Expectations for Imaging After BMX

Lexica

Hi, All. I had a bilateral mastectomy in December of last year with a plan for delayed reconstruction. I met with my nurse navigator a few weeks ago to go over my 'monitoring plan' for lack of a better term, and she said that I would not do any type of routine imaging (especially mammogram) since I had a bmx...even after I got reconstruction (if that is the path I choose). Is this typical? I mean, I get that you can't do a mammogram without breasts, but I feel like having no imaging at all is not right - especially with my advanced diagnosis. I am not comfortable with it, but I wanted to get some idea of what other ladies are experiencing before I go make a fuss at my MO. I have to add that both the mammo and US failed me twice in 8 months before my diagnosis - neither showed my palpable lumps as malignant at first.

Thanks for any input!

Legomaster225

Lexica, I find this frustrating as well. My doctors have mentioned MRI’s as future monitoring but I’m not sure if it is standard care or just because I told them I was very uncomfortable just waiting for symptoms. Two MRI’s, mammo and ultrasound did not detect my 9mm mass on my “prophylactic “ side though so my trust in them is shattered. Since we did not know about the cancer on the left there was no sentinal node testing. My options were full lymph node dissection or monitoring with ultrasound. For now we chose ultrasound since it was small, I had chemo, BMX and am on tamoxifen. I just had the ultrasound yesterday and everything looks good. I will be discussing an MRI with my MO at my appt this summer. I think we have to push for what we want. Thank God my doctors are good about testing and are open to what to me is common sense conversation. I’m interested to see what others respond with regarding imaging.

LeesaD

I am wondering same thing. I asked my MO and my plastic surgeon about how I am monitored and both said no mammos as I had a BMX and PS said he'll do MRI's every couple of years to check my implants which I understand but I was more hoping for an every six month or yearly something. Just not sure what that something test is. I've seen on here many times reccurances are found there's usually many nodes involved and I'm not interested in having more involved nodes. And with my implants it's kind of difficult to do self exams and I'm afraid something will form under the implant that I won't be able to feel. Who should I push for monitoring? I guess I wouldn't see my radiologist anymore who used to do my mammos and sonos. I do see MO every 3 monthsfor check ups and tumor markers but I just feel like I'm missing something.

mustlovepoodles

My MO does not do any imaging, but my BS does an in-office US every 6 months for the first 5 years. I have to say, it's been comforting to me to have the USs. I felt a new lump last fall, opposite from cancer breast. I was sweating bullets, but she was able to quickly see that it was just a small fat deposit. Whew!

Momine

The first two years I had an annual CT of chest and abdomen, plus a bone scan. This was to make sure I was NED. Year 3-5, I had an annual chest X-ray and a liver ultrasound.

Lexica

Thanks for your responses ladies - and I agree, Lego, we need to push for what we want. Sometimes I feel like since we have all the 'boxes' checked for treatment, they just want to send us on our merry way. I think I'm going to start bugging my MO and my BS - I'm just afraid they'll start ignoring me if I keep bringing things up all the time!