CT Scan Question

echobird

I had triple negative breast cancer in 2009. Had a lumpectomy, chemo, and radiation. Cancer was very small and nothing in my lymph nodes but my onco type test came back with the highest number for chance of reoccurrence the oncologist has ever seen. I go to an oncologist at a small cancer center in a small town in Ohio. I read an article that many oncologists in rural areas order way too many ct scans for cancer patients. I had a cat scan last year, will have one this year, and he also wants one next year- 5 years out from my cancer diagnosis. He feels I should have a cat scan the 3rd, 4th, and 5th year since diagnosis. Is this typical for triple negative breast cancer? I don't want to have unnecessary cat scans as I have read that they are not good for you unless you really need to have them. The oncologist wanted to do a pet scan but insurance wouldn't pay so it is a cat scan. Has anyone else had experience with this? Should I do the scans or not?

bak94

It does vary from doctor to doctor. My one doc that is now retired preferred many scans, my insurance also denied approval for a 3rd pet scan, they did pay for 2 during treatment. My personal opinion, even though I hate scans, is once a year is good just to make sure. My new doc will do scans if symptoms come up, but I have to have scans if I want to move forward with reconstruction, to make sure nothing is going on before I do a major surgery.

marvelgrrl

That's a tough dilemma. It sounds like this next MRI would be your last one (if I'm reading your post correctly.) For myself, whose triple negative cancer was also small and had not spread to my lymph nodes, I'd take the scans if they were offered. Following some back pain at the top of 2013, a MRI to my back revealed a spinal mass. It "appears" to be benign following two more scans, but I'm going to err on the side of monitoring it via future MRIs. Honestly, after going through poisonous chemo, my own spidey sense is additional scans aren't a biggie.

However, if you are experiencing zero symptoms - maybe it's just time to be done and claim victory - that sure sounds glorious to me!