Confused- who is responsible for my long term care?

Hi fineprint,

We'll be interested in hearing other members' experience with long-term, follow-up care, too, but we wanted to share with you this page from the main Breastcancer.org site, Follow-Up Care for DCIS, which gives you some insight about what to expect.

We hope this helps!

--The Mods

Hi fineprint.  Welcome.  My path has been a little different.  I was treated by a team of medical professionals: radiologist for mammograms & biopsies,surgeon for lumpectomy and re-excision, radiation oncologist for radiation, and medical oncologist for Tamoxifen.   During treatment, they consulted each other about my case, but I never felt like one doc was 'in charge' - it really did feel like a team approach. 

I also opted for genetic testing, so I met with a genetic counselor before my lumpectomy. 

I still see all but the genetic counselor now. 

After treatment, I was scheduled for mammograms every six months: the DCIS side + visit with the surgeon at one interval; both sides at the other interval.  I will drop down to both sides+ ultrasounds just once a year going forward.  I believe I will meet with the surgeon after imaging until I get to year 5.

I also initially saw the radiation oncologist every six months, but I think that too will go down to annual. 

I see the medical oncologist also every six months, and I think that 6-month schedule will hold, as they do bloodwork to make sure everything is okay and I am tolerating the Tamoxifen well. 

My team likes to space their appointments out so that I'm seeing someone on  the team at intervals throughout the year (vs. all on the same day, for example). 

Hope this is helpful. I hope too that your surgeries went well and that you are recovering nicely. Good luck with radiation. 

Six month post treatment, I will no longer be seen by anyone other than my family doctor.  Yearly mammograms and my RO is available to me without another referral.  It will be up to me to be seen as needed.  I had a mx with no reconstruction and am not taking any medication.  I was never so happy to be kicked out of CancerCare!