Aa
Another lung scan question
Male, 52, quit smoking cigarettes 18 years ago (after 18 years of
smoking), quit cigars two years ago (after four years). Did a lot of
pot, also. Been around a lot of passive smoke, too, until recent years
-- parents, wife. That said: I took a Lung Cat scan a year and a half ago because my doctor
and I figured I was borderline and what the hell: this would be a good risk/cost/
reward tool. (He didn't arm twist ior scare me at all; it was my call.)
Anyway, to our surprise, the scan showed one small "spot" on upper right lobe - 5 mm. He said don'y worry. (Yeah, right.) Then 90 days later another scan -- high contrast: no change in size. (Feeling good.)
Then another 90 days later, a third scan with no contrast: no change
and radiologist description now calls it fiber-something, which my GP
says means scar tissue, rather than a spot. (excellent.) The GP says let's do it
again in six months. We then do it again -- at the one year
anniversary of when it was first found -- and once again no growth and
it is now called scar tissue on the radiologist report. (I rarely think about it now.)
Question: My GP now says we probably don't even need to scan it again. Four scans in one year is enough for something that looks like this. He said the radiation risk from another scan is probably higher than the lung cancer risk in this case.
Prudent? I thought two years of scans was the norm? Should I request another one or more? My general feeling is that radiation risk from one more scan is quite small -- and smaller than the admittedly also small chance that some spot I have in my lung is a slow-growing mass whose growth might not get noticed for more than a year. Personally, if I am risking, say, a <0.01% risk of a radiation cancer that I might beat versus a <1.0% risk of a spot metastasizing in my lung (percentages are my guesses, btw) , I'll take the smaller risk -- and take the scan. But I'm not a doc. Just an options trader who plays probabilities for a living.
Thoughts?
And if I forgo the scan now, when should I have it again if ever?
smoking), quit cigars two years ago (after four years). Did a lot of
pot, also. Been around a lot of passive smoke, too, until recent years
-- parents, wife. That said: I took a Lung Cat scan a year and a half ago because my doctor
and I figured I was borderline and what the hell: this would be a good risk/cost/
reward tool. (He didn't arm twist ior scare me at all; it was my call.)
Anyway, to our surprise, the scan showed one small "spot" on upper right lobe - 5 mm. He said don'y worry. (Yeah, right.) Then 90 days later another scan -- high contrast: no change in size. (Feeling good.)
Then another 90 days later, a third scan with no contrast: no change
and radiologist description now calls it fiber-something, which my GP
says means scar tissue, rather than a spot. (excellent.) The GP says let's do it
again in six months. We then do it again -- at the one year
anniversary of when it was first found -- and once again no growth and
it is now called scar tissue on the radiologist report. (I rarely think about it now.)
Question: My GP now says we probably don't even need to scan it again. Four scans in one year is enough for something that looks like this. He said the radiation risk from another scan is probably higher than the lung cancer risk in this case.
Prudent? I thought two years of scans was the norm? Should I request another one or more? My general feeling is that radiation risk from one more scan is quite small -- and smaller than the admittedly also small chance that some spot I have in my lung is a slow-growing mass whose growth might not get noticed for more than a year. Personally, if I am risking, say, a <0.01% risk of a radiation cancer that I might beat versus a <1.0% risk of a spot metastasizing in my lung (percentages are my guesses, btw) , I'll take the smaller risk -- and take the scan. But I'm not a doc. Just an options trader who plays probabilities for a living.
Thoughts?
And if I forgo the scan now, when should I have it again if ever?
I don't think it be unwise to have a scan ones a year. Just for the peace of mind sake.
Ray
Ray
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