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Chapter 12 Will I have to go to London for all my treatments? |
All radioisotope treatments must be given in London. At times your local oncology team will assist in giving you chemotherapy. The goal is to minimize the number of trips you have to make, especially if you live far from London. It is very important for our team to follow your progress. Weekly blood work is needed after all therapies. This can be done at your cancer centre or a local lab. The results are then sent to London for review.
Many people with carcinoid and pancreatic tumours need an adjustment of Octreotide after leaving the hospital. It is not unusual to need short‐acting Octreotide for a period of time after embolization.
Ontario patients are referred to a Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) for monitoring in the community. If needed, home nurses will care for the weekly PICC dressings. Many people will already be using CCAC services.
What happens after the treatment ends?
When you finish your treatment, you will have blood tests and x‐rays at different times to see how the tumour responds to the therapy. You will also need a Serum Chromogranin A blood test to give information about the size and activity of the tumour. This test must be done in London.
CT scans will be done at regular intervals to measure tumour size. It will be compared to the baseline CT done before treatment. Sometimes these can be done at your home hospital, especially if the original CT scan was done there.
At various times you will need an In‐III Octreotide Scan and/or an I‐131 MIBG scan. These specialized scans must be done at London Health Sciences Centre. When they are scheduled, it is important to keep these appointments. Only 16 of these scans are done each month.
If you have a carcinoid tumour you will have a yearly echocardiogram, either in London or somewhere closer to your home. You may be referred to a cardiologist. Frequent 24‐hour urine collections to measure 5‐HIAA may be needed as part of your follow‐up care.
The team in London will involve your doctor and specialists to provide the best possible care. Notes are sent to them every time you are seen in London. This will keep them informed of your progress.
| << Patient Booklet Main Page >> | |
| << Chapter 11 Hepatic Artery Chemoembolization |
Chapter 13 >> Frequently Asked Questions |