Yesterday (February 27, 2025) I got the latest results of my cancer check-up, which I have every three months. This is so my oncologist can monitor any signs of my cancer starting to grow, which is expected at some point since my treatment is palliative, i.e., aimed at relieving symptoms and improving quality of life rather than curing my cancer.

As a result, every three months, I go through a period of physical and emotional turmoil when waiting for a scan date and the following results. My life literally depends on this and, despite the fact that I generally cope well with my cancer day to day, I’m always going to worry about what the results might show and the uncertainty that may follow. This feels totally normal to me, and it even has its own name – Scanxiety.

Thoughts like ‘is the treatment working’ and ‘what if things get worse’ can be common, and it can affect anyone involved, including loved ones and carers. Indeed, I know people who have completed treatment months or even years ago, and they still find that their old anxieties and fears return when having a scan.

Once the results are known, however, these symptoms generally disappear and this is what happened to me yesterday when my Oncologist told me that my latest CT Scan images show that my oesophagus looks normal, there are no new tumours and my lymph nodes have decreased in size. This means that everything I am currently doing with conventional treatment and complimentary therapies remains effective at controlling and shrinking the disease almost two years on (when I was told I could die within two months!)

My oncologist will continue to monitor it closely to ensure it remains under control, and it can change at any moment, but for now, I live to fight – and rollerskate, another day.

Jim

If you want to know the details of my diagnosis, check out my ABOUT page.

You can now connect with me on Facebook.

Your personal invitation awaits.