Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Keeping your own records and scan copies after liver cancer | CION Cancer Clinics
Keep your own copy of every liver scan, report and blood test. After liver cancer treatment, each new scan is read by comparing it with the old ones, and that comparison is only possible if the old ones can be found. This page explains which papers matter most, how to organise them simply, and how to make sure a new doctor can use them. At CION Cancer Clinics, our team supports patients and families through symptoms, follow-up and life during and after treatment.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed October 2026, next review due October 2027
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On this page
- Why should I keep my own copies of liver scans and reports?
- Which papers and scans actually matter later?
- How do I organise my records so they are easy to use?
- What are all these documents, in plain language?
- Do I really need to carry all this every time?
- What this page cannot tell you
- Common questions about keeping liver cancer records
The short answer
Why should I keep my own copies of liver scans and reports?
Because after liver cancer treatment, every new scan is read by comparing it with the old ones. A radiologist who can see last year's pictures can tell a scar from a new tumour far more confidently than one looking at a single scan on its own. If those old scans are lost, that comparison is lost with them.
Why this matters more for the liver
Primary liver cancer, the kind that starts in the liver itself, often comes back somewhere else in the same liver. That happens because the liver that grew the first tumour is usually still damaged by cirrhosis, hepatitis B or C, or fatty liver. Follow-up therefore runs for years, and it is often spread across several hospitals, scan centres and doctors. Your own file is the one thing that travels with you through all of them.
Who this page is for
It is written for people treated for primary liver cancer and the family member who looks after the paperwork. If the cancer in your liver spread from the bowel, breast or elsewhere, the same habits help, but your follow-up is led by the team treating the original cancer. Our page on recurrence or a new tumour explains why the comparison of old and new scans matters so much.
Hospitals keep records too. Your own copy is a backup that you control, not a replacement.What to keep
Which papers and scans actually matter later?
Not every slip of paper is worth keeping. These are the ones a new doctor will ask for first.
The scans themselves
Ask for the images, not just the written report. A CD, a pen drive or a download link to the full scan lets another radiologist look at the pictures directly. The printed film sheets help, but they show only a few selected slices.
Most important
- The scan that first found the tumour
- The scan just before treatment
- The first scan after treatment
- Every follow-up scan since
Reports that explain what was done
The discharge summary, the operation note and the procedure note after TACE (blocking the tumour's blood supply with medicine) or ablation (burning the tumour with a needle) tell a new team exactly which part of the liver was treated.
The pathology report
If a biopsy or an operation removed tissue, the pathology report describes the tumour type and how far it had grown. Ask whether the tissue blocks are stored, and where, in case they are needed again.
Blood test trends
AFP, a blood marker some liver cancers release, means most as a trend over time. Keep every result, along with liver function tests, platelet counts and hepatitis B or C viral load reports.
One number alone says little. A line of numbers says a lot.Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistSetting it up
How do I organise my records so they are easy to use?
One file, in date order
Use a single folder with clear plastic sleeves. Put the newest report on top. A doctor reading in a hurry should see the latest situation first and be able to flip back in time. Our page on keeping a single file goes into more detail.
A one-page summary at the front
Write the diagnosis, the date of each treatment, where it was done, your current medicines and your allergies on one sheet. Update it after every visit. It saves the first ten minutes of every new consultation.
A phone copy as backup
Photograph every report the day you receive it and keep the photos in a folder on your phone or in email. If the paper file is left on a bus, the information is not lost.
Label every disc and pen drive
Write the scan type, the date and the scan centre on each one. Check that it opens on a computer before you leave the centre, because a disc that will not open is discovered only at the next appointment.
On your papers
What are all these documents, in plain language?
- Discharge summary
- The hospital's own short account of why you were admitted, what was done and what to do next. Often the most useful single page you own.
- DICOM images
- The full scan in the standard format every hospital can open. This is what is on the CD or download link, and what a second radiologist needs.
- Triple-phase CT or MRI report
- A scan taken at several moments after dye is injected, so the radiologist can see how a spot fills with blood and empties again.
- LI-RADS category
- A grading on liver scan reports that says how likely a spot is to be liver cancer. Keep every report that carries one, because the category can change over time.
- Tumour board note
- A record of what a team of specialists decided together about your case. If you have one, it explains why a treatment was chosen.
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Did you know
Most hospitals and scan centres in India will give you copies of your own reports and images if you ask, though some charge a small fee for a disc or for photocopying. Asking on the day of the scan is far easier than asking months later, when older images may already have been archived.
Commonly believed
Do I really need to carry all this every time?
"The hospital has everything, so I do not need copies."
The hospital that treated you has its own records. A different hospital, a scan centre near home or a doctor giving a second opinion usually cannot see them. Your copy is often the only way they get the full picture.
"The written report is enough. Nobody looks at the CD."
Radiologists comparing scans want the actual images. A written report describes what one person saw. The images let the next person see it for themselves and measure any change.
"Old scans from before treatment are useless now."
They are often the most useful of all. They show where the original tumour was, which helps the radiologist tell a treated scar from something new.
"Only bad reports are worth keeping."
Clear reports matter just as much. A run of normal results is the baseline against which any future change is judged.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you what your own reports mean. A phrase such as "arterial enhancement" or "new lesion" needs to be read by your oncologist or hepatologist alongside your earlier scans. Searching single words from a report online tends to frighten more than it informs.
It cannot set your follow-up schedule
How often you need scans and blood tests depends on the treatment you had, the state of the rest of your liver and what your team found. Our follow-up schedule page explains the usual pattern, and a printable follow-up planner helps you track it.
Who this does not apply to
If you are still waiting for a diagnosis, you do not yet need a full follow-up file. Simply keep every report you are given in one envelope. If you need older records from a hospital, our page on getting your records copied explains how to ask.
CION's team can review a file you bring, including scans done elsewhere, and tell you what is missing.Questions we are asked
Common questions about keeping liver cancer records
How long should I keep my scans and reports?
Keep them for as long as you are in follow-up, and ideally for life. Liver cancer can return years after treatment, and the older scans are what the new ones are compared against. Storage is cheap. A lost scan from the time of diagnosis cannot be recreated.
Is the CD from the scan centre enough?
It is the most important part, as long as it opens. Check it on a computer before you leave. Keep the written report with it, and a phone photo of the report as well. Discs can scratch or fail over time, so copying the images to a pen drive is a sensible backup.
Can I keep everything only on my phone?
Phone photos of reports are a very good backup, but the full scan images are usually too large and need a disc, pen drive or download link. Some doctors also prefer paper in the room. Keeping both a paper file and a phone copy covers most situations.
The hospital will not give me my old scan images. What can I do?
Ask the records or radiology department in writing, giving your name, hospital number and the scan date. Ask whether a fee applies and how long it will take. If you meet delays, the doctor now treating you can sometimes request them directly from the other hospital.
Should I share my records on WhatsApp with family?
Many families do, and it helps when one person manages the appointments. Remember that these are private medical papers. Share them only with people the patient is happy to have see them, and ask the patient first whenever you can.
What should be on the one-page summary?
Your diagnosis and the date it was made, each treatment with its date and place, the cause of the underlying liver disease if known, current medicines including antiviral tablets, allergies, and the name of the doctor leading your follow-up. Keep it short enough to read in a minute.
Do I need records if I change hospitals?
That is when you need them most. A new team will want the original diagnosis, every treatment note and the recent scans before they plan anything. Our page on changing hospital during follow-up explains the handover step by step.
Can CION look at records from another hospital?
Yes. CION's oncologists regularly review scans and reports done elsewhere, including for a second opinion. Bring the images on disc or pen drive along with the written reports. Call the helpline first if you are unsure what to bring.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's liver cancer specialists. Bring your scan reports and liver blood tests.
Our medical and surgical oncologists plan liver cancer care together, weighing the tumour and how well your liver works before choosing surgery, a liver-directed procedure or medicines.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
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Sources
- American Cancer Society — Living as a Liver Cancer Survivor
- American Cancer Society — After Liver Cancer Treatment
- National Cancer Institute — Managing Cancer Costs and Medical Information
- American College of Radiology — ACR Liver Imaging Reporting & Data System (LI-RADS®)
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
A follow-up planner you can printA simple sheet to track every scan and blood testGetting your medical records copiedHow to ask a hospital for older reports and imagesCarrying your scans between hospitalsMaking sure the next team can open what you bringFollow-up after liver cancer treatmentWhat the scans and blood tests are checking for
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Not sure whether your file has everything it needs?
Bring your scans and reports and our team will look through them with you and tell you what is missing. One helpline serves every CION centre.