Reaching Treatment Milestones
Your doctor will order tests to measure how you are responding to treatment. Be sure to talk to your doctor so that you understand the tests that are best for you.
The 4 main tests to evaluate response are as follows:
Test
Purpose
Computed Tomography
(CT) Scan
(CT) Scan
The most commonly used test to help the doctor measure the size and number of tumors. In order to help the doctor see your intestinal tract better, a dye is used intravenously in combination with a liquid that you take by mouth.
Magnetic Resonance
Imaging (MRI)
Scan
Imaging (MRI)
Scan
Uses radio waves and large magnets to create detailed images of your body. MRls may be useful to see if tumors have returned or spread to distant areas of the body.
Positron Emission Tomography
(PET) Scan
(PET) Scan
Helps identify whether or not tumor cells are active. You may be injected with a dye to help "living" tumor cells show up clearly.
X rays
Use small amounts of radiation to take 2-dimensional pictures of parts of the body.
When reviewing your test results, your health care team will consider several things to see how well you are responding to treatment. They will also see how many of your tumors are responding to treatment. You will probably have your scans done every 3 to 6 months to keep track of your treatment results.
It is important that you and your doctor discuss the results of your scans. Having a good understanding of what your scan results mean will help you better manage your condition.
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