Re: Should I be concerned about the protocol my endo uses for RAI?

[Guest guest]

jdaxthelm wrote:

> I am seeing an Endo at the Cleveland Clinc here in Weston, Fl. I am

> concerned as he says he does not do a scanning dose of I-131- prior

> to the ablation dose. The ablation dose is a set 100 mcl. The scan

> is done 7 days after the ablation dose. hospitalization is required

> (1 -3 days). He says this is the protocol used by the Cleveland

> Clinic.

>

> When I asked about the scanning dose he talked about " stunning " (no

> surprise there) and then he told me that no matter what the scanning

> dose showed we would be doing the 100 mcl dose anyway - and that that

> scan shows mets better anyway.

>

> I know that this is not the protocol that is talked about by other

> board members. However, is it a valid protocol - or should I demand

> a scanning dose?

Joan,

This is a perfectly valid protocol used by a lot of doctors. If

you're destined for an ablative dose in any event (as I was), your

doctor will get all the info he needs from the post-treatment scan.

A pre-treatment scan might not tell him anything he doesn't already

know, so many doctors prefer not to take the risk of stunning and

making the ablation less effective. Don't lose any sleep over this

one; it sounds as though your endo knows what he's doing.

Best of luck with your treatment,

ellen

--

mailto:ellen@...

[Guest guest]

jdaxthelm wrote:

> I am seeing an Endo at the Cleveland Clinc here in Weston, Fl. I am

> concerned as he says he does not do a scanning dose of I-131- prior

> to the ablation dose. The ablation dose is a set 100 mcl. The scan

> is done 7 days after the ablation dose. hospitalization is required

> (1 -3 days). He says this is the protocol used by the Cleveland

> Clinic.

>

> When I asked about the scanning dose he talked about " stunning " (no

> surprise there) and then he told me that no matter what the scanning

> dose showed we would be doing the 100 mcl dose anyway - and that that

> scan shows mets better anyway.

>

> I know that this is not the protocol that is talked about by other

> board members. However, is it a valid protocol - or should I demand

> a scanning dose?

Joan,

This is a perfectly valid protocol used by a lot of doctors. If

you're destined for an ablative dose in any event (as I was), your

doctor will get all the info he needs from the post-treatment scan.

A pre-treatment scan might not tell him anything he doesn't already

know, so many doctors prefer not to take the risk of stunning and

making the ablation less effective. Don't lose any sleep over this

one; it sounds as though your endo knows what he's doing.

Best of luck with your treatment,

ellen

--

mailto:ellen@...

[Guest guest]

Ellen Van Landingham wrote:

> This is a perfectly valid protocol used by a lot of doctors. If

> you're destined for an ablative dose in any event (as I was), your

> doctor will get all the info he needs from the post-treatment scan.

> A pre-treatment scan might not tell him anything he doesn't already

> know, so many doctors prefer not to take the risk of stunning and

> making the ablation less effective. Don't lose any sleep over this

> one; it sounds as though your endo knows what he's doing.

I agree.

It sounds like you have a pretty good idea (or your endo does) of what's

lurking, and that will be confirmed by the post ablative scan.

Relax and let him do it his way :-)

-

NYC

[Guest guest]

Ellen Van Landingham wrote:

> This is a perfectly valid protocol used by a lot of doctors. If

> you're destined for an ablative dose in any event (as I was), your

> doctor will get all the info he needs from the post-treatment scan.

> A pre-treatment scan might not tell him anything he doesn't already

> know, so many doctors prefer not to take the risk of stunning and

> making the ablation less effective. Don't lose any sleep over this

> one; it sounds as though your endo knows what he's doing.

I agree.

It sounds like you have a pretty good idea (or your endo does) of what's

lurking, and that will be confirmed by the post ablative scan.

Relax and let him do it his way :-)

-

NYC

[Guest guest]

Ellen Van Landingham wrote:

> This is a perfectly valid protocol used by a lot of doctors. If

> you're destined for an ablative dose in any event (as I was), your

> doctor will get all the info he needs from the post-treatment scan.

> A pre-treatment scan might not tell him anything he doesn't already

> know, so many doctors prefer not to take the risk of stunning and

> making the ablation less effective. Don't lose any sleep over this

> one; it sounds as though your endo knows what he's doing.

I agree.

It sounds like you have a pretty good idea (or your endo does) of what's

lurking, and that will be confirmed by the post ablative scan.

Relax and let him do it his way :-)

-

NYC

[Guest guest]

I agree with the other members - as a matter of fact,

our doctors think alike because this is the treatment

protocal he used for me.

My RAI was set at 150mCi and I had my scan after my

treatment. I never had a scanning dose first.

However, next year, I will have a scanning dose - and

if it's all clear, no RAI.

You will read a lot of information from a lot of

people on this list who all have different doctors,

different cancer and are receving different treatments

as a result. It's definitely okay to question, but

keep in mind that you may see differences in your

treatment and those differences are okay as long as

they are getting you to the right place, and that's

healthy and cancer free.

Cheers, Pattie

=====

Dx Familial Pap Thyca, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - 11/01

TT - 12/20/01

RAI 150 mCi - 2/12/02

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

I agree with the other members - as a matter of fact,

our doctors think alike because this is the treatment

protocal he used for me.

My RAI was set at 150mCi and I had my scan after my

treatment. I never had a scanning dose first.

However, next year, I will have a scanning dose - and

if it's all clear, no RAI.

You will read a lot of information from a lot of

people on this list who all have different doctors,

different cancer and are receving different treatments

as a result. It's definitely okay to question, but

keep in mind that you may see differences in your

treatment and those differences are okay as long as

they are getting you to the right place, and that's

healthy and cancer free.

Cheers, Pattie

=====

Dx Familial Pap Thyca, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - 11/01

TT - 12/20/01

RAI 150 mCi - 2/12/02

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

I agree with the other members - as a matter of fact,

our doctors think alike because this is the treatment

protocal he used for me.

My RAI was set at 150mCi and I had my scan after my

treatment. I never had a scanning dose first.

However, next year, I will have a scanning dose - and

if it's all clear, no RAI.

You will read a lot of information from a lot of

people on this list who all have different doctors,

different cancer and are receving different treatments

as a result. It's definitely okay to question, but

keep in mind that you may see differences in your

treatment and those differences are okay as long as

they are getting you to the right place, and that's

healthy and cancer free.

Cheers, Pattie

=====

Dx Familial Pap Thyca, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - 11/01

TT - 12/20/01

RAI 150 mCi - 2/12/02

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

I had no scan right before RAI - I had had a scan some 6 month

earlier so we knew i had a little remnant, so i had my dose and a

scan about 7 days later to see where the uptake was. My dose was

calculated by the radiation oncologist based on my earlier scan and

some other info i'm not sure of, but he did some calculations and

came up with 63mci as the RAI dose..

Typically if you've just had a TT, there is probably some remnant

left, surgeons are good, but its really hard to scrape every teeny

tiny bit of thyroid out of there.. so most people have a remnant and

the RAI dose will light you up quite well so any mets would be seen

on that.. so all in all, it doesn't seem like that wierd a protocol,

actually a pretty sensible, conservative one

barb

tt 8/99 RAI 4/00 Clean Scans 12/00, 5/02

> Hi

>

> I had a TT on 08/12/02. The Final Pathology Report stated PAP,

> classic type, 1.6 x 1.4; no capsular or extrathyroidal estension;

no

> vascular invasion noted. No lymph nodes were removed during

surgery

> either.

>

> I am seeing an Endo at the Cleveland Clinc here in Weston, Fl. I

am

> concerned as he says he does not do a scanning dose of I-131- prior

> to the ablation dose. The ablation dose is a set 100 mcl. The

scan

> is done 7 days after the ablation dose. hospitalization is required

> (1 -3 days). He says this is the protocol used by the Cleveland

> Clinic.

>

> When I asked about the scanning dose he talked about " stunning " (no

> surprise there) and then he told me that no matter what the

scanning

> dose showed we would be doing the 100 mcl dose anyway - and that

that

> scan shows mets better anyway.

>

> I know that this is not the protocol that is talked about by other

> board members. However, is it a valid protocol - or should I

demand

> a scanning dose?

>

> Please let me now your thoughts. I am the most upset I can

remember

> being since this all started.

>

> Also - i feel like I am becoming a problem patient by questioning

his

> actions/protocols - and I hate that feeling as well. I tried to be

> nice about it - and it was late, and he was runnning behind, and

had

> more patieints to see, and I just kept asking questions, and he

kept

> picking up his folder to leave ... <shudder> horrible...<shudder>

>

> Thanks in advance

> Joan