Follow-up procedures for Pancreatic cancer after all treatment stopped

SaschaSue
SaschaSue Member Posts: 3
edited March 2014 in Rare and Other Cancers #1
Hi everyone,

I just want to share others experiences of follow-up care for pancreatic cancer. I was diagnosed 18 months ago with stage IIB, had surgery followed by 6 months of Gemzar. Since surgery all tests have come back normal. Whoopee!!

Now my onc is seeing me every 3-4 months but without any tests being done - no scan, no bloods. He seems to think that while I look & feel fine then all is good & I shouldn't have the worry of waitin for the test results. Plus, he said, that should they find mets, there won't be much they can do for me anyway long term.

What experiences have others got?

Thanks

Comments

  • jcandler
    jcandler Member Posts: 7
    #2
    Is this a real doctor?
    I was diagnosed on 12/28/2004. I went through radiation and oral chemotherapy for 6 weeks, followed by surgery and than 6 months of Gemzar. I am also seeing my onc every 6 months now, with only 2 visits left, but I have blood work done every visit. There is no way your onc can know what is going on by the way you feel. To make a statement that it wouldn't make a difference anyway because there is nothing they could do borders on being criminal. All of the people in this forum are miracles. This is a disease that kills almost everyone it touches and for an onc to say something like this is unreal. Even though my tumor was inoperable at the beginning, no doctor ever said anything except that we were going to do everything possible to beat this disease. I was never told it was hopeless or that I only had so much time to live. As a matter of fact, each doctor told me that they would use the talents God gave them to the best of their ability and then it was up to Him. I know that you are well into treatment, but I would either talk to your onc, or find a new one.

    Joe
  • gus111z
    gus111z Member Posts: 11
    #3
    jcandler said:

    Is this a real doctor?
    I was diagnosed on 12/28/2004. I went through radiation and oral chemotherapy for 6 weeks, followed by surgery and than 6 months of Gemzar. I am also seeing my onc every 6 months now, with only 2 visits left, but I have blood work done every visit. There is no way your onc can know what is going on by the way you feel. To make a statement that it wouldn't make a difference anyway because there is nothing they could do borders on being criminal. All of the people in this forum are miracles. This is a disease that kills almost everyone it touches and for an onc to say something like this is unreal. Even though my tumor was inoperable at the beginning, no doctor ever said anything except that we were going to do everything possible to beat this disease. I was never told it was hopeless or that I only had so much time to live. As a matter of fact, each doctor told me that they would use the talents God gave them to the best of their ability and then it was up to Him. I know that you are well into treatment, but I would either talk to your onc, or find a new one.

    Joe

    Could not agree more with
    Could not agree more with you Joe. Well said.
  • noreenj
    noreenj Member Posts: 1
    #4
    gus111z said:

    Could not agree more with
    Could not agree more with you Joe. Well said.

    cancer does not appear to highlight it's progress in neon
    I am a 'relative beginner' on this journey as my wife had a whipple 14 weeks ago and is starting adjuvant chemo and radiation therapies.

    As the last posters have said, you can't tell what's going on inside ( viz a viz cancer ) by merely looking at the outside . . . until it's too late to do anything about it.

    I'd get an oncologist that you feel truly confident in. Good Luck

    Neale

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