Upcoming scan this Monday...! - 1259017

dkm5859
Posts:89

My Mom has a CT scan this coming Monday which of course all are very important but we were told this one is more so as it will bascially be the last 3 month CT check-up/follow-up scan before we would move to the (6) month scan interval follow-up scan cyle. Is this usually true for most people? The scan on Monday would be about exactly a year after her ULL on 08/29/12 and prior to her treatment plan which started on 10/08/12. If you will please hope, wish and or pray for everyone to be very well and to have great scan results. Thank you very much, take care and God bless.

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Reply # - September 5, 2013, 08:05 PM

JimC
Posts: 2753

Although nothing is set in stone, increasing the interval between scans in this fashion is common after a period of time such as a year. We will be hoping for excellent results!

JimC
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Reply # - September 5, 2013, 09:35 PM

Dr West
Posts: 4735

I really agree with Jim -- it's customary to decrease the frequency of scans as time passes after treatment, since the probability of recurrence decreases with further time after treatment was completed.

Good luck.

-Dr. West

Reply # - September 10, 2013, 03:19 PM

dkm5859
Posts: 89

First...I want to give thanks to all who have advised us, given comfort and insight to my mom and I through her dx, treatment and recovery. I also want to offer our sincere hopes and prayers that all of you and your families are well, will be well at some point & hopefully stay well.
Second..I just want to share that I've doubted at times about God as my family has had fairly bad times over the past five years or so and honestly felt at times like we were being punished for possible reasons not known... I sincerely hope not... as I do believe we are good people with flaws of course but we try to be better for each other and to/for others who are not family members.
Third..I sincerely hope and pray that a cure can be found for cancer as it is such a insidious disease that affects so many and if not a cure then treatment plans that can give many, many years of at least good quality life especially for young people who are dx'ed with cancer.
My Mom had a CT scan yesterday and we received very good news. She is officially in "remission' is what they stated..apprenently not NED... maybe it is semantics BUT maybe her doctors will only use the word NED & MAYBE "cured" after five years or scans. I hope we truly hear these words often for many years to come and I hope your family will also! Thank you, take care and God bless!

Reply # - September 10, 2013, 04:45 PM

JimC
Posts: 2753

That's terrific news, dkm!!! I hope that your Mom continues to get great results like that for many, many years!

As far as your family being "punished" for any perceived or unknown human frailties, it just doesn't work that way. Cancer afflicts many good people from excellent families, just as it strikes many bad people. It doesn't discriminate. I'm sorry that it came into your Mom's life and that of you and your family. I too long for the day when cancer can be cured or turned into a manageable disease controlled for long periods of time.

My best to you,

JimC
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Reply # - September 10, 2013, 10:08 PM

dkm5859
Posts: 89

Before asking this below... I know cancer could come back even after the five year mark as there is no hard, fast rules when it comes to cancer..but...speaking of Stage 3A adeno that is ALK positive... or NSLC in general... Is there a percentage decrease of likely recurrence after say 1 year, two years and so forth after completion of one's treatment plan? Also what is the likelihood of having a recurrence in one area of the body versus another ...I'm sure there is no hard fast rules for this either...but... if a recurrence does occur for someone does a recurrence normally occur first in the chest like fifty to 65 percent of the time?If you will please let us know and thank you!

Reply # - September 11, 2013, 12:04 PM

catdander
Posts:

As you probably imagined as time goes on without recurrence chances improve greatly that cancer won't come back.
At 5 years post treatment for stage I-III it's considered so unlikely that doctors use the term cure. I hope this is the term you and mom get to use. :)

Janine

Reply # - September 11, 2013, 09:31 PM

Dr West
Posts: 4735

There are no statistics available for every possible question of what might happen to someone, and I'm afraid I know of no data to address your questions. I don't think anything to address those specific concerns has been reported.

-Dr. West

Reply # - September 14, 2013, 12:42 PM

bonniese7
Posts: 14

Hi,

It's been a long while since I checked in on this site. Incredible news for dkm5859's mom! What a wonderful word to hear, "remission". My husband was diagnosed over 3 and a half years ago and has been taking Xalkori for almost two years. He has been having C.T. scans almost every 3-4 months and his oncologist has recommended that maybe we start going further out with them. I am hoping that this means every 6 months.

My husband never had a lobectomy as the surgeon we saw at U.C.S.F. on two different occasions basically said that he more than likely would not make it through the surgery. My husband therefore chose not to have the procedure. By God's grace he is still with me and I truly think that his oncologist is perplexed that he is still alive. My husband's scans have been favorable with no signs of metastases. (Thank you Lord!) My understanding though is that unless the tumor/mass is excised he will never have a diagnosis of, "cured" even after a possible 5 year mark. Is this true?

When a patient is put through radiation and high doses of chemotherapy is the goal only to halt the spread of the cancer or can such treatments possibly kill the cancer cells in their tracks and just leave behind a benign mass? So my question is this, can they do another biopsy should the next scan be favorable? Is it worth the risk? Our oncologist doesn't seem to think so. Dr. West, do you mind if I ask your opinion about this. I have asked similar questions along this track in the past but I don't remember if I asked what a second biopsy could yield.

Thank you for this site and for any input you wouldn't mind giving us.

By His grace,

Bonnie

Reply # - September 14, 2013, 06:05 PM

Dr West
Posts: 4735

It's great that he has done so well.

Chemo and radiation may potentially be curative. After that, we typically do repeat scans and are happy to see no progression, even when there continues to be abnormal findings on scans ongoing -- that may just be scarring after successful treatment.

I don't see a need to do a repeat biopsy in the absence of progression, and even then, I'd say the primary benefit is to confirm the presence of cancer and potentially initiate further treatment. I don't do repeat biopsies just to see what's happening when imaging findings are stable over time.

-Dr. West

Reply # - September 14, 2013, 10:29 PM

bonniese7
Posts: 14

Dr. West,

Thank you for your reply. You are amazing to me. You monitor a site in your off time for people that you do not know or will never meet and are willing to give out your opinions based on your medical expertise. May God richly bless you.

I understand that a new biopsy would not necessarily yield anything enlightening if the scans are coming back favorable. So my last question is, how often should we do the scans now. I believe his oncologist is even now implying that too frequent of scans can become their own problems.

I once again need to say how appreciative that I am for your willingness to give us your feed back.

Sincerely,

Bonnie

Reply # - September 15, 2013, 09:29 AM

Dr West
Posts: 4735

Thanks very much for your kind comments.

I typically do scans every 3-4 months in the first year after treatment of potentially curable disease, then every 6 months in the next 3 years, then annually at 4 years. Beyond about 5-6 years, I'm currently considering either every 2 year scans, still with an annual visit/check-up and perhaps a chest x-ray in an off-year for a CT, or annual low dose/screening CT scans, since these minimize radiation exposure but provide far more information than a chest x-ray.

That's my personal interpretation of the best balance of vigilance with trying to not over-scan someone, but there is no evidence-based set of guidelines that provides an idea of what is clearly the best way to pursue long-term surveillance of someone treated for lung cancer with curative intent.

Good luck.

-Dr. West

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