Follow up visits with oncologist and labs

Hello-

I see my oncologist every three months.  I finished Chemo in Feb 2012  and radiation finished in april 2012.  They do labs at every visit .  I don't know when I will go to every 6 months - that has not been mentioned.  I would love to move to every six months - it would be a load off my mind.

Mardi, yes, I too am on a once every 6 months and labs.

I am still at 3 months with labs, although I've been given a reprise by one month so that I don't have to go in August but will go after Labor Day instead--a mini-vacation, I guess. There's been no indication of when I'll be allowed to go every 6 months. I am going every 6 months to the surgeon in addition to the every 3 months to the onc.

i finished treatment 3 years ago and am still at every three months with labs each time. no mention of moving to every six month. seems like there isn't a standard with this....?

I am 6 months and labs. I am Stage 2, Grade 1. Mammograms just went to annual appts. My ONC's nurse said I will be on the 6 months schedule until I hit 3 years which will be in January. diane

Ladies, hang in there! once a year with no labs is right around the corner!

I go every 3-4 months and I see both my surgeon (who is the lead) and my onc. Seeing two docs is a bit over the top, but it works for now.

Before each set of visits I get blood work: basic panel, liver counts, tumor markers, cholesterol, glucose.

Once a year I get a bone scan and a CT. I had a dexa baseline when I started femara, and I get follow-up dexas every 6-12 months.

My second annual bone and CT scans will be done in late September. If those are clean, I will not have to have them again, unless I have symptoms. Instead I will have an annual chest X-ray and an ultrasound of my liver. The blood work wil continue, as far as I could understand, not sure for how long. I am also not sure at what point they will drop down to visits every 6 months.

Michele, monthly sounds a bit extreme, unless you have low blood counts or something. I would definitely ask why such vigilance.

I hit 5 years in May. I was on a 3 month visit the first 4 years. First 3 years labs were done every visit. The 4th year labs were done every other visit. At 4 years I was on a 4 month visit and no labs have been done the past year. At my last visit my onc said he may consider putting me on 6 month visits. Every onc has their own way of scheduling and I am sure this varies by your prognosis. My ILC is grade 1 and he said more likely to recur at a later time so he wants to follow me more closer until I hit year 10. I know some people like to be followed close, not me, I figure I will know when something comes back. He only does a quick check of the breast area and without labs I don't think he is doing any more than I can do myself. I sometimes wonder if you have good insurance and they pay the bills if you don't get more visits!