Anyone else not having any scans?

Nancy...when I was first diagnosed my surgeon did MRI and PET scans since I had posiive nodes but my MO doesn't do scans either, she monitors with blood tests for tumor markers and chest xrays. She said if I developed any thickening around my scars or swollen nodes she would do ultrasounds or further diagnostics. After being watched so closely and monitored with exams and blood tests each week during chemo it was so hard to go to seeing my MO only every 6 months when chemo was over...makes me nervous...Maureen

I had an xray of my lungs before my second lx and SLN biopsy.  Seemed standard procedure between my BS and MO.  Now only one xray of foot and ankle for problems related to joints and AI med, not because anyone expected cancer there.  

Though it was hard to not want extra scans, I never asked for them because I knew the risks and it wasn't indicated for my stage.  The xray of my foot showed two asymptomatic bone spurs.  Imagine what a whole body scan would show in my near 60 year old body.  Probably a bunch of stuff unrelated to cancer.

Ditto here, no scans post treatment except for the mammo and MRI (I am a uni). My onc says she will scan if I have symptoms. She ordered a spine MRI once when I was having excrutiating bone pain...but we identified it as from the Tamoxifen.

I get a CT and bone scan once a year. I did have 2 positive nodes though. Plus, my MO is very proactive and insurance apparently covers it all, so why not (just kidding, I know about the radiation risk). I get very anxious before the scans, but it is reassurring to hear NED. Anyway, I completely trust my MO, who is a distinguished professor at an NCI hospital.

I asked my ONC that very question because I have never had a scan either. I am Stage 2, Grade 1 IDC. I had a lumpectomy followed by 33 RADS treatments and currently taking Tamoxifen. She pretty much confirmed what kay said. I did have a micromet in the SN but it was so tiny that the dr had to dissect and redissect and I had the Oncotype test as well. My score was 11 and my tumor was determined to be non-aggressive and smaller than first thought. I also wondered why when I have the blood tests my ONC never did the one for the tumor markers. Her nurse said she doesnt see the need to routinely do one so I wonder if she ever did because if she did one initially how would she know if they were up or down or the same if she doesnt run a test the next time I have blood drawn. Believe me not asking for any of this just wondering...diane

My onc said she would not be doing tumor markers for the very reasons that kayb stated. I had no scans done pre op only yearly MRIs as part of high risk surveillance . I will now be having MRI to check the integrity of my implants and possibly any spread of disease to the chest wall , I believe every 2 years.

Kayb and dogs, I think I would worry about radiation (more than catching an early metastasis) if I were younger. At 64 I don't think a few years of monitoring via yearly CT scans will do me any harm. The scaning won't go on forever btw. Dogs, I believe a full body MRI would be prohibitively expensive. I'm sure insurance would not cover it. I do completely trust my MO, who has been on the cutting edge of breast cancer research for 30 years.  

I am stage IV and had an unrelated PET scan that accidentally discovered my asymptomatic bone met. It was promptly treated with rads x15 and I got to skip chemo and am on Arimidex only . The met is now necrotic but the horse is out of the barn and the little SOBS are lurking, undetected, somewhere. I initially got PET scans every 3 months but after a year of NED, my mo wanted to minimize rads exposure so now it's every 6 months unless I develop symptoms. I will admit to feeling comfort that they found the met early but am not so naive as to believe I'm cured. I know it will come back and I sometimes wonder what the course of my disease would have been had it not been or the PET. Still, I think there are a great many early stage women who do not need scanning and should not be worried by the lack of them.

Caryn

Ive already had a ton of scans since chemo and surgery due to pain or swelling issues. I have to have another ct scan in a month to follow up lung nodules.

Kayb I just wante to tell you that most newer machines create dose reports and they are saved in the patients radiology file. Mostly scans and fluoro not regular xray.

Healing hugs

I get tumor markers checked regularly. After a year of one going up and up I had a CT scan. No mets -scarring in the pancreas responsible for the rise. My husband's tumor markers found his mets long before the tumor would have made itself known (he's NED for 25 ears). CT scans are powerful and should be used with discretion. The average person would likel only ever need one for an occasional illness or injury, so it's not as big of a deal. We have a much higher likelihood of needing add'l xrays in our future. Personally, I don't want to have anymore than necessary. The rads add up. I don't want to end up causing more of the problem I'm trying to cure.

I wonder if the ACA mandates insurance companies to cover scans and treatments recommended by doctors. 

I have had to pay my share (20 percent) of my colonoscopy and all my mammograms. I don't know of any free tests or scans. I have United Health Care and before that Blue Cross  (both tru my employer) maybe if you have an HMO you get some free stuff.