After talking to a lovely lady on this forum, I am curious to know how often you have routine scans when chemotherapy is finished.
My consultant says no scans unless symptoms develop and he will deal with it then. My good news of NED has been spoilt at this news. Considering I only got symptoms at stage 3c. I would much prefer to have six monthly scans to keep an eye on things. You never know what goes on inside.
Would welcome any feedback on this.
Linda x
My hospital the Royal Marsden also says no routine scans,routine ca125 tests and will scan if they think necessary. x
I attend Guys and they loosely scan 6 monthly - finished chemo in January and had scans in January and July.
Am at Hammersmith Hospital. CA-125 checked every three months (am two years NED), but no scans, unless necessary. Deb x
I recently finished chemo, I had one scan at the end of my treatment and then told no more scans, only routine ca125 every 3 months and symptoms. It is worrying, especially as you say, you only got symptoms later. The best thing is that if you have any thing that is worrying you, however small, don't wait for your next appointment, ring your cancer specialist nurse.
Well done on NED!
Best wishes
Rosanna
Scans are usually symptom driven, Linda, because they use a lot of radiation, so the fewer, the better. I was like you till I learnt this, and now I accept it. All the best x
Thank you for all your replies. looks like, that is the norm. Will just have to be more aware of our bodies. My problem is I have always worked through any problems. when I went through the menapause, my house got blitzed so I could ignore things. Hard getting enough energy to hoover. All things considered I feel very lucky to have come out the other side and I Should count my blessings
Good luck ladies who are still undergoing treatment and those ladies in my position, keep NED
Linda xx
Hi Linda I'm stage 3C finished six cycles of chemo with Avastin in June and now on a maintenance programme with Avastin for 12 more cycles every 3 weeks ending in February next year. My Onc says a CT scan after treatment. Like you apart from CA125 which is at 5 have no idea what's going on inside as a piece of tumour couldn't be removed during surgery but then I never had any symptoms in the first place.. that's another story! I'm being treated at St Luke's Royal Surrey in Guildford. Love Michelle xx
Hi, when I finished first line treatment In Dec 13 I had a scan then no more scans until my CA125 was raised, just outside the normal range but it had doubled so it prompted a scan which revealed it was back. My CA125 seems to be a reliable marker for me. I then had a scan every 3 months for the next 18 months.
I go for results of 2nd line treatment on Tuesday. Hoping I will go back to just blood test. Ann x
Fingers crossed for you on Tuesday, Ann.
Wishing you well for your scan results next week
In India, since we pay for the treatment (private insurance does cover a major part of the cost), my wife has been advised bloods and USG every two months for six months and then every three months for another six months. Hearsay tells me that thereafter its six monthly check ups. She went NED in May 2016 after debulking and chemo sessions.
Naimish
Every 3 months
Sorry, cut myself off there. Every 3 months blood tests, CA125 & CEA
I am lucky enough to have been treated in Harley street due to my husbands work policy.I had stage 1 c,debaulking then 6 months carbo taxol and a scan after treatment.
Since then I have had bloods every 3 months now every 4 and am due a routine scan in October,not sure what happens after that.
Don't know how I feel about routine scans,wether they are good,or wether I'm becoming radio active!
I did have many symptoms and ascites, hope this puts a different slant on things, I think the important thing is we listen to our own bodies.I am a lot more tired after chemo,I really need to work on my fitness levels,but you have to feel like it.
Love to you all
Carole xxx
Hi after my first line I had a scan at the end of treatment, then I went back after 3 months and my CA125 level had trebled so my oncologist sent me for a scan, for me my CA125 level is a good indicator of what's going on. I'm under north Staffordshire cancer unit.
Wishing you all the best
Karen
Xxx
So far I am having scans every 3 months and alternating between CT and PET scans to get a comprehensive view of what is going on.
Hi, I have 3 monthly scans, but that's only because I had 2 reccurences 2 years apart, with no symptoms from ca125...
It seems to vary for each hospital and onc. ..
Sue
CT scan every 6 months unless CA25 goes up. Blood test seems to be a good indicator for me. Im guessing scans would be done less frequently as time goes on if there are no other signs. Fingers crossed!
Hi Linda,
Ct scans have a lot of radiation and doctors feel as do I that too much radiation isn't such a good thing. I had a ct scan July of 2015 and nothing showed up, then symptoms for worse and I had a ct scan in january of 2016, a mere 6 months, and then staged at 3 ppc. The ca125 counts should be enough for the docs to see if anything sinister is occuring in your body.
Hope that makes you feel better. Don't stress, just be positive. It's the best thing for you.
After reading all the replies I understand things better now Thank you all you lovely ladies for the information and advise.
it's so good to be able to talk about these worries.
Linda xx
I think now they idea of no scans and less bloods is so we dont stress about the results or so we are told over here, I usually get scan every three to six months but this time around I have no scan planned as yet for my next check up, It could also be cost related and whether you are symptomatic.
Im sure it must depend upon the particular case. My cancer was stage 1A but the cells were high grade. The chemo, single agent Carboplatin six rounds, was to make sure there were no escapees. My surgery was a radical hystetectmy and complete debulking. The scans in my case are to be sure the cancer doesn't show up anywhere else and the CA125 is therefore insufficient. I'm with Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York and scans are pretty routine here. It's a huge facility with many cutting edge techniques and trials. Scans are every three months for two years, then every six, then annually
With my Borderline Ovarian Tumor back in 2013 I was on 12 weekly trans vaginal ultrasounds and CA125 tests.
With the cancerous tumor last year, I was on the same schedule.
I'd push very hard for scans (even if your GP has to refer you for them, not your oncologist) because the symptoms are so very vague. I had a tumor found at my first 12 week follow up... I'd noticed the UTI like symptoms, and was stressing over them... But I never dreamed it was another tumor.
Hi Linda,
Sounds like we have the same consultant!!! I guess In a way it's good to know that the consultant seems happy to let you get on with life , that's certainly what mine said , just go out and enjoy yourself ! And I certainly am 🎉. We might have to face further treatment in the future but we don't know when do we ? For now it's just lovely not bring on treatment and kind of being normal.. I'm still with stoma as it were ! But despite the inconvenience of this , I'm getting out and about every day ..
I too have a 6 months follow up appointment, even though I didn't have symptoms until I was diagnosed when I had a blocked bowel , from this I was diagnosed 3c high grade..
Oncology said that it would be obvious to reoccurrence, mmm, lets hope we won't spit them at all !!!
Love ❤️ Jackie xxx
Bloody predicted text ! Spit-spot !!
Ultrasound and internal scans clear-what now😔
Frequency of CT scans
Post Chemo Scan Consultation - Good News
Does anyone else on here have MRI scans as opposed to CT scans?
