Follow-up Cancer Treatment Monitoring

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Standard treatment monitoring uses the same tools as standard diagnosis: ultrasounds are most commonly used to determine whether a patient’s treatment is working properly, followed by CT scans and MRIs. Unfortunately, these standard diagnostic tools are simply not detailed enough to accurately monitor treatment.

• Problems with standard treatment monitoring:
  • Ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRIs lack detail.
  • They’re unable to differentiate between cancerous and noncancerous tissue, which can cause doctors and specialists to miss tumours entirely.
  • They’re unable to identify the most aggressive tumours, which can make it impossible to tell how well your treatment is actually working, or accurately prioritize treatment.
  • Ultrasounds are notorious for producing vague images that force doctors to base treatment recommendations off of informed guesswork.

For example, your ultrasound might show signs of cancer, but that cancer might not be active – instead, it could be scar tissue left over from cancer killed off by your treatment. With standard treatment monitoring you won’t know for sure, and might end up continuing treatment unnecessarily.

• Consequences of standard treatment monitoring:
  • Staying on the wrong treatment and getting worse
  • Staying on the treatment for longer than they have to (and suffering often devastating side effects unnecessarily)
  • Stopping the right treatment and getting worse
  • Not getting the drugs you need

• Read more on the shortcomings of standard imaging tools:
  • Problems with Ultrasound
  • Problems with CT scans
  • Problems with MRIs

The data is in: when it comes to cancer treatment monitoring, these standard imaging tools are subpar, and can often lead to a variety of consequences for the patient.

The good news? There’s something better.

Better Cancer Treatment Monitoring

Precision oncology uses the most advanced technology to determine exactly how well your treatment is working. It also provides the necessary data to inform us about whether any changes need to be made, so we can make them as soon as possible.

• Enhanced-contrast PET/CT scan

  An enhanced-contrast PET/CT scan can show whether tissue is cancerous or not, and identify exactly where the cancer is in your body, its level of aggression, and if your treatment is working optimally.

  • This means you can avoid false negatives, and also avoid continuing treatment unnecessarily.
  • Read more about why PET/CT scans are so effective and how you can get one immediately.

• Liquid biopsies (ctDNA)
  

  This simple blood test provides us with instant, real-time information about all the tumours in your body, simultaneously.

  • It’s extremely fast, simple, and affordable.
  • It can identify cancer-causing mutations, in as little as 0.02% of your total DNA
  • It can tell you when a tumour is present in your body before it shows up on even the most advanced imaging tool (such as PET/CT).

• Learn how you can get a liquid biopsy (ctDNA, cfDNA) today!

There’s no doubt that precision oncology provides accurate treatment monitoring that can lead you to recovering faster, living longer, and enjoying a higher quality of life both during and after your cancer treatment. Why settle for subpar, standard treatment, when the tools and innovations exist to provide you with much more effective results?

Want to learn more about your options for the best cancer tests and treatments that medical science has to offer? Contact CTOAM today – our precision oncology specialists are ready and waiting to help you feel better, faster.