Dear Dr. Roach: About 12 years ago, I had a scan done to look for the cause of a problem that I was having for many months: pain in my abdomen and vomiting. (It turned out to be Barrett’s esophagus, which was found with a scope.) Fortunately for me, I read the report from the scan. The report said there was a spot on my kidney that ought to be checked in a year. I was very busy at the time, and my doctor retired, so I had to find another one.

Five years went by, and one day, during a routine visit with my doctor, I remembered the report and asked my new doctor for another scan. She said she couldn’t order a scan without a reason. I then told her about the report from five years ago, but she did a cursory look at my papers and said she could not find it. I asked her to keep looking. She looked again, found it, then ordered a scan.

This move saved my life. The scan showed something larger than before. I went to Johns Hopkins Hospital and met a very good doctor who told me there was an 80% chance that it was cancer, and we should forgo a biopsy and remove it. He did this, and it was cancerous and still fully contained. I didn’t have to do chemotherapy.

It has now been five years with yearly scans and no problems in my kidney. Please encourage people to read their reports.

— F.B.

Answer: Although doctors should read these carefully and act on them appropriately, important findings can be overlooked sometimes. You are absolutely right that you are your own best health advocate, and you did the right thing by bringing the finding up to your new doctor.

Dear Dr. Roach: I am a 79-year-old woman who received the original Zostavax vaccine around 2010. Then, when the newer, improved Shingrix vaccine became available, I was given the two-shot series in 2019.

Feeling quite confident that I was well-protected, I was shocked when I was diagnosed with a very painful case of shingles in September 2021, followed by post-herpetic neuralgia that lasted for six months. I have heard that shingles can recur, sometimes more than once. My question is, should I get Zostavax again in the hope that it will maybe protect me this time around?

— B.K.

Answer: You did everything right to prevent shingles but still got the infection and its complication, which doesn’t seem fair. Fortunately, this is a rare situation. Recurrent shingles happens more commonly in people with immune deficiency, women, and older adults. Anyone at risk for HIV should consider getting an HIV test if they get shingles or recurrent shingles.

The live Zostavax vaccine is no longer available in the United States, even though it is available in many other countries. Still, I don’t recommend it, as the protection from the vaccine is not long-lived.

There are no strong data in getting another dose (or more) of the Shingrix vaccine in your situation, but you could discuss it with your doctor. Another option is having a supply of antiviral medicine such as valacyclovir (Valtrex) available to use as soon as another recurrence happens.

Contact Dr. Roach at ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu.