follow ups

[killy]

hi, all
i have been diagnosed with stage1 seminoma and been told there is no spread. ct scan all clear and tumour markers normall. i was given the choice of raadiotherapy or one does of carboplatin as adjuviant therapy. survailance was never mentioned but i know i had to do all i could to amke sure it didn't come back so i chose the chemo after a lot of thinking .(not that i'm saying survailance isn't an option , just that i had to do more ).i was wondering if anyone new the chances of recurrence after carboplatin treatment , what follow up regime is normall ,as the've said i'll b checked for 10 years which i have to admit seems very long at this moment in time . also from reading hundreds of information on this forum , no one ever really says if there life has got back to normall, its been 8 weeks since i found out 10/19 operated on 10/20 and then chemo on the 11/29 . all i can think about is recurrence or actually having tc in the other testicle. i'm hopeing this will ease after a few follow up appointments and was just wondering how others cope.

sorry for the long post and numerouse questions ,and i'd just like to say thanks to everyone who posts on here as the information and how positive everyone seems has really helped to get me through the las couple of months

craig

[Scott]

Good questions. I'd ask your oncologist about your follow-up. Even though you had adjuvant carboplatin instead, I would expect your schedule to be similar to those listed on this TCRC page for stage I seminoma treated with adjuvant radiation.

We eventually settle in to "a new normal." As the Lance Armstrong Foundation manifesto says, "Cancer may leave your body, but it never leaves your life."

[Sans rt1]

When I was investigating my options, I read articles that gave the odds of recurrence roughly the same as with RT. I chose RT, but the single dose is definitely becoming accepted. Go to the NCCN guidelines to get information on followups for single dose treatment. It seems that the 10 year followup might be the practice for single dose but looking at the guidelines it is not totally clear to me, so you should probably talk about it with your oncolgist and have him explain why only 10 years compared to annual for life with RT

http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/testicular.pdf

We all deal with the emotions and worry you are going through. You are normal. For me, it has taken a few "all clear" follow-ups for me to keep my worry in check. I think about it every day, and I know there is a small chance it will come back, but worrying will not make it any different. So, I will be vigilant, keep up with my follow-ups, and hopefully I will be fine. If it does come back, we will catch it fairly early and with treatment I will be cured. The same thing goes about getting it in my other one - could happen but what will worry do - so I will check it regularly and pray for the best.

You have had an accepted treatment that lowers your chance of recurrence tremendously. You are probably cured! I know it is easier said than done, but relax and move on with your life - but be sure to keep current with your follow-ups and check your remaining one regularly.

[killy]

thanks alot 4 the replies and info. went and looked at ma path report at the doctors . helped a little to c it all in black and white. got the ct report as well all clear and the one tumour maeker that was at 9 has went back 2 normal 9 before surgery 5 after and now at 3 , and they say thats all good