FOLLOW UP TESTS FOR TRIPLE NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER

I am in Canada and am almost five years out and have only received yearly mammograms and have had blood tests done once during the five years. If you have specific symptoms like bone pain or headaches they will order bone scans etc to investigate.

This is such a timely post.  My best friend was diagnosed with Stage IIIa with 5 positive lymph nodes TN breast cancer last September.  She went through dense dose AC+T and radiation, which she tolerated well.  She has followed a low fat diet and is exerciting 45 minutes a day faithfully and has lost about 70 pounds since this started.  Yesterday she went to see her oncologist who told her that they would not routinely do a PET scan or MRI, only office visits, and that if it came back there was nothing they could do so it really didn't make any difference to have the tests or not.  Should we get a second opinion?  I always thought that testing was part of the routine.

It just seems that I have read so many posts about women waiting for their 6 month scan and then regular scans after that, so I was very surprised when the onc said nothing but office visits and testing only if symptoms. 

I finished chemo (DD AC/T x 2 wk) on May 20th and my onc says he will see me every 3 months for 3 years.  He does bloodwork each time and watches the tumor markers.  He says that doing PET/CT scans can lead to unecessary procedures - false positives?  Also, I read that PET scans only pick up tumors of 1cm or more. If something is there, I hope the tumor markers will indicate something sooner than 1cm...

My understanding is that any scans will perhaps pick up things a little earlier than our bodies exhibiting symptoms, but that it does not affect treatment or outcomes. So some oncs see no point in going through the stress of scans.

Personally I get no scans, annual mammo and 3 monthly onc visits with blood work and cbe. (Not sure what the blood tests are for.)

I had a CT scan before radiation, but it was not to look for cancer.  It was to help the radiologist precisely determine the measurements of where to radiate.  

I had a PET scan a couple days after surgery as part of the discharge protocol of the hospital. 

I am to meet with my medical onc every 4 months, then every 6 months, then annually. I will also be monitored by my BS - probably twice-yearly appointments with her for 4 more years.  Also, an annual physical with my GP and usual bloodwork.  I'm to have a mammogram and MRI annually. No other follow-up unless I present with symptoms.

It does seem we trip negs should be monitored/scanned more closely in first 3 years, but I really don't think the doctors distinguish by pathology.