Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 | A lot of ENT's don't rely on scans. They consider direct visualization and palpation to be the gold standard. My own head & neck surgeon is of that mindset. However, like Cathy suggested in her post, I have a team and the other team members, the oncologist and radiation oncologist order the scans. Pre Tx I had a PET, MRI & a CT. Mid Tx I had a CT. Post Tx I have had 4 MRI's over the last 2 years. Remember that the scan is not always definitive either - it is just a piece of the diagnostic data.
Did she ever see a radiation oncologist?
I have to agree with Cathy about getting followup at a comprehensive cancer center, especially since tongue cancers can be pretty aggressive.
Gary Allsebrook *********************************** Dx 11/22/02, SCC, 6 x 3 cm Polypoid tumor, rt tonsil, Stage III/IVA, T3N0M0 G1/2 Tx 1/28/03 - 3/19/03, Cisplatin ct x2, IMRT, bilateral, with boost, x35(69.96Gy) ________________________________________________________ "You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14 NIV)
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