How many had scans after chemo for stage 1?

Chloesmom
Chloesmom Member Posts: 1,053
edited March 2015 in ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)

MO says after stage 1 and 4 rounds of chemo I will only need blood work and follow up visits. No scans ordered as they don't want the extra radiation which is a higher risk than the likely hood that a slow growing sneaky cancer has spead. Since most recurrence in ILC is between 5-10 years it's too soon to look for what might not show up yet.

When have you had a scan. 2 years, 5 years, later, never?

The thought of rouge cells trying to land in my bones is unsettling to say the least, but I don't want unnecessary testing. On the other hand if something does spread I'd want to catch it sooner than later.


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  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 7,859
    edited March 2015

    I had stage 3, so in my case there was good chance that I was really an occult stage 4 at DX, in other words that I had mets too small to be seen on the scans. For that reason I was followed VERY closely the first 2 years after finishing treatment. That meant full blood panels and tumor markers every 3 months and a full round of "staging scans," as my docs calls it, on the first 2 anniversaries of my surgery. "Staging scans" means a bone scan to look for bone mets and a full CT, both with contrast.

    However, for stage 1, that would definitely be overkill. A lot of docs do not like tumor markers, and for good reason (they are notoriously unreliable), but for some people they work well, and it is just a blood test, i.e. minimally invasive. You could ask if your doc would be willing to order them.

    As far as other testing, once I "passed" the first 2 years, we dropped down to a simpler and less invasive testing regime. So this means that I get a chest X-ray once a year and an ultrasound of my liver. This is something else you could ask about.


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  • mdg
    mdg Member Posts: 3,571
    edited March 2015


    I was stage 1 and dx over 4 years ago.  Never had scans...they would not do it.  I did get a bone scan because I was having pain but that is the only reason they ordered it. 

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  • Gully
    Gully Member Posts: 268
    edited March 2015

    No scans for me either!!

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  • cookiegal
    cookiegal Member Posts: 3,296
    edited March 2015

    I had stage 2, never had scans. They have actually stopped doing tumor markers as well.

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  • Beatmon
    Beatmon Member Posts: 1,562
    edited March 2015

    I started out stage 1 in 2012..,..no scans. Ended up in 2014 with 50 lung nodules. Were they there all along?

    Makes me wonder. Doesn't seem fair they don't check you.

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  • Lojo
    Lojo Member Posts: 303
    edited March 2015


    I was stage 2, but node negative and no chemo. They did scans after biopsy and before surgery, but nothing since. I'm a year post rads, and I've seen all 3 docs several times now, but just a quick physical and questions. No blood work. I think I'll have standard blood work done in June, but my doc doesn't do tumor markers. I was initially unnerved by it, but I'm happy about it now, as I'm sure it would add to my anxiety. Oh, the breast surgeon does use the ulltrasound wand on my arrmpits. (

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