Post BMX - annual ultrasound of the armpit on the cancer side?

flowers2
flowers2 Member Posts: 8
edited April 2015 in ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)

After reading a recent interview (4/14/25) in People Magazine with Dr. Funk from the Pink Lotus Breast Center regarding Rita Wilson's ILC treatment, I had a question about survelliance post BMX. 

Dr. Funk said:

 "After mastectomy, I see patients every six months for five years and then every year forever. I just examine their chest wall with a clinical exam and I always ultrasound the armpit on the cancer side to make sure the lymph nodes are still normal."

Post my BMX I am having the chest wall examination and blood tests but an ultra sound of the armpit was not mentioned nor offered. Are you all getting annual ultrasound checks of your armpit nodes?

So appreciate you ladies and the information and support on this site.

 

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Comments

  • mtks
    mtks Member Posts: 190
    edited April 2015

    Hi flowers2 I have a 6 month appt with my oncologist. he examines the chest area and blood work also. never a ultrasound..? I also am a ILC and from what I have read here ILC is best detected with an MRI. Unless you have symptoms to validate the MRI, not sure if they will consider it.

    I read on one forum where someone with ILC mets not show up in her blood work. Thats scarey! Thats why we should be pro active and report ANY concerns and symptoms....... It really is a sneaky cancer..

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  • Li15
    Li15 Member Posts: 1
    edited April 2015

    Hello, I saw the same article and asked my oncologist about it. She said that they don't recommend it because it has not proven to be useful. I was then wondering why the Pink Lotus Breast Center does it?

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  • toomuch
    toomuch Member Posts: 901
    edited April 2015

    I don't believe that I am either rich or famous but my BS does yearly ultrasounds of my reconstructed breast and axilla on my cancer side. I don't know how long she plans to do it. I have my 5 year follow-up scheduled soon and I guess we'll discuss it then. BTW, my insurance has covered it every year.

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  • wallycat
    wallycat Member Posts: 3,227
    edited April 2015

    The only ultrasound I've had after dx was on a small fat mass that we were not sure what it was. I had the surgery to remove it within a week, and it was in fact, fat. Since then, I get nothing except manual exam. No labs, no scans. I don't know that I'm necessarily happy about it, but I am also turning more into an "ostrich type' and having my head in the sand about some of this is keeping my sanity.


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  • Lojo
    Lojo Member Posts: 303
    edited April 2015

    I haven't had reconstruction, and I've now had 3 follow up appts with my breast surgeon. He does an inspection of the scar line visually, feels for lymph nodes in my neck and does an ultrasound of my armpit. I can't remember if he did just one side or both. This was the doctor himself and not an ultrasound tech. That's pretty much the follow up protocol I was told to expect absent any symptoms.The MO asks more questions and I think I might have  general blood work done in the summer, which would be 18 months post dx and about a year post rads, but my MO said no tumor markers as they're unreliable.


     

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  • bc101
    bc101 Member Posts: 1,108
    edited April 2015

    No scans, no US, and no routine bloodwork, etc. Unless I have symptoms or they feel something, then they will order tests.

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  • toomuch
    toomuch Member Posts: 901
    edited April 2015

    kayb - No worries. I totally understood your tone. I was replying in same!

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  • Deblc
    Deblc Member Posts: 479
    edited April 2015

    My MO does no tests or blood work except mammogram, and does not recommend ultrasound unless the mammogram is iffy. My BS suggests I alternate mammos with MRI's every 6 months. So confusing when different doctors have different protocols. I wish they would all be on the same page so that I can stop second guessing everything and driving myself crazy !

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