First Oncology Appointment

Mamaofoandc

Given the location of my tumor I will have neoadjuvant chemo. I have my first Oncology appointment this Thursday 7/21/16 and I'm trying to find out what to expect at the first appointment. I've read so many articles but really want to hear it from people that have gone through it and not a medical article.

Thank you

GraceB1

Hopefully a nice long discussion of what the MO recommends. I had a breast and lymph node exam to start. I was undecided at that time about chemo first but was quickly convinced that chemo first was the way to go. I was scheduled for all sortes of scans due to my tumor size. It had my head swimming. It was already over a month since I had felt the lump so I was ready for a plan of action. I saw a surgeon on Friday and then I saw MO on the next Monday, had tests that week and another appointment with him on Friday to go over test results. He had presented my case at the tumor board on Wednesday so he had everyone's agreement on what should happen next. I was getting a port put in an hour later (a lucky opening in the schedule) and chemo started two hours later. This was at a cancer center so they were set up to do everything on any given day. I had spent almost every day after I found the lump and had a biopsy done doing reading and preparing myself for the possibilities. Bring someone with you to take notes. You won't remember everything that is said. My husband and I disagreed about something and we had notes to refer back to which were a great help. Bring a list of your own questions. Make sure they all get answered. Join or read the "starting chemo in July" group. Going through it with other people was a great help and I didn't feel so isolated. Found help for a lot of common problems. Yes, those weird symptoms were common and I didn't need to call the MO about them. Others were more of an emergency. I hope you have good experience with your MO and good luck with your treatment.

Icietla

Welcome to BCO, Mamaofoandc. We are very sorry for the circumstances that bring you here, but we are glad you found us. This is a wonderful supportive community of men and women who truly understand.

There will be forms to fill out relating to your general health history and your present condition and symptoms.

You will be weighed, your blood pressure checked, and your blood will be drawn for testing.

You will meet with your Oncologist, who will examine all areas of concern and will make treatment recommendations based on your tumor characteristics and other health factors that may bear on choices of treatment.

You can expect to have an intravenous catheter-with-port device installed very soon, before your first Chemo treatment.

Thus far I have not had Chemo treatment. Posting activity in these Forum sections is generally slower during the weekends. I am sure some members knowledgeable about Chemotherapy will be along pretty soon to answer your questions about that phase of your treatment.

Numb

My appointment consisted of sitting at the other side of a desk to my Oncologist, whereby she went through my Pathology Report and then told me what chemo I would be having.  She then went through what side effects to expect with this chemo and she set a date for the first infusion.  I signed a form to say I agreed with the suggested chemo and was aware of the side effects.   She introduced me to her Liaison nurse who gave me her number and told me to ring her if I thought of any questions I wanted to ask.  That was really all I experienced.  So any time I had a query it was the Liaison nurse I dealt with and not the Oncologist, but I did meet the Oncologist by chance a few times when in the  hospital.

Mamaofoandc

Did your Oncologist order any scans before starting treatment? Mine did not and not sure if that is normal or not. He has written an order for an echo but not an MRI or CAT scan

jensgotthis

if you can, take someone with you to both take notes and help ask questions. And ask lots of questions - why are they recommending this plan, what other options would be available, how often do they want to see you, etc....

hanley50

Mamaofoandc - i had several mammograms, ultrasounds, breast MRI and a PET (as well as three biopsies) prior to neadjuvant chemo so we could see what we were dealing with. Since you already had your appointment I would call back and ask for MRI and/or PET, I know you are probably anxious to get treatment started but how can they give chemo prior to surgery without at least trying to see what's going on in your body first, It stinks that different docs do things different things.

I wish there was some sort of "standard way of handling this situation" if there could be such a thing. I hate TNBC!