When will I get a scan?

Hi folks
Just a question I hope the experience of all you kind people will help me answer.
I was daignosed with bone Secondary in early Feb. and have started Xoleda. Now on 3rd cyle and am wondering when I’m likely to get a scan to check if this is working. I know scanning too much is bad but is there a ‘rule of thumb’ in terms of a scan - 3 months etc.

Welcome your experience.

Thanks
MuddyXX

Hi Muddy

Sorry to hear about secondary dx - I don’t know if there is a rule of thumb - i started zometa in Dec after secondary dx - my onc suggested scanning May/June time to give the hormone tx and zometa a chance to show some difference. They did say that if i had any extra symptoms in the meantime that they would review.

I have been having a “nagging” in the area where my liver is. No enlargement on examination and bloods normal but i asked if i could have the scans brought forward and they agreed (more for my psyche than a need to urgently bring them forward!) so had MRI fri and have CT tuesday. “R Day” on the 8th - dreading it as you can imagine.

I don’t know about you - but i hadn’t any pain before i got the results showing secondaries but from the minute i walked out of the consulting rooms i developed pain!! hence i don’t really trust my body too much and i definitly don’t trust this disease -

Sorry no real answer - i’m sure someone will be along soon with something more concrete

Good luck

Maria xx

Hi Muddy

As Maxmari says, I don’t think there are any hard and fast rules. I too am on xeloda (just completed my 15th cycle) and have had 2 scans so far - one after 5 cycles and then one after number 11 - am going to have another one after the next cycle. Originally my onc was going to scan me after just 3 cycles but we discussed it and decided to leave it a bit longer as my blood tests showed that the tumour markers were decreasing and liver function improving, so we felt the xeloda was working. My onc has always said that he will send me for a scan immediately if there was any concern the xeloda is no longer working and about every 4 months or so just to check now that I have had a good result on it.

Hope that helps - and hope your results are ok, Maxmari. Like you, I dread the results even if there is no indication of any problem!

Take care Kay x

That’s interesting, Kay. They wanted to scan me after just 2 cycles of xeloda, but I resisted and they agreed to scan after 3 instead. I’d much rather wait longer - the scanxiety really gets to me and right now I feel quite well. When I see them on Tuesday I will try to push for a little longer before my next scan.

Interesting to see how opinions differ on the frequency of scans.

Deirdre

I had scans after every 4 xeloda cycles, over 2 years. I had my last scan in Jan (which showed progression) and the next will be early May.

Jenny

I very rarely have scans but I do have tumour markers taken every 3 weeks…my markers have been a very reliable indication as to how my treatment’s working…and when a treatment is starting to be less effective too…x

Thanks for prompt replies. There is no mention of scan and I don’t ask about blood results. I try to be sensible but get very anxious (who would blame me) around scan time.
I always assume no news is good news in terms of bloods.
Thanks

MuddyXX

Hi Muddy
I had 6 cycles of FEC last year after my bone mets were found. I was scanned halfway through (CT scan which still shows them up) and after the 6th FEC, again CT scan. I’ve now got my post chemo 6 month one (tomorrow - yikes) to see what’s going on with the hormone treatments since finishing. I’ve been told I would be scanned every 6 months depending on what’s been seen/felt since the last one. However I’ve not been offered another bone scan yet (probably due to the radioactivity bit) and my onc said that I would have one later in they year. She (onc) also doesn’t ‘do’ blood tests/markers so I don’t get any feedback from those. There does still seem huge discrepancies in what’s offered so it still seems down to an individual consultant’s way rather than a set in stone one. Sorry if this isn’t adding much!
Nicky x
ps love the ‘scanxiety’ and ‘r-day’ comments, my rday is 9th April so just behind you, Maria.