First scans after chemoradiation on rectum/anus

Hi Ally,

Wishing you all the best for your scan tomorrow.

Here in the UK the first CT & MRI scans post chemo radiation take place at 3 months. They say that during that time the radiotherapy is continuing to work. They are repeated at 6 months.

Everything crossed for you.

xx

Hi Ally

It will differ depending on the nhs trust, but I have the follow up guidelines for The Christie and they coincide with PLATO, they also split the follow up routine based on risk category but for the 1^st 12 months both are the same with

• 3 months Clinical exam, Pelvic MR and PET-CT
• 6 months Clinical exam, and Pelvic MR
• 9 months Clinical exam
• 12 months Clinical exam, Pelvic MR and CT

So there is only one routine PET scan following treatment and that’s at 3 months. The protocols for the two risks groups differ in the following years.

Fingers crossed for you.

Monty xx

Hi Ally

I was scanned at 3 months, then I had a few between that one and the 6 month one as they were concerned, my next scan is 12 months. X

Hello AllyL 

I'm sorry I can't recall whether you had a PET scan prior to treatment or not.  So (and this is not to give false hope but my understanding of the facts) after treatment my oncologist said the spots on your abdomen haven't changed - I was horrified, it was the first I had heard of them.  But when I questioned her, she said that if everyone were to be scanned regardless of age, harmless spots or nodules would show up, but after a cancer diagnosis they are ultra vigilant.  My spots had always been there and most importantly hadn't changed.

The spot on my lung lit up in a PET scan prior to treatment.  It was treated by ablation, alongside the other lung for good measure as there was an area there that they weren't quite sure about.

My first MRI/CT scan was three months after the end of chemo/radiotherapy.

I will be thinking of you tomorrow and keeping everything crossed.

Please let us know how you get on.

Irene xx

Thank you for the replies and well wishes.

I thought I might be a bit early for the anal/rectal checks. I asked my GP to get the earliest scan for my lungs, so I will concentrate on that area first.

Thank you for the reminder Irene that some of these lumps and bumps may have been there before the cancer. I was exposed to TB when I was a child, so hoping it could be connected.

I didn't have a PET scan pre chemoradiation, not one at this hospital and they wanted to get going with treatment. My GP will arrange one at a different hospital, but I have to wait due to radiation treatment.

Let's see how Tuesday goes and fingers crossed the lungs stay quiet until I can get the main tumour sorted.

The support in this group is just fantastic xxx

Firstly I hope your CT scan goes well next week.

As has already been mentioned it can differ from trust to trust, but I think almost everyone I know that have been through this diagnosis & treatment here in the UK are scanned at 3 & 6 months post treatment, as from there it can differ depending on severity of disease at diagnosis & which hospital/consultant you’re under. It’s generally the 6 month scans that are considered the important ones. Personally I received both CT & MRI scans at 3, 6, 9 & 12 months post treatment & then they began to leave them a little longer in between but my regime was slightly different as I was involved in a clinical trial.

Sending lots of positive thoughts your way for the 14th. 

Nicola 

Hello AllyL 

I can understand the wait - apparently there can be lots of hot spots after radiotherapy that are just inflammation and they can take some time to die down.  I am under one of the leading cancer hospitals in the UK and after treatment I have never had another PET scan.  I asked why and was told they are used for diagnostic purposes pre-treatment but not afterwards.

Irene xx

That makes perfect sense Irene.

10 days after my treatment I asked the Doctor to arrange a PET scan for me, so we could investigate this nodule. He was very clear that I could get false readings due to the radiation.

He spoke to the oncologist and arranged the CT tomography to check it out first.

Thank you so much for sharing.

Ally xx

Hi Ally 

Yes you’re way too soon for the follow up scans, but not too soon to check out the nodule you’d have thought.

Hope you get it sorted and that it comes back clear and do let us know how you get on.

Monty xx

I finished my Chemo radiotherapy on the 16th June.

I had my PET/CT and MRI scans last week.

My Oncologist says tbey highlight inflamation and they had to wait 12 weeks for the treatment to settle. My next scan is an MRI in 12 weeks. Good luck .