How closely are you monitored after Stage I dx and treatment?

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mtnlady
mtnlady Member Posts: 2
in Breast Cancer #1

Hello all - I am so glad I found this discussion board!  

I am wondering what the standard monitoring procedure for Stage I diagnosis is as far as having labs, scans, etc. requested by your oncologist or surgeon?  I was diagnosed August 2011, had a unilateral mastectomy, no rads or chemo, and have been on Femara now for almost 19 months.  However, other than an initial DexaScan, I have never had any blood work or scans requested by my doctors.  It looks like other ladies have this routinely done.  Being on Femara, I am aware of many of the side effects (fortunately other than insomnia I haven't had any) so am a little concerned about not being monitored more closely.  My doctors don't seem overly concerned about running any tests so am wondering what your experience has been?  Thanks.

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  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #2
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    I'm not Stage I -

     but Stage IIIc IBC (Inflammatory Breaast Cancer).  I did 4 neoadjuvant DD A/C followed by mod. rad. mast. followed by 12 weekly Taxol, 25 rads and Femara for over 3 yrs so far.  I see my PA (who I've had for over 16 yrs) every 6 months for a check up, I also see my Chemo Dr every 6 months for check up.  I get yearly mammograms, blood work when I see my PA but she'e been doing basically the same blood work since I first saw her. I get an anual bone density test because I have osteoporosis.  All the scans I've had since starting TX in Aug 09 was a CAT the rads Dr wanted before starting rads.  A head MRI because I developed horrendous headaches - nothing showed up on it and after 2 weeks on Dex it went away and never came back.  I had a Bone Scan because the paiin in my back was getting worse so did a Scan to be sure it was what we thought it probably was - just my arthritis getting worse - it was.  I had a body MRI for some discomfort I was having but again nothing 'bad' showed up.  So yes I have had some scans but they were not 'routinely ordered' - they were for particular issues in the 3+ yrs since end of TX.  My Chemo Dr does not order blood work as my PA always sends him copies of what she has done.  (I did have an EKG done in Feb 12 and again this yr in Feb too - both were ordered because I had to have cataract surgery iin Feb 12 and wrist surgery last Feb.)

    Winyan - The Power Within

    Susan

  • mjjones453
    mjjones453 Member Posts: 155
    #3
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    stage 1

    I was diagnosed as stage one, grade 2 in 2010. I had a lumpectomy, followed by radiation and then tamoxifen. My Dr. had me come every three months until my 3 year anniversary, now I am at every 6 months. Before each visit, I have blood work drawn. I think that I will followed by my Oncologist for life. Maybe once a year, after I reach my five years. I am not sure. My mom was stage one in 2011 and had a mastectomy, no therapy by choice, and sees no one for follow-up. I am not happy about that! That is the Dr.'s fault. She has just recently switched Dr.s

  • mjjones453
    mjjones453 Member Posts: 155
    #4
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    stage 1

    I was diagnosed as stage one, grade 2 in 2010. I had a lumpectomy, followed by radiation and then tamoxifen. My Dr. had me come every three months until my 3 year anniversary, now I am at every 6 months. Before each visit, I have blood work drawn. I think that I will followed by my Oncologist for life. Maybe once a year, after I reach my five years. I am not sure. My mom was stage one in 2011 and had a mastectomy, no therapy by choice, and sees no one for follow-up. I am not happy about that! That is the Dr.'s fault. She has just recently switched Dr.s

  • mjjones453
    mjjones453 Member Posts: 155
    #5
    Options
    stage 1

    I was diagnosed as stage one, grade 2 in 2010. I had a lumpectomy, followed by radiation and then tamoxifen. My Dr. had me come every three months until my 3 year anniversary, now I am at every 6 months. Before each visit, I have blood work drawn. I think that I will followed by my Oncologist for life. Maybe once a year, after I reach my five years. I am not sure. My mom was stage one in 2011 and had a mastectomy, no therapy by choice, and sees no one for follow-up. I am not happy about that! That is the Dr.'s fault. She has just recently switched Dr.s

  • mjjones453
    mjjones453 Member Posts: 155
    #6
    Options
    stage 1

    I was diagnosed as stage one, grade 2 in 2010. I had a lumpectomy, followed by radiation and then tamoxifen. My Dr. had me come every three months until my 3 year anniversary, now I am at every 6 months. Before each visit, I have blood work drawn. I think that I will followed by my Oncologist for life. Maybe once a year, after I reach my five years. I am not sure. My mom was stage one in 2011 and had a mastectomy, no therapy by choice, and sees no one for follow-up. I am not happy about that! That is the Dr.'s fault. She has just recently switched Dr.s

  • mtnlady
    mtnlady Member Posts: 2
    #7
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    Thanks ladies for your

    Thanks ladies for your information.  I think I need to be more proactive with my follow-up care.  Living in a rural community I don't have a large group of doctors or oncologists available to me without driving 200 miles.  I did initially see both the surgeon and onco every 3 months, then 6 months, and after my July appointments will see them once a year.  However, I am thinking it may be worth it to drive the 200 miles to get another oncologist's opinion.  I just don't feel comfortable not having at least my blood work checked every six months or so, especially being on the Femara.

  • cinnamonsmile
    cinnamonsmile Member Posts: 1,187 Member
    #8
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    mtnlady said:

    Thanks ladies for your

    Thanks ladies for your information.  I think I need to be more proactive with my follow-up care.  Living in a rural community I don't have a large group of doctors or oncologists available to me without driving 200 miles.  I did initially see both the surgeon and onco every 3 months, then 6 months, and after my July appointments will see them once a year.  However, I am thinking it may be worth it to drive the 200 miles to get another oncologist's opinion.  I just don't feel comfortable not having at least my blood work checked every six months or so, especially being on the Femara.

    try breastcancer.org

    breastcancer.rog is a breast cancer website that has many forums for information regarding cancer. They have a forum for just stage 1 and stage 2. I would highly suggest you post there as well.

    Hopefully more will help you out with what they went through. Rague's cancer is completely different than Stage 1, so f I were you, I would not compare Rague's aftercare followup to yours, unless you were IBC,too.

     

  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    #9
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    cinnamonsmile said:

    try breastcancer.org

    breastcancer.rog is a breast cancer website that has many forums for information regarding cancer. They have a forum for just stage 1 and stage 2. I would highly suggest you post there as well.

    Hopefully more will help you out with what they went through. Rague's cancer is completely different than Stage 1, so f I were you, I would not compare Rague's aftercare followup to yours, unless you were IBC,too.

     

    My follow up has been similar to mijones

    I had stage 1b, gr 2 ER/PR+ breast cancer 3 years ago.  Had lumpectomy, chemotherapy (because of high oncotype score), radiation and am on tamoxifen.  For the first 2 years, I was followed every 4 months by my medical oncologist (who does CBC and comprehensive lab panel), every 6 months for breast exam by surgical nurse practitioner, and every 6 months by radiation onocologist.  I have a yearly mammogram and yearly MRI - they're spaced 6 months apart.  After 2 years, my med onc visits changed to 6 months and I see absolutely no need to see the radiation oncologist anymore, so we agreed that I'd contact her if I needed to.   I felt very well watched and am just happy as a clam to be reduced to 6 month visits with med onc now.   My med onc told me I'll be followed by her for the rest of my life.  Her job is to catch any recurrence, make sure I'm doing ok on the hormone therapy, as well as pick up and take care of any long term side effects from chemotherapy.  She also watches my Vitamin D levels and keeps on top of bone issues (osteoporosis).  I would not hesitate to bring up any health issues with her.  I don't know how long the 6 month breast exams will continue or how long the MRI will continue, but I'm perfectly happy to continue with this regimen for a long long time. 

    I think dexascans are done every 2 years.   I had one after treatment and another one recently, which was 2 years. 

    Suzanne

  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #10
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    mtnlady said:

    Thanks ladies for your

    Thanks ladies for your information.  I think I need to be more proactive with my follow-up care.  Living in a rural community I don't have a large group of doctors or oncologists available to me without driving 200 miles.  I did initially see both the surgeon and onco every 3 months, then 6 months, and after my July appointments will see them once a year.  However, I am thinking it may be worth it to drive the 200 miles to get another oncologist's opinion.  I just don't feel comfortable not having at least my blood work checked every six months or so, especially being on the Femara.

    My GP usually does my blood

    My GP usually does my blood work.  I see my rads onco every 6 months and my onco every 6 months also.  I have a mammo, ultrasound and MRI every six months.

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