What's the Point of Radiation Follow-Ups

I had the long course of radiation, 33 if I remember correctly. On the last day, I was told to call for an appointment if I had any lingering issues, otherwise I was good to go. I was happy because I didn't like the RO, and his substitute, who was there the last few weeks, looked and sounded like Jabba the Hutt, which made him look like he was leering.

My RO said I didn't need a follow up unless I noticed any issues or had question. I haven't been back.

I know I am supposed to have a one month follow up but haven't heard of going back to RO after that. My understanding is that it is to check for skin healing. Also RO is supposed to give the go ahead to start anti-estrogen meds. Those can interfere with healing and that's why docs usually have you wait to start them until after radiation.

The thing is - I loved my RO. Her exams beat out the plastic surgeon by miles. And my MO, who did great exams, retired. The replacement was perfunctory. My RO is also the one who diagnosed my lymphadema and sent me to a certified, trained LEPT before things got worse.

I agree - how many exams do you need. But I chose to skip some of the others and went to the RO every 6 months for 2 years. A good doc it hard to find & harder to give up.

I'm 6 months post radiation and scheduled for a mammogram and a follow up with my RO. My understanding is that this will be used as the new baseline post lumpectomy. My right breast, the one treated, is still sore and tender and different then before. I can feel some more dense, hardened areas, that could be scar tissue. Thing is I will sleep better once it is confirmed by the RO. After this, I will have yearly mammograms.

Rain88

Why would your RO diagnose anything that's not a skin issue? I had some thickened, sensitive tissue last winter and my MO was the one who ordered a mammogram and ultrasound and a follow-up with the breast surgeon.

I was very happy with my RO. I saw her 6 months and 1 year out. She said I could come back a year later, but it was not necessary as long as I was being checked regular (by MO, BS, etc).

Alice, the RO will interpret my mammogram. (I didn't have any skin issues during or after rads.) I will see my MO again later on about how I'm doing on Tamoxifen. I can contact either one if I notice anything of concern.

Rebakoosh - my RO and MO alternate their annual checkups, so that I see one of them every six months. That way I get a physical breast exam + a discussion of my scans twice a year. (I also have alternating mammograms and MRIs.) You might ask if you can schedule them that way so there's more value for you; I appreciate the opportunity to go over my test results.

Thanks for sharing, Sunshine 99. Seeing an empathetic health professional helps a lot - we're people, not just patients.

Hi. I have been reading your experiences with your respective ROs. I consulted my first RO but I didn't like her from the start. She was cold and gave me the necessary information to justify treatment. However, since I was diagnosed with BC, I just made a search of information about RT; I came from nuclear medicine and I worked in diagnostics using radioisotopes. The information I got from my search was really awesome, and helped me to confront her and give me the unmentionable like necrosis of the skin, secondary cancers, and other permanent ailments. Well, to make things brief, I consulted another RO. This other doc was warm and gentle but she also attached to the 28-35 RT rounds. I considered that amount of radiation excessively high. My skin is so sensitive that I didn't want to expose myself to a secondary RT cancer. In Puerto Rico, the ROs are extremely retrograde in terms of therapy. Since I am a Medicare patient, they only want to give me conventional therapy while there are other most modern types of external RT which are more precise and less dangerous. One of you mentioned she only had 16 fractions (16 sessions of RT); you are really lucky. That was what I wanted but the ROs I visited didn't like the option. The second RO said that was an incomplete treatment option. (Since Medicare only pays the minimum for a service, the ROs won't offer another type of RT to us old cancer patients. Capitalism; I already accepted that fact.)

I liked the attitude and decision of JDB1965. We are not supposed to yield to everything under the MDs' heaven. We are persons and sometimes I feel they treat us like trophies. When my PS told me he wanted to take my breast recosntruction photo, I said no. First, I am not delighted with his work and it is causing me mental and physical pain. Second, I am not willing to expose myself to videos and photos not even for the wealth of science. How can I be sure they are using them for that only purpose? That's why I never went back to the new PS (the first one does not accept my health insurance anymore); in the papers I was given to sign, he obliged me to accept to filming the operation for educational purposes. The only doc that checks me is the BS because I have another nodule in my left breast and the radiologist in the mammogram and sonogram just say the nodule is almost the same as before. No more information.

Thank you for hearing me.

My BS retired, I had one visit with someone else in his practice, and she said I could keep going to her or not and I decided not to. I still see both my MO and RO every six months--still on an AI and honestly I'd be hesitant to give up my RO--I really really enjoy her. For some reason she has been the one to order my annual mammo. I happen to have an appt with her tomorrow--I'm wondering if she'll suggest going to once a year. I gotta say I don't mind having another MD look at my hooters whenever I have an opportunity--just a little bit of comfort hearing another "all clear."

For the folks seeing an RO regularly, are they specializing in just BC?

My treatment was at the hospital that had 2 RO's on staff, but they did all cancers. With one machine. It was a mad house. I did a 3 month follow up, had a consult afterwards with a lady to see if I was interested in signing up for 2 studies I qualified for, but I declined and moved on to the MO. I still see my BS though. Not sure when she will release me.

Hi, I finished RT almost three weeks ago. I would like to know what type of follow-up does the RO do. Is it a clinical breast exam? Or is it a radiation-wise exam, meaning to check on the skin, long-term side effects? Do ROs order tests? Isn't the BS more qualified to do breast exams? My RO doesn't even specialize in breasts, so I'm quite confused.