hi , seeing my oncol today with an update but what i am wondering is , shall i ask for markers every say 2 months ~? i am having them every 3 weks at the moment and to be honest it makes me a nervous wreck . i have to wait for results for a wek then i only have a 2 week period before next ones . i feel i am living marker to marker and it stinks so maybe i will see what he says .
another thing do any of you take milk thistle for the liver ?
thanks Tracy xx
Tracey - I think you should ask for whatever suits you (without going mad!) There has to be a balance between monitoring and normality! Why don’t you ask to go four weekly for a monthor two and then stretch the timing beyond that? I guess your onc. will have a view which needs considering. Geraldine
Tracy I second what Geraldine is saying here. Personally I don’t mind the tumour marker blood tests - they are just done routinely every 3 weeks with my other bloods and I often dont even ask to see the printout. But with the scans - CT, bone, MRIs, which one onc seemed to be telling me had to be done routinely, (Ithink protocol was his word) I have requested they are not done unless I ask for them. I also tried this on with the MUGA scans, they wouldnt play ball on that but at least I got them to agree every 6 months instead of 3. Small victories eh :). I have found them to be really good about the scans though. When I ask - they arrange them very quickly.
dawnhc
This marker thing is interesting. My onc doersn’t use them - he doesn’t think they are reliable for secondary cancer. On the otber hand it’s clear that a lot of oncologists do use them so whaty do you believe.
I have no reason to distrust him - he has been very proactive in getting me on avastin for example, does regular scans (usually every 3 months, but now I am on hormonals which seemt to be working he has decided to make it 6 months). I know what you mean though about living in 3 month chunks. Even the good results make you feel that your life is being measured out in teaspoons…
all the best
Barbara