[fullofbeans]

On the issue of the benefit of detecting mets early:

Just a quick word I agree with Brenda, many guidelines are obsolete. And I agree with AA about asking the right questions.

Debbie it took nearly 20 years for scientists to prove that smoking was linked to lung cancer..some said it was even good for you! It is not because it is not proven that it is not a fact. I am sure that those that got the lung cancer when it was not proven and felt that it was due to their smoking would not have liked to be told in a very patronising way that they were just being silly to think that because it has not be proven..

On this site beware that you are talking to many people that are at the front line of dealing with mets or at high risk of recurrence and we know what artilleries has worked for us. To us that is what matters because we are quite simply talking about our lives and survival these are not "anecdotal" tales to us.

Just like intuitively people thought that inhaling some smoke may no be good for you. I intuitively know that detecting tumours when small will improve my survival for all the reasons mentioned above. Further more you will have less chance to have created another strain within your tumour that will eventually resist any treatment (besides the stem cell theory). As a stage 4 I do not have 10 years to wait for the new official review/studies.

If all we had to do was to read guidelines there would be no need for this site exept for the emotional aspect.

[Sorry for my reactive way of writing but this is your type of attitude Debbie very dismissive that nearly took me to an early grave. This is because I was unconventional and requested a scan+other stuff that I am now NED]