jorja Posted February 9, 2005 Posted February 9, 2005 Hi Everyone, I have a question about chest x-rays. My dad a few weeks ago had x rays of his chest and the doctor said everything looks clear and that he is a lucky man! Does that mean the tumor is gone? I wasn't there to ask the doctor. He goes for scans in march. Thanks, j Quote
schmaydee Posted February 9, 2005 Posted February 9, 2005 well maybe.... you cant tell from an xray that its gone but the fact that the dr. said what he said means something....they CAN tell that there's not any congestion (and stuff) w/an xray.....there will prbly be part of it left (scar tissue) for a long time.....but all the cancer in it is dead.... good chance if you make it through the chemo/rad you'll get rid of it (the first time) then its just a matter of where/when it pops up next... ......s Quote
kitkathi Posted February 12, 2005 Posted February 12, 2005 Hi J, I am VERY surprised that a doctor would make that kind of statement from an X-ray. There should be additional scans etc before most ONC would say that the cancer is gone. Make sure your dad gets immediate follow-up and if he is NED (which I really am hoping for), make sure they monitor him VERY VERY frequently. Most doc's will do scans once a month for quite a while. Don't take no for an answer...if his ONC won't do additional scans....RUN to another doc. Kitkathi Quote
Don Wood Posted February 12, 2005 Posted February 12, 2005 I agree with the others -- more than an X-ray is needed to determine whether he is clear or not. Don Quote
SDianneB Posted February 12, 2005 Posted February 12, 2005 On my last visit to the Oncologist, she said she'd see me in 6 weeks and that I'd have a chest x-ray. I saw the Pulmonologist the next week and told this to him. He laughed, and then told me what would happen. They'd do the chest xray, see the radiation scarring, think it was pneumonia or "whatever" just like they always do, and order a chest CT anyway. Of course, he's right -- he always is. He told me too that I would have a LOT of scans in my future, so just get ready for them! Periodic chest x-rays aren't a bad thing, IMO -- I think they can show improvement in the fuzzy areas where I have the scarring and damage, but the Pulmonologist says they won't be relying on them exclusively at all for follow-up. That will take CT scans regularly, and probably at least one PET scan a year, and maybe other things. We'll know that as we go along. They have their use, but I'm with everyone else -- I think I'd want more than an x-ray. Di Quote
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