cancer-journal

This answer varies, depending on the type and extent of cancer being treated. Many patients will have radiology studies (CT scans, MRIs, PET scans) periodically to see if the tumor has responded (either shrunk or stayed the same versus grown). Some types of tumors can be measured in the blood with a “tumor marker“. This is a substance that is either produced by the tumor or by the body in response to the tumor, and can be measured by a blood test. If the chemotherapy is working, one would expect the tumor marker to decrease. In some cases, a decrease in a patient’s symptoms may signal whether or not the medications are shrinking the tumor. Talk with your doctor or nurse about how your response will be measured.