End of Chemo Review

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Hi all,

I hope everyone is keeping well and saying sane being mostly indoors!

I've not posted for a few months but my Dad is now having his last cycle of chemo ( cycle 6) for NH Lymphoma -linked to his Spleen ( low grade) having R Benda treatment.

Thanks to all of you that have replied before and I am pleased to say he did get his mid point review CT scan which came back with excellent progress, when I posted last time I was panicking as they tried to do this over the phone!

We are now already at the final chemo cycle today, he had a call last week though to say he will now be kept under review and be looking to see him every couple of months for Blood tests?

No PET scan??

No end of chemo result scan to see if it has cleared? I'm anxious wondering why they are just dismissing him without a result? He is 71.

Please if anyone has also had this where no PET final scan was given, please can you let me know?

Also what else normally happens after the 6th cycle?

Any help would be much appreciated, I will be trying to get in touch with someone at the ward soon but my Dad has told me its not important as is just pleased to be getting out of there, I feel like we are just being left...

johnr over 3 years ago

Hi, if your dads main type of lymphoma is low grade then they will continue to monitor him every 3 to 6 months to check his disease is remaining stable and not becoming an issue again. Re the final scan have they explained why they feel its not needed and at the mid point scan did they mention if his disease was in remission or stable? if they did then that could well be the reason why not especially during the Covid pandemic. But best to ask and understand what they are making the decisions they are re your dads treatment. Good to read he has done well though and things sound positive.

john

we all know this is a roller coaster ride, where we ride blind, never knowing where the highs and lows are

AA9 over 3 years ago in reply to johnr

Thanks John,

I saw the mid scan letter and it said I am pleased to say the results of your CT scan were excellent ( this was around cycle 4) and we will continue on with your treatment, only 2 lines long.

As far as I know it was just no scan is needed at the end and they will do check ups and if necessary down the line and maybe an ultrasound? Could be Covid related, I think I will have to call them as the messages don't filter through to the family!.

Do you know if most patients continue with some sort of medication after chemo stops and they are on watch and wait?

All the best

Thehighlander over 3 years ago in reply to AA9

I had a different type of treatment (R-EPOCH) and did end up having a scan 4ish weeks after my final treatment (no mid scan) and when I went to see the consultant he basically said “Well that was a waste of money and an unnecessary radiation exposure as I knew exactly what result we were going to get - the scan was an admin mistake”

Mike (Thehighlander)

It always seems impossible until its done - Nelson Mandela

My cancer story

johnr over 3 years ago in reply to AA9

Hi again, follow up treatment depends on a couple of things, the main one being what type of lymphoma he had and guessing from your original post it sounds like it may have been FNHL or follicular NHL and your posting in the DLBC group which is a high grade type of lymphoma

AA9 said:
or NH Lymphoma -linked to his Spleen ( low grade) having R Benda treatment.

So a little confused, if it is FNHL then often patients continue with maintenance treatment, in his case it would be the R rituximab, however they would need to consider the benefits against the risks for your dad.

Does this make sense as I don't wish to confuse things for you and a full discussion with the consultant is best to understand the decisions and why they have made them.

regards

John

we all know this is a roller coaster ride, where we ride blind, never knowing where the highs and lows are

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