Hi,
I recently visited with my oncologist and one of my questions for him was whether there was much risk involved in getting a CT scan every 3 months.

He said that there is significant risk in terms of longevity down the road and that I should have a scan at 3 months post radiation, 6 months, then once a year thereafter. He also said that scans are particularly useful for following oral cancer sufferers who's neck tissue has become thick, ("woody" was the word he used) and thus difficult for a doctor to palpitate accurately. Describing my neck as pretty pliable, he thought seeing my ENT surgeon every six weeks for a physical examination with occasional CT scans was a less risky strategy and one that would be just as effective monitoring me.

So, my question is how often are you getting a scan that involves radiation to look for recurrences post-treatment? Does the frequency of the scans change from year to year post-treatment? Has your doctor talked about the risks associated with CT scans in particular? Thanks, Sheldon