...

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.medicalschemes.com/files/PMB%2520Definition%2520Project/FinalPMBDefGdSmlCellLungCancer.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiokJit4JDfAhVEDewKHa5SCH0QFjAQegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw0kFpwQuqK_gD9-cbDG-kbc

I joined GRACE as a caregiver for my husband who had a Pancoast tumor, NSCLC stage III in 2009. He had curative chemo/rads then it was believed he had a recurrence in the spine/oligometastasis that was radiated. He's 10 years out from treatment.

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