When to see rad/oncologist after radiation

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Oceanlove25
Oceanlove25 Member Posts: 28
edited April 2019 in Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After

Hi everyone,

I'm just wondering if the usual is to followup with the radiation oncologist once you're finished. I was to finish on a Monday. I saw the radiation oncologist the Tuesday before and he just said get a mammogram 3 months out. He said he wouldn't be there on Monday when I finished. Is this normal? I continued to have SE's for two weeks after and burned pretty badly after it was all done. Just wondering if this was normal? Thanks for everyone who responds!


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  • Ingerp
    Ingerp Member Posts: 2,624
    edited April 2019

    I don’t get a follow-up with the RO until six months out, although they always tell me to call if anything concerning is going on. If you’re healing with no new problems you’re good to go. :-

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  • GreenHarbor
    GreenHarbor Member Posts: 265
    edited April 2019

    My RO wanted to see me one month after finishing rads. He will also see me once a year, 6 months apart from my appointment with my BS. As he put it, he’ll see me “until he decides he doesn’t want to see me”. He did say to call if I felt I was having and side effects or issues

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  • gb2115
    gb2115 Member Posts: 1,894
    edited April 2019

    I had a follow-up one month after stopping, then 6 months for a couple years. They just took me to yearly. Not sure how long she will follow me yearly, she hasn't said.

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  • moth
    moth Member Posts: 4,800
    edited April 2019

    A follow up 1 month after finishing rads and then they discharged me to my MO's care (but told me I was free to call & to come back if I had any concerns).

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited April 2019

    Oceanlove25, I'd be wary of having a mammogram only 3 months after completing radiation. The usual recommendation is to wait 6-12 months. Any less than that and it can be both quite painful and less useful than is optimum. The breast tissue is still settling into it's new baseline and there's not much point to the mammogram at the 3 month mark. See the info on mammograms after lumpectomy, below.

    https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types/mammograms/after_surgery


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  • AliceBastable
    AliceBastable Member Posts: 3,461
    edited April 2019

    The regular radiologist was on vacation my last two weeks, so I was stuck with a sub. The nurse told me that since I didn't have major skin issues, I was through with them for good, but to call if my skin started acting up. Happy to oblige for one less doctor in my life.

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  • Dani444
    Dani444 Member Posts: 522
    edited April 2019

    I had a follow up with the nurses one month out for a skin check, then at 3 months with the RO. He wants to see me in a year, but said to call if any problems arrise.

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  • grandmaadams
    grandmaadams Member Posts: 70
    edited April 2019

    I saw my RO two days before I finished, once a week during therapy. Since I didn't have terrible skin issues, he said to call if I had any problems and he would see me in three months. At the three month follow-up all was good so he said since I would be seeing my oncologist regularly over the next few years there was no need for extra doctor visits if there were no issues. Call if I need him, otherwise best wishes.

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  • DiagnosisDisruption
    DiagnosisDisruption Member Posts: 108
    edited April 2019

    I saw my radiologist once a week during rads, once at 6 weeks post rads, and that was it.

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  • jessie123
    jessie123 Member Posts: 532
    edited April 2019

    I didn't realize I'd ever have to see the RO again after rad's finished. When I'm finished and if my breast is fine what can happen later on? Is this something new to worry about?

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