preradiation CT scan

lrr4993

I went in today for my planning session.  I assume all of you did something similar - it involve a CT scan and the forming of a mold that I apparently will use with each treatment.  Here are my qusetions, if any of you know the answers: 

What parts of the body are scanned?  Seems like abdomen only.

Althought the purpose of the scan is not diagnositic, would it show any distant spread if it is there?  In other words, if I happen to have a tumor in my lung (knock on wood), would that be found by accident in reviewing this scan for radiation planning?  I am just wondering if I can use this scan as a interim pseudo-confirmation of lack of spread to those areas that are part of the scan.

I plan to ask my rad onco about it next week, but thought some of you may have some info on this.

Thanks!

redsox

The area scanned is the abdomen only, and perhaps not all of that. It does see the whole slice through your body in that area but the area depends on how much they expect to treat. 

"Regional lymph nodes cannot be directly seen on planning CT, unless pathologically enlarged."  per Clinical Radiation Oncology by Gunderson and Tepper, p. 1484 (one of the standard rad onc textbooks).  It would seem that they would not be able to see spread except by happenstance. But go ahead and ask the rad onc -- it is a good question of exactly how much can be seen.

ToriGirl

What did your radiologist oncologist say about your question?



Tori