Jim had his 12 wk post-tx checkup with his RO. She felt his neck, looked in his mouth and scoped him for the first time since we began this journey. When she finished the exam she told him everything looked "wonderful," and for us to have a great summer and come back in the fall. At that time she will do a CT scan.

Naturally we were elated to get a good report but I wanted to ask you all about the scope test. What does "wonderful" tell us - it's healing well? there's no sign of recurrence?? I just wasn't sure if a good scope result was a good measuring stick. Thanks for bearing with my ignorance.......Debbie

Deb,

I went through the same routine. My ENT did the same thing, with the exception of the scope as I was soft palet and he could just gag the hell out of me by poking it with his finger and using a hand held scope.

But the long and the short of it is that they are looking for the soft tissue to have a normal look and feel. My RO scheduled the CT at about the same time your CT is scheduled (6 months out). In the mean time you have to rely on the doctor telling you to spend the next three months enjoying your summer.

I can tell you that I was very happy to hear my throat "looked great" and spent three months feeling much better. I can also tell you that I felt terrific at the end of that three months when the CT came back absolutley clear.

This is great news and I would take the doctors advice and enjoy your summer.

Debbie, that seems about the way things went for me as well. In the months after the end of RT (and even to this day) both my ENT and RO examined my throat at regular intervals, the latter using a scope, and they both indicated that things were healing well. Then at 6 months I had the first PET-CT, which I gather is how things generally go.

I second the advice to take the advice!

David 2

Debbie, when John was first out of treatment he saw the MO, RO and ENT once a month for the first couple of months. The RO and ENT both scoped him every time he went. His visits have just now spaced out to every six months with the MO and RO and he still sees the ENT (who diagnosed him) every three months. When John would get scoped his doctors would tell him what exactly they saw going on in his throat as far as shrinking of the tumor, evidence of tumor and radiation affects. John had an appointment this past Wednesday with the RO and he said he can't even tell where the tumor was and most of the radiation affects are gone. He won't see him again until December.

Excellent news. Congratulations to you both.
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