Hi everyone,
So i am now 14 weeks post treatment for tonsil cancer. Hoping to return to work in the new year.
Saw my team yesterday and am waiting for a repeat PET scan (1st being done for diagnostic reasons back in May). The ENT surgeon was reluctant to send me for a full scan but my oncologist insisted that it happen.
Just wondered what other peoples experiences were in terms of the outcome of the 1st scan post treatment. Did people get a complete/incomplete response to treatment? I'm trying to be positive as the initial prognosis was good but I'm struggling to stay upbeat.
TIA
Kelly x
I had an MRI at 12 weeks. I was still in a lot of pain and I rather think my oncologist suspected I might still have cancer. He showed me both sequences and where the obvious tumour was on the first scan it was completely gone in the second. My whole body PET/CT was at 16 weeks. This is now standard in Swansea as there have been too many false positives at 12. The predictive value ( ie the accuracy) of a post treatment negative scan is nigh on 100%. But that of a positive is much less. It leads to a lot of worry for us the patients.
My 16 week scan showed a hot spot at the initial tumour site. Both surgeon and oncologist agreed there was nothing abnormal on the scope but I had biopsies nevertheless
All were negative
Mist people’s scans are ok. I had quite a severe reaction to radio so I wasn’t surprised.
But here I am still alive and kicking.
Good luck.
I’m sure all will be well.
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
Hi KMJ19, its great news you are getting a scan as a lot of people never get the offer or option to have one which i think is wrong, i think i would have rather waited for a scan than not have one as it would have given me peace of mind. Stay strong and good luck with the scan results. Take care.
Chris x
Its sometimes not easy but its worth it !
