I spoke with the research nurse/project administrator today.....Cindy Duron....She indicated that I would be a perfect candidate for the study, exc. that my "definitive treatment" was completed over one year ago. She thinks that they will be required to stay within those guidelines, but she is going to check and see if I can be admitted to the study, based on the fact that I had a PET/CT in December, before the one-year mark.

I, too, will have to find out more about the bronchoscopy and biopsy......and the repeated exposure to the radiation from the scans.

I would love to have such a thorough surveillance program, however.

I doubt that I will have the option anyway. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, please post anything you find out about it...and about the bronchial biopsy procedure.

I have read about a new bronchoscope that can be used in a doctor's office. Maybe they use that one. It's supposed to be quite benign.

I suppose that a biopsy site would heal quickly and not cause permanent damage to the bronchial tissues.

...much food for thought.

Russell...I see that you are in Houston. I live in central Louisiana, so I could participate without too much trouble. You would have no trouble at all, if you're interested. I hope that you'll continue to post your findings and your decisions about this. Thanks.

I can not take Celebrex, but in this study, it is a voluntary part of the study, so I can opt to be in the other "arm" of the study.