frequency of scans after adjuvant therapy

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frequency of scans after adjuvant therapy

This topic has 2 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 1 month ago by Linny.

Post

- March 13, 2019 at 12:26 am
- Quote
KellyH
Participant
Hi everyone!!

My son has 5 more Opdivo treatments to complete his one year of adjuvant therapy for Stage 3b….we have been counting down the treatments but as it gets closer I find myself getting so nervous about completing treatment. It will be a very bittersweet milestone for me….my son can’t wait to be finished, he’s 18 now and ready to move on from this whole thing. I on the other hand am having such anxiety…at least with treatment I felt like we were actively doing something to fight this monster off.

6 months into his treatment he had CT scans of his brain, his neck and his chest and abdomen…all clear. His primary site was on his scalp. We are going to have repeat scans again in May.

i am just wondering how often everyone went or is going for scans upon completion of adjuvant therapy for similar staging. I know adjuvant therapy is relatively new for Stage 3….I’m thinking when we aren’t treating i would like scans every 3 months for at least a year, just not sure insurance will agree with me.

Kelly 🙂

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Replies

- - March 13, 2019 at 1:05 am
  - Quote
  kst
  Participant
  I have scans every 3 months for 2 years after my treatment ended. Insurance should not be an issue. MRI yearly.
  
  Susanne
- - March 13, 2019 at 1:37 pm
  - Quote
  Linny
  Participant
  Hi Kelly,
  
  My scan schedule went like this:
  
  Year 1: Every 4 months
  
  Year 2: Every 3 months
  
  Years 3-5: Every 6 months
  
  Years 5-10: Opted to stay with every 6 months, though I was given an option of going to annual scans. I am at this point. Only 3 more visits until I move to annual scans!
  
  Years 10+: Annual scans
  
  Based on posts I've read here, while there may be some variances here and there the one thing these schedules all have in common is that they decrease over time. Statistically, the highest odds of recurrence happen within the first two years, hence the freqency. Also, a good thing to know is the the longer you go without a recurrence, the odds of having a recurrence decrease.
  
  I've never had a problem with insurance coverage. I only get the ultra high contrast CT. But again, based on posts I've read here, some folks have had problems with PET scans being covered at frequent intervals.

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