why ct scan of chest abdo and pelvis

[sharone]

my partner is on surveillance for around a year and a half and his last chest xray and blood were normal, his last abdominal ct was last june and the next is next month but is chest abdominal and pelvis, this doesn't seem normal since everywhere I read that it is adominal only. I am in the uk. And look forward to any responses

[sharone]

i should explain that he has had no rplnd or chemo and is just surveillance

[mikeygti]

Was embryonal carcinoma a component of his original tumor?
If so, it ( E/C) has been known to "skip" the abdom. nodes,and go straight to the lungs.

My next scan is in May,and it includes the chest,as well as the abom/pelvis as well.

Best Wishes

[sharone]

hi thanks for replying, no it was teratoma with seminoma, that is mature teratoma with seminoma. So I am wondering if they have made a mistake

[Hopeful]

Maybe they just want to check all areas just to be cautious. Since there's part teratoma, it can spread to the lungs.

I don't know if this would help, but here's a link to surveillance information on the www.tcrc.acor.org link. Maybe that might help.

Patti

[sharone]

Thanks, I have looked at the tcrc sight and it still says abdominal ct only, apart from Mike above saying he is having this type of ct I can't find any site on the web that says this, I will try and contact the hospital tomorrow but sometimes it is hard to get an answer, and I am concerned that it may be an error.

[Mom]

It is my understanding that teratoma in the UK means non-seminoma in the US. In that case, it is important that the three areas are scanned. My son is on a 2x year CT scan of the pelvis, ab and chest schedule. He had 3xBEP chemo. I don't think you need to read anything into it. I agree with Hopeful that they are just being cautious. Dianne

[sharone]

yes maybe I am being paranoid, I will call them, since it is non seminoma but with mature teratoma and seminoma only, in all the websites I visited and in all his previous scans they are just abdominal apart from post surgery. As he has only had surgery the normal protocol is adominal only, so I was just questioning why it has all of a sudden gone to this new protocol when so far everything has been clear and it is one and a half years down the line. Thanks for your reply.

[tonytigre]

I am also on surviellence and I get X-rays of my chest on months 1 and 2 and every 3rd month when I go in for my CAT Scan I get my chest scanned too. I too didn't have any chemo or RPLND so that could be why also.

[sharone]

thanks Tony so you also have chest done aswell, so it can be a normal protocol. Maybe my partners hospital has renewed where it scans then, that's good to know. It seems different establishments have different systems.