CT scan of lung

[Caregiverp]

Parent had breast cancer first. After the 5 year mark, lung cancer was found in the lung. Non small cell. Chemo stopped growth, but didnt make it go away.Lobectomy at 76 years old.  Surgeon checked rest of lung and didnt find anything. Surgery was in 05. There is some small spot in the center of the lung that was there when she was operated on.   No nodes were bad, and the tumor had clear margins.  They found scar tissue in the tumor. Possibly from flu that scarred her lung when she was a child.
Doctors want to cat scan and mri a lot. Her old doctor was doing it every 6 months. The new one wants to do ct scans every 3.
They also suspected bone cancer but 2 biopsys done in one day were negative.
Is every 3 months for a ct scan of the lung  too much ?

[HeinrikMD]

Hi,
The 3 month interval is pretty much standard. It is unlikely for non-small cell cancer to increase in size in one month, and it seems that the strategy seems to work. The interval would indeed increase in the next year (as ipnotica mentioned) and so on.
At her age, the estimated life expectancy of her peers is around 11 years, so it seems reasonable to give her the same care as a younger patient would have.
Stay positive.

[ipnotica]

No, I don't think it's too much.  It sounds like the doctor is being cautious by monitoring treatment and frequently watching for any changes.  After a few scans with good results, she'll likely graduate to having scans every 6 months and possibly even graduate to once a year.