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Chemo but no ct/pet?
Hello. Is it possible to refuse ct/pet scans? Is there a hospital in the US that allows a patient to choose and elect not to do the ct/pet scans? Thank you
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4 Replies
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Dear Sara Anne,
Thank you so much for giving me this perspective. G-d bless you in every way.
Sincerely,
Sara -
Alan is correct that you are not obligated to undergo any medical procedure. It is possible that a medical practitioner may refuse to treat you if he/she feels that a refusal would make diagnosis or treatment impossible. I have refused some dental procedures and have been denied further treatment because of it in my home state of Oregon. The Oregon Board of Dentistry “guidelines” are not in concurrence with national standards nor with the opinion of my late husband who served as Director of the National Insitute of Dental Research at NIH. My body, my decision.
I understand a reluctance to undergo frequent CT scans since these do result in relatively large radiation doses. I discussed this with my urologist and together we read the current medical literature and “best practice” recommendations for urology. I have agreed to his recommendation for a CT-urogram every five years. A CT-urogram can identify spread to the ureters and kidneys that would not be visible or discovered any other way. It is worth it to me since I had high-grade CIS. But, my body and my decision, with the help of information provided by my urologist.
It would be a good idea for you to sit down with your urologist and discuss the pros and cons of this thoroughly.
Sara Anne
Diagnosis 2-08 Small papillary TCC; CIS
BCG; BCG maintenance
Vice-President, American Bladder Cancer Society
Forum Moderator
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I really appreciate it.
Yes. POA- it’s been more and more on my mind lately.
I am glad you are ok and no ct scans needed! :-)
From what I understand you have complete control of your being/body. You can refuse any type of procedure. You are responsible for your own decisions. Of course if you are incapacitated the medical community has a responsibility to do what is necessary in that situation on test/surgeries….which is another topic (another reason to have medical power of attorney with a spouse or responsible party).
On to clarify the CT scan/pet scan. Most of us that have had high grade and many with low grade tumors on this board have had one or the other. The CT scan is more prevalent, I believe. The jury is out on radiation as possibly causing problems or the contrast dye. At the same time, these tests do help ID either a clear situation or ID more involvement in the tissues. I had the CT scan with contrast 12+ years ago and have had no further problems. It did help ID a small, papillary tumor. In general, I consider these valuable tools.
DX 5/6/2008 TAG3 papillary tumor .5 CM in size. 2 TURBS followed by 6 instillations of BCG weekly with a second round of 6 after a 6 week wait.Sign In to reply.