Scans after treatment

I only had a lumpectomy (only!) in Aug 2015 and I've had a mammogram and that's it. I see my medical onc 2x per year and radiation onc 2x per year. As for chemo recovery, it depends-  everyone is different. It will be a year for me on Feb 18 and in some ways I've made longer strides than others.  By the time I finished the chemo and radiation, I was a bundle of anxious, jittering nerves. As time passed, I got a little stronger and got more of the chemo out of my system and out of my head and I was better.  Not 100%, but better.  I hear 1 year is the average recovery time from chemo, but I figure it takes as long as it takes.  Just keep moving forward.  Best wishes.

Hi Mariapel 74,

Did you have any scans before your double mastectomies to see what the state of your whole body was? I didn't and am sorry that I ended up with an Oncologit who didn't do this, nor did he do any scans after my lumpectomy which showed that I had one sentinel node  out of seven that had cancer in it. He never did tumor markers on me which checks the level of cancer proteins in your blood. I was put on Arimidex. Was on it for 1 1/2 years when all of a sudden I had rib and back pain. I couldn't reach this Onc and ended up seeing my Primary doctor who sent me for x-rays and a CT scan. Lo and behold, I had bone mets!

Needless to say this Oncologist is history! I now have a great Oncologist who sees me every month and monitors my tumor markers and sends me for a CT scan + x-rays once a year so far. He was shocked that I hadn't even had one blood test nor a chest x-ray when I was first diagnosed with breast cancer.

I get upset when I think of my first doctor's negligence. I'd definitely get a second opinion from an independent doctor, someone at another hospital or Cancer Center who is NOT connected in any way to your present doctor. Your insurance company even recommends it, and your present Oncologist should welcome it. Mine did. If he makes a fuss, that's a red flag, for sure.

Don't take chances with your life. If you don't feel comfortable with this doctor, it's time to find one who takes your situation seriously and has your best interests in mind.

I left a breast center that supposedly was great and ended up in a small Cancer Center near me where "everyone knows my name." I'm not a number like I was at the "big" center.

Give this some thought. Get that 2nd opinion.    Best wishes,    Kats2

I had a partial and 25 rounds of rads that ended in July.  Post treatment I only had a mammogram and Dexascan (baseline when beginning AI).  Both surgeon and onco keep telling me there is no need for other testing other than annual mammogram.  PCP is supposed to do annual bloodwork - nothing pre-cancer dx ever showed up in a blood test, why would it now?  Surgeon is repeating an ultrasound after 6 months almost at my insisting.  I have a lot of scar tissue after rad and fear there may be cells encased.  After my neoadjuvant chemo I was told there was no cancer left, but when she got in for surgery there were still rogue cells present and they ended up taking more than expected.  Radiation was supposed to attack anything that may have been left, but do we ever really know?

Be your own advocate. . . Listen carefully to the stories of others in support group or on this board.  While none of those are YOUR story, you will find that there are similarities enough to mention to your team should you feel the need to.

I had a left radical mastectomy in December, 2016.  The onco that will begin my chemo prescribed two scans.  1) a Muga Scan checks to ensure the heart is strong enough to withstand chemo.  2) a full body Pet Scan will locate any other cancer from top of head to the knees.  This will let the doc know how much chemo is required and/or if radiation is necessary.  The same questions you're asking here should be directed to your primary and your oncologist.  No question should be left unasked or unanswered.  This is your body, your life.  Make them earn those big bucks!!!  : )