HOW STUPID IS THIS ???

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Irishred
Irishred Member Posts: 136
edited June 2014 in Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After

I finished radiation on Sept 30, 2009,  My first mammogram was 12/28/2009,.  So I went in and got the mammogran of ONLY THE BREAST THAT HAD CANCER???????????????/  WHY WOULD YOUR RAD ONC ONLY REQUEST A MAMMOGRAM OF ONE BREAST AND NOT BOTH.  God  I think all doctors are insane.  Please someone tell  me that my doctor is crazy and not me !!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  • MarieKelly
    MarieKelly Member Posts: 591
    edited January 2010

    That's how it was done for me too, Irish.  Had the mammogram that got me diagnosed in 2/2004, then had lumpectomy in 3/2004. Six months later, I had a mammogram ONLY on the breast that had cancer. I asked the mammo tech why only that one side and was told that 1) insurance wouldn't pay for another mammo on the healthy breast until 1 full year had passed and 2) you shouldn't subject breast tissue to unnecessary radiation and since there was nothing suspicious in that breast just 6 months prior, there was no need for it. She told me a mammogram would be done bilaterally again the following February and then anually thereafter...and that's what has been done ever since.   I was OK with that - it makes sense to me.

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  • somanywomen
    somanywomen Member Posts: 872
    edited January 2010

    Doesn't make any sense to me....It's all about money....I guess they feel guilty about the almost $2000...a day that they bill for radiation treatments (of course ins. companies usually have them accept a lot less)...but I'm with you....I want both checked when I have re-check....Maybe if we say that we feel something in other breast they will have to do both....It's worth a try!!....I hope somehow I can have MRI or Ultrasound, I can not imagine putting my poor lump breast through another mammo....Good luck......

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  • dlb823
    dlb823 Member Posts: 9,430
    edited January 2010

    I just had the same thing happen... 6 month follow up ordered, which I'd assumed was for both sides, and when I got there they only did one breast (my Diep reconstructed one), about which there had been a little concern 6 mos. ago.  I was speechless for a few minutes -- it seemed so stupid not to do them both.  But then I decided it was probably good not to get any more radiation than absolutely necessary.   Deanna

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