follow up care for lung cancer

deena2288 · Regular Joined: 01 Apr 2009 Posts: 11

My husband had stage 1A lung cancer this past January and had a left lobectomy. He did not need any further treatment. He is going to his thoracic surgeon for follow up care and he is only doing chest x-rays every 3 months. I had him to an oncologist in April and he said that he should have CAT scans. The thoracic surgeon refuses to do CAT scans due to the radiation with the scan. Does anyone know the proper follow up screening following a lung cancer diagnosis?

dano · Last edited by dano on Thu Jul 30, 2009 8:55 am; edited 1 time in total

Hello Deena;
Welcome to the cancer forum, I don't know what proper would be here, I am stage IV and can not have surgery, so I am wondering if that is the main reason for now that the doctor wishes not to expose your husband to the radiation but in time I would think that a CT with contrast would be a good thing, and maybe he doesn't wont any missed cancer to be known yet. I think it would be near impossible to see the cancer without contrast which means radiation.
Dan
_________________
55 year old male, Diagnosed Nov. 9,2007 with NSCLC IV with Mets to the lymphs and brain
Had full brain radiation treatment in Jan 08 treatments now every 4 weeks with Alimta, taking Lovenox for blood clots, Now working full time
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=9993

UneasyRider · Regular Joined: 21 Aug 2008 Posts: 40

Hi deena. You are right to think that x-rays aren't enough. They often miss tumors until they become larger.

There's no solid protocol that everyone follows, but based on what I've seen, I think your husband should have a CT scan at least every six months for the first two or three years, and maybe annually after that if he stays clear. Good luck.
_________________
57 year old male in Texas diagnosed with Stage II NSCLC
Upper left lobectomy on December 20, 2007, then 3 rounds of adjuvant chemotherapy
July 2008 CT scan - NED
December 2008 CT scan - NED
June 2009 CT scan - NED
My story is in this thread: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=39609#39609

robertacastello · Regular Joined: 02 Jul 2008 Posts: 41

X rays are not enough. He should be having CTs every three months for the first years and every four months for the second year. An X ray is only able to show a tumor of a certain lenght. My father just completed his first year after the lobectomy and found out another compromised lymph node (he removed one in surgery). We wouldn't be able to spot it with the x ray alone...

suebanj · New User Joined: 26 Jul 2009 Posts: 5

I received a post from you on my question and saw that your husband was to go to the oncologist this week I think...Just wondering how he made out??
Hope all is well

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