I think the consultant has given up on my dad

Hi Hollowrob, if your dad wants to pursue the consultants decision he should get a second opinion, he has the right to do this. I hope you both get some answers

about treatment.

With Love Lucylee. xx

I can understand your feelings, but this often is standard practice in cancer care. They will not have given up on your dad, but if he is doing okay then there would probably be no indication to scan him. Most of the research around cancer recurrance shows that patients know themselves when/if they have a problem, and tend to report it, whereas routine follow up scans have been shown to be of little use in many cases.

Obviously, each cancer site will have different follow-up, but try and speak to either the consultant again or the nurse specialist/Macmillan nurse if there is one for your dad. They should be able to explain why they have chosen the follow up plan that they have done. A second opinion may also be useful as lucylee said, but I would suggest the Macmillan or nurse route first if possible. They should be able to tell you what symptoms to look out for as well, so that you feel better supported and informed.

Hope this helps, good luck,

Lou x

Hi Becky

it was obviously a difficult appointment for you all and sometimes Doctors could explain things in a better way than they do (but they are all different of course - human nature)

CT scans give the patient absolutely massive amounts of radiation and so are limited for that reason. As your Dad is not having treatment at the moment there is no longer the need to check whether he is responding to that treatment, but please don't feel they have written him off ! It would  be counterproductive in many ways for your Dad to have repeated CT scans. The consultant also has a pretty rigid protocol  that he has to follow in caring for his patients.

I know you're feeling angry at the moment but your Dad is feeling so much better than when he was on treatment. As Lou said, if the cancer starts to cause him problems then he will feel unwell again, and at this point he may be offered  a CT or perhaps an USS to see what's going on.

I felt confused and quite cross, as you know, when my mum had her last appointment, but now have reached a sort of hazy acceptance of the situation--my Mum is putting on weight and feels better and stronger than she has for 6 months. She knows  she has a new liver lesion and she has not been given a date for another CT either,  She's been told she's coping well, is not overwhelmed with the disease and is gaining weight and they will deal with any problems as they crop up.

As Lou said, speak to the Macmillan nurse if you can.  Often she can liase with the consultant and then go over with you what follow up etc he is planning for your Dad. I wasn't terribly keen on my Mum's oncologist either but these bad feelings don't help matters and it's best not to let them brew!

Best wishes as always

Sue

Hello all thanks for your comments,  I feel that all the advice that you have given has made me see things a little differently.  When you come away from the appointment it is all emotion but then I come on here and speak to others who have been through the same/similar experience and you guys throw a bit more logic into it.  I will try and speak to the MacMillan nurse and see if she can advise me in any  way.  I agree that my dad is so much better than he was and is putting weight on which is such a blessing and I would hate for him to be having any scans etc which will add to the problem.  Thanks again for your input and your balanced views it does help so much.  Sue - glad to hear that your mum is stable at the moment - I do understand how precious that is.  I think a hazy acceptance is all that we can expect sometimes and I will be happy to live with that for now especially if I know that dad is not being treated differently now the treatment has stopped.  Dad had his 70th birthday last week something I did not think that he would see so I am counting the small blessings that we have.  Thanks again.  Best wishes to you all Becky xx