Well I’m not a doctor and I am not going to contradict your doctor’s advice if you are comfortable with his decision. lung cancer does have certain other areas that it apparently favors over others to move to. I asked my oncologist at a Philadelphia hospital when I returned from overseas a year ago for a brain mri. He didn’t even blink possibly because he wanted my daughter to calm down and he wanted me to be reassured that the docs in Thailand “caught” everything. Or maybe he thought it was good to have a specific base line of my brain. My current oncologist at a different Philadelphia hospital also is ordering brain mris. I had one a few weeks ago and I am pre scheduled for another in a year. I get lung CT’s every three months. My insurance which is Medicare and a supplement has paid for both and does not challenge the need. Thank heavens I have no symptoms of Mets to the brain. But I never had symptoms of my lung cancer which was found by accident in Thailand and I was up to 3A when it was found. And my daughter worries about brain Mets a lot because her paternal aunt just passed from initial breast that Metsed to brain and lung. So, frankly, I personally want to catch this bugger as early as possible if it decides to check out new territory.

If you are receiving non clinical support care from a social worker or an oncological psychologist, and you are ambivalent about your doctor’s decision, you may want to share your feelings with them. I have a support palliative therapist who I speak to about questions like does brain like to go to melanomas? Does brain like places like spine and bones?

Anyway, as always - A big hug. We all get questions that pop up and we learn something new everyday about living this cancer experience.

Phyllis,
It's funny you said you presume she is getting regular ct scans and brain mri's. After hearing so many of our members say they had metastasis to the brain, I asked my Onco if I should have one and he said not unless I was having symptoms. I wonder if it is dependent on the type of cancer.
Tony

Are you asking because you think it has spread, or because you are experiencing bone pain, or because you are interested in learning about where lung cancer has a tendency to mets next?

First, ask your oncologist no matter why you need this information. They immediately know the places in the body where lung cancers are likely to spread.

Secondly you indicated you have EGFR exon 20. Again one size does not fit all. Patients who have other tumor biomarkers may have a greater or lessor chance of recurrence in another part of the body. Ask your oncologist.

Interesting that you have exon 20 and have been treating with tagrisso for 4 years. I have exon 18 and exon 20 combo. So again, one size does not fit all EGFR mutations.

I presume you are getting lung cat scans and brain mri’s on a periodic basis. You should ask to speak to your team’s radiation oncologist about testing to check on any bone issues if this possibility is causing you concern for any reason.

And speak with your pcp about non cancer related bone and joint issues that seem to pop up as we age.

Hope all is well.

Not always my ex husband has stage 3 squamous cell carcinoma he's on carboplatin and taxol he can't have the new stuff because he has bad rumatoid arthritis. He had his radiation now I think couple more chemo.then they will do a scan and see.i kinda know alot about cancer we lost our son from hystiocytic lymphoma in 1988 he was 3 years old they tried interlaken 2 man made cells didnt work.but it don't always go to bones or brain it mite not go any where .I take my ex husband all over when he feels decent cuz his rumatoid arthritis kills him.he rides his Harley too I try to get it off of his mind and do things he did before. We're from Kenosha wisconsin we go to aurora Vince Lombardi cancer center.if you can try not think where it's going to go.his oncologist said 2 years for him I say bull.hes not god.nobody can put a time on your life.live it to fullest.