How did you know AC was working besides physical exam?

fac03

I finished my 4 cycles of AC and will begin Taxol next week.

However, I am not sure whether the AC is working. I have Neoadjuvant chemo. My oncologist and surgeon told me they felt the lymph nodes are smaller. How do I know the cancer hasn't spreaded to other areas? Is it normal to have a CT scan or an ultrasound after the AC and before Taxol?

I know I should be talking to my oncologist, but experiences have taught me that I need to find out what can be done before talking to her.

santabarbarian

They will evaluate with manual exam if that is possible. My umor and node were easy to feel. My MO did not want imaging because we did not need them to perceive the shrinking, and there are some risks to scans via radiation etc.

I hot scanned at the end of chemo just prior to surgery so the surgeon could plan.