Stage 1 sisters. didn't make follow up and wonder why I should?

I second what Carrye said. My lump was discovered on a mammogram. I was not able to feel it, even after I knew where it was. Neither was my doctor able to feel it. 

I am 2 years out from diagnosis. I go in every 6 months for a mammogram, and will be going for an MRI in June. I also have bloodwork done. I am on Tamoxifen, and that needs to be monitored as well.

Mary 

bedo- GO!!!!!  I am butting my nose where it does not belong because I care.  My mother had normal mammo's- no issues no call backs.  She moved out of state and dragged her heals- skipped a year.  No big deal.  So she went 2 years with out a mammo in her late 40's and that mammo after 2 years found stage IV cancer.  No one knows or has then answers, but better not to have said, "I wish I would have..."

No one wishes they could work more.  Please take care of yourself, you are important.

Now I will step down from my soap box, starighten my skirt and hope I did not piss you off 

bedo, I'm also on Arimidex. My lump was not caught by self-exam but on a mammo. I go for mammo every 6 months and also see my MO every six months for blood work.  The blood work checks the markers and other indicators which may alert for early detection..  I just passed the 3 year mark.   Did you find your lump yourself?   MO's don't all work the same and I have not had an MRI since the first one when I was diagnosed.

My 1.8 cm. tumor grew between my annual mammograms.

I'm not sure why I'm having an MRI at the 2 1/2 year mark except that it is my oncologists standard of care.

Nothing is foolproof, but I'll take all the eyes looking at me that I can get!

Mary 

Bedo, I have just about the same history as you (even the Arimidex) and my doctors told me that after my 6 month diagnostic mammo, the next one should be scheduled for the 12 month mark (for both breasts).  My tumor was too small to be felt by me or any of the doctors and was caught at my regular mammo last June.        

You had a clean mammo two mos. ago, right?  Now you have a check up with a doc.?  Which one?  I know that some women here had one or two follow ups with their RO's and that was it.  I only saw my RO once after my treatments were done.  Although some radiation issues can arise after a year or two, I figured I would not be back to see the RO unless I had a particular complaint.  A BS may want to follow-up with visits every six  mos.  Mine did, and they are really the best at judging the healing and scar tissue in the area.  After two years, I felt fully healed, and saw no need to keep seeing him.  A MO will want to monitor you because they are the ones prescribing your hormonal meds.  At first it may be every 3-4 mos, then every 6 mos.  My MO does bloodwork every time I go.  He just does the CBC and Chem Panel, the basics.  I want him to monitor me, and he does the CBE once a year too. 

I'm not going to advise you one way or the other.  I am going on three years out and probably see a few less doctors than some women on here, but the choice was mine to make and I feel comfortable with the level of follow-up I am receiving.  I think what might help you decide what kind of follow-up schedule to follow would be to ask the doctors what will be accomplished at the follow-up intervals, rather than asking us, because each of the docs do things slightly different.  Then you can make a more informed choice about your own follow-ups.  

p.s.  Bedo is not writing about skipping a mammo.  Read her OP again.

p.p.s.  I don't use bold-face for "yelling," just visibility.

I have mammos once a year and MRI once a year.  So every 6 months I am checked.  My lump was not picked up on mammo, I had one about a month before I felt it.  If it was on the chest wall, I may not have ever felt it.  Please make time to make your appointments and go.  I know it's a pain, but if there were ever a chance of recurrence, your survival rate is so much better if caught early.

For me too, the BC was found in a routine mammogram.  Neither my PCP nor the BS could feel it.  After the initial mammo, the Dr ordered a 2nd one then they ordered a ultrasound guided biopsy.

A week later I had the surgery, then after about 2 weeks had meeting with MO/RO (arranged by BS). Oncotype score ruled out the necessary chemo.  I had the Contura Balloon Brachytherapy (internal twice a day for 5 days.)  Started Letrozole November 21, saw the RO again on Dec 1.  Have appointments starting Apr. 17, for diagnosis mammo, see MO 18th, RO 19th.  It is my understanding this will be the routine every 3-6 months for the next 3-5 years.  

I too would urge anyone with BC to do the followup with the physicians.  It could be life saving to do so...

Vickie

I have stage 1 grade 1 as well.

I go to get bloodwork done every 4 months and a mammo once a year.

The bloodwork is for cancer markers. This is important because you don't want anything metastizing without knowing about it do you? 

I live in a remote town, The nearest oncologist is 106 miles away, so my docter here in my small town is doing the Cancer Marker bloodwork for me. His wife also had breast cancer twice, so he is very up on everything related to it.