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results for full body scan for follicular cancer?

i was diaganosed with follicular cancer in nov 07, ive had a total thyroidectomy and had iodione radiation I-131 and have had 2 full body scans, has any else had 2 wait 6 months for the results and why did i have to have 2 scans? thanks for any help or advice.. Hi spreedog, the scans were 1 week apart, i had the first 3 days after the radiation treatment {which i had complications with} then i was asked to come back 1 week later for another full body scan, i should have asked but i just wasnt feeling really that good....thanks

Public Comments

1. You are entitled to know the results of your scans. I would not wait a week let alone six months to find out results if this were me. The doctor who ordered them must have a report in his or her office. You can stop by the office and ask for a copy of your reports. You can't sit back and wait for a call. Many doctors or their office staff will not call patients if scans are normal. There are too many normal reports to call each person personally - especially if the people do not ask for their results. You have to ask for your results politely but sometimes firmly. When I was in medical practice I had a stack of tests results to go though every day - usually late in the evening. I called or asked my staff to call only if something significantly abnormal showed up that needed to be addressed. Otherwise, I went over the reports (and made copies in many cases) with the patients at the time of their next office visit. How close together were the scans? I would not have had a second scan without knowing why it was being done.
2. 2 scans could have been if the first scan was inconclusive or they wanted to see the changes and compare them. You should not wait 6 months to get your results! The results get to your doctor the next day and will be certainly available to you within a week. Clarify things with your doctor, maybe he meant you need another scan in 6 months? Which is very likely, to compare to previous scans that you've had. You need better communication with your specialist. don't be ashamed to ask him to simplify or clarify things he says. He will most likely have written a report of your progress to your General Practitioner. You can request a copy of that report from your GP, or go there and your GP can go through it with you.
3. I'm sorry you have not been given the results sooner. I am a thyroid cancer survivor myself, so I know how stressful waiting can be. I usually get the results from my scans in about a week. I can't give you the exact scientific answer, but they do two scans to see where the radioactive iodine is taken up in your body. Usually you swallow a radioactive iodine capsule, then 24 hours later you have a scan and another at 48 hours. Since the thyroid is the only gland in your body to take up iodine, the iodine will accumulate in large amounts at the site of any thyroid cancer. You will see some collection in your liver and bladder as the iodine works its way out of your body. That is my understanding. You should call your doctor and request a copy of the radiologist's report. Normally, no news is good news, but you should make sure for yourself.