My Bladder Cancer Fight

CT scan The Head Or Not?

People with bladder cancer and have undergone Chemotherapy are subjected to many CT Scans over the next five years.

I can really only comment with some degree of knowledge about myself as I am a bladder cancer survivor.

In my case, during the first years, I received Ct Scans every three months. This was after I began Chemotherapy. At year 1.5, I received a scan every six months. In year, five the scanning reduced to once per year.

This amount of scanning is not too good for the body as CT Scans can cause cancer. The use of CT scans in determining whether the cancer is reappearing or not, in my opinion, out ways the remote chance that the amount of scans can cause cancer. There is a certain amount of risk in everything we do including having CT scans.

The earlier any cancer can be detected, the better the chance that it can be eradicated or at least controlled.

Now to the main purpose of this post.

My cousin, Ken, developed pituitary cancer. The method of treatment was radiation. Ken did very well for a few months and the CT Scans showed that the tumors were shrinking. To the best of my knowledge, radiation was the only treatment used.

All of a sudden, ken, started to go down hill very rapidly. In hospital, he received a battery of tests to determine what was going on. Repeated Scans showed that the tumors were definitely shrinking and no other tumors found in any other part of his body from the neck down.

Suddenly, someone at the hospital realized that the Doctor had not ever scanned Kens head.

A head scan immediately showed the cause of his downhill slide. His brain was full of cancer tumors.

The Medical Staff realized that the brain tumors had progressed too far to be treated. Ken went home to spend his final days. He died within two months of leaving the hospital.

This occurred while I was finishing my Chemotherapy. When my next scan came around, I insisted that my head be included in any future scan. I received a great deal of opposition from my Oncologist but after telling him Ken’s story, he reluctantly agreed. He was concerned about the amount of radiation that I was receiving.

Last October, my Oncologist backed out of the picture as he felt that there was nothing further he could provide towards my care. He left the door completely open that if I ran into any problem that I could contact him immediately.

My care from the cancer side is looked after now by just my Urologist. He only wants to see me once a year. Prior to my yearly visit, I am to have blood work done and a CAT scan. Again, I requested that all of my scans include my head. When I told him why, he agreed. If I remain cancer free for another two years, my Urologists visits including Ct Scans will drop to every two years.

If I make it to my tenth year, I will have received one hell of a dose of radiation during those ten years. In my opinion, for me, it will be worth every atom of radiation to have made sure that my whole body, from my hair follicles to the tip of my toes show no sign of the cancer reappearing.

Reference: CT scan

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