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Thank you. What is your address; we're sending you the scans.
I know that it is special training and skills to interpret those images and I've been to orthopedists who can't read them at all. But I have seen radiation oncologists who can. I have heard that with the new contrast Pylarify the reading is done by software. Is that true of a lot of cancer screens.
I do appreciate your reply. And ask in response. How does one grab the radiologist (whom we never see) or a different radiologist to get a reinterpretation.
My reply comes from this experience. The written report came identifying activity in a node. The radiation oncologist rated the unrated node as 2SUV, through his software. And so the indication of cancerous activity was equivocal. The radiation oncologist said he would radiate the entire nodal chain anyway. The surgical oncologist said he surgically remove the entire chain of nodes. The urological oncologist repeated the PSMA.
Without communication from the radiation oncologist to the urological oncologist there would have been more damage to the delicate structures of the prostate and surrounding nerves plus the loss of the nodes.
I'm happy that you are posting here and hope you make it a second career or at least hobby. You have extremely important knowlege that will be invaluable to all of us.
Congratulations on your retirement.
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Appreciate your response. I just retired this year because of symptoms related to treatment of my prostate cancer, otherwise I would still be practicing. I enjoyed it.
To add to a couple of your comments:
Computer software does assist the Radiologist in interpreting a number of Imaging studies including some screening exams such as 3D mammograms and CT scans for lung screening. They assist the Radiologist but aren't always 100% accurate and don't generate a final report. I believe one day AI will do the complete interpretation but this is years away.
Some specialists are quite good at interpreting their own exams pertinent to their special, eg. neurologists and neurosurgeons frequent look at their own head CTs and MRIs; orthopedic surgeons look at plain film of bones and MRIs of joints and Radiation Oncologists look at PET and other Imaging pertinent to their treatment.
At major medical centers and larger, more sophisticated hospitals there are meetings held called tumor boards. I joked one time after a tumor board that you don't ever want to be presented at one. As fate would have it, my case was presented at tumor board at a major medical institution a year and a half ago! This a conference where all the pertinent specialists get together in one room and your history and Imaging is presented and the best course of treatment is discussed. Typically, Medical oncologists, Radiation Oncologist, Urologist (for prostate cancer), Radiologists and so on attend. I have presented many PET, MRI, CT, bone scans etc at tumor boards over the years. It's a great way to get consensus treatment on complicated/difficult cases.
If you go to the website for the Radiology Department at the major medical schools they will sometimes note if they offer second opinion reads and how to go about it.
Good luck. Terrible disease and treatment (but all suppose all cancer patients feel the same about their cancer).