What is your F/U treatment after BMX?

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Baxter
Baxter Member Posts: 234
edited June 2014 in Stage I Breast Cancer

Hi Ladies,

10/08 I had stage 0 DCIS with mastectomy. 11/09 I had stage 1 cancer with second mastectomy.

Can you tell me what your oncologists do for tests etc. at your check ups? With the breasts gone, it seems like there is no easy test to dectect if the cancer has spread. Developing symptoms seems the only way to indicate it's spread beyond the breast tissue to other areas of the body.. (lungs, bone, liver...and by the time you have symptoms....well...yikes!

What are the rest of you doing/having for tests at your follow ups?

 Thanks,

Candi 

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  • scrapmom40
    scrapmom40 Member Posts: 165
    edited September 2010

    I see my gynecologist once a year, my primary care physician once a year, and my oncologist twice a year.  Both the gyno and the oncologist do a physical examination of the breasts (as well as I am supposed to still do a physical examination of them at home just like I did when I had breasts).  I just had implants put in back in May.  I will get an MRI, I think it is once every 5 years to just check the implants and make sure they are not leaking or anything.  When I see the oncologist I have blood work done that as far as I know they only look at the CBC number and they check the liver number.

    That's it.  No more mammograms and no more MRI's every 6 months.

    Hope that helps.

     Karen

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  • Halah
    Halah Member Posts: 352
    edited August 2013

    This is a really good question. I just saw my surgical onco for a followup after surgery and he said he wanted to see me in 6 months. He said I see him twice a year for 5 years. He says he does an examination. Not sure but I think he said any tests would be up to the medical onco and I see him on sept 30th. I hope no more CT, MRI, or PET scans. Those are costly. Bone scans and blood work don't cost me anything. Mammos and biopsies didn't cost me anything either but I won't be needing those anymore....no more squeezing the life out of me!

    Baxter, what tests is your onco doing for you now? What does s/he have to say about testing and follow up?

    Scrapmom, what is a CBC number?

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  • Baxter
    Baxter Member Posts: 234
    edited September 2010

    Winter,

     have my first real follow up with my oncologist in October so I don't know what exactly she will do.

    My PCP recently did some blood work and xrays because I had some sudden muscle/ bone pain that came on in April. I had a low WBC, but all else was "normal." I ordered my own Vitamin D test and that came back at 29, so I'm going to ask her to at least do another CBC and Vitamin D.I actually wondered if I may have lyme disease, but the initial test came back negative. I know that Lyme is difficult to diagnose so if they can't deermine the cause of this pain, I may request a referral to an infectious disease specialist.  

    I think I remember her mentioning earlier she may do a chest xray as part of the exam. I'm anxious to see her.

    Candi 

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  • 3jaysmom
    3jaysmom Member Posts: 4,266
    edited September 2010

    im out  over a  yr. april for blbmx. and have had 2 petscans. its what my onco usesto detect ANY new cancer. thank God, nothing showed. it will show from top of head, to below kness for any cancers, or changes. i have ins. and they pd..see what you can do.  light and love,  3jays

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  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 17,186
    edited September 2010

    Right now my oncologist & BS will see me alternating every 3 months. In the future it will be my BS only. Not sure if it will be every 6 or 12 months… for the rest of my life I was told. Of course no more mammograms for me.

    Not sure if they will be doing any blood tests once I am done with chemo. I don't know about MRIs either. Not sure how my PS handles that.

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