follow up after treatment

sheri47

 ok im almost 3 years from dx, was wondering if anyone who is stage 1 or 2 do you get scans every year or just  3 month onco visits and blood work, after 3 years im wondering if i should get secpond opionion just to be sure im doing right stuff

changes

I'm 17 months out from diagnosis. I get mammograms every 6 months (had a lumpectomy). No other scans unless I have symptoms (got a CT scan of the chest and a bone scan within the past year due to some pain issues, but they both came back clear).

doingbetter

I see oncologist every six months, breast surgeon every six months (no more mammos due to BMX) and get bloodwork during routine annualy physical with internist. Scans are only recommended if there are symptoms - but not as part of regular follow up.

ALittleBitBritish

Glad you raised this topic, now I have completed my BLM I felt lost! Nice to know what everyone has as a followup.....



Thank you,



Alison

mdg

I just finished chemo in May and had a BMX.  My old med onc said appointments every 4 mo's for now and no scans or anything.  I just moved out of state and saw a new med onc from Northwestern.  He said the same thing.  He didn't even draw blood when I went this week.....He said blood draw can be done by an internist when I have a physical.  I feel kind of dismissed because I was Stage 1.  I feel uneasy with this but apparently this is the standard protocol for Stage 1 ladies.

Anonymous

I had my BMX Nov 2010.  I have follow up appts with my BS every 6 months. And I thought every 6 months with my MO.  However, at my last onc visit (which had been 6 months from the prior visit) he said he would be seeing me every 3 months for follow up.  I was a little surprised.  I mean, all he did was feel my lymph nodes, listen to my lungs and feel the chest area. (Same as the breast surgeon). No bloodwork (yet).  So I asked my BS why she needed to see me every 6 months and she says "Oh, just to check that everything is okay".  And I said, "You are looking for a recurrence, aren't you?" And she said "yes".  So, in addition to my yearly physical with my GP...my lymph nodes and chest will be getting felt up no less than SEVEN times a year for stage 1.  I'm torn between feeling grateful that they are being so thorough and irritated that it seems to be a bit of overkill considering they are just physically examing my chest.  It's not like they are doing scans or anything.

On a funnier note...I'm looking at my "appointment card" , for my next follow up with the dr, tacked to my bulletin board.  The appt nurse wrote on the card "breast cancer f/u".   My thoughts exactly. 

Halah

My Onc does bloodwork every visit. I see him every 3 months. He asks me how I feel and does an exam. I had a bone scan early this year to see if there was any change. Before BMX there were what looked like lesions on my ribcage and skull. So this last scan didn't find any changes.

I also see my surgical onc once a year.