What is the standard menu for surviellance after treatment. My "team" has me being seen every 4 months for an oral inspection and head and neck CT. I finished treatment in July, was seen 11/18/09 and told I was cancer free. on 11/22/09 I noticed a white spot on my tongue, had it biopsied and it is invasive cancer.
Mike
age 53 TxN2bM0 stage IV tongue and 2 nodes, non smoker, non-drinker, heavy plastic wrap exposure 25+ years, 2 surgeries, neck dissection, 60 GY IMRT+ cisplatin X5 completed 07/09, new primary on tongue 11/09.
At first I was seen every 3 months; then 4, and now every 6 months. I had 3 scans early on until I got an all clear. Since then only the visual scope.
My husband finished treatments April 15th. He saw the RO, MO and ENT once a month for the first three months after treatment ended. He now sees all three doctors every other month. He had a CT Scan with IV contrast of his neck and chest in August - all clear. He is scheduled to have another CT Scan the end of this month. His ENT and RO "scope" him every time he sees them. After January he will spread out his doctor visits to every three months. It makes me feel better that they are keeping such a close eye on him. I'm so sorry to hear about your recurrance.
When you guys say "scope" are you refering to a specific instrument or do you mean a visual inspection?
Thanks,
Mike
age 53 TxN2bM0 stage IV tongue and 2 nodes, non smoker, non-drinker, heavy plastic wrap exposure 25+ years, 2 surgeries, neck dissection, 60 GY IMRT+ cisplatin X5 completed 07/09, new primary on tongue 11/09.
A scope is where your doc checks your throat with a thin tube. It has a light on the tip. Not sure if its different for more normal patients. But, since I have trismus, my doc goes up my nose thru my sinuses then down my throat. Doesnt make for a fun visit. Its amazing the things you can get used to when you go thru OC.
Some have a camera at the tip and my surgeon who found my Primary and I see every 6 months, always scopes me with one and I get to watch on a monitor mounted on the exam wall. All looks the same to me though!!
I saw my Team evry month for the 1st 6 months and them every two months for 6 months and then every three-four months and now 2 years post Tx I see them every five to six months and get(got) scpoed every visit. My 1st PET was nine months Post Tx and I will get one annually and a chest X-ray annually. Hope this helps. Semper-Fi Bob