How do we know?

rjjj
rjjj Member Posts: 1,822 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I met the nicest gal at radiation today. she was stage 4 and now says she is clean of cancer. We asked he how they determine this. a pet scan? blood test? she said she wished so but they just told her that the surgery and chemo/radiation had taken care of it. He insurance wouldn't have paid for further tests even if the doctor HAD ordered them (which she didn't.

I wonder how do they know ? and what kind of tests ect. do they do after rads and you are to have checkups every 3 months? Please survivors jump in here and let me know. P.S. my font size looks really small, does it look that way to you? do you know how to change it?
Thanks in advance Jackie

Comments

  • EveningStar2
    EveningStar2 Member Posts: 491 Member
    #2
    Follow up
    I have had follow up with the breast surgeon, oncologist and radiation oncologist. No tests, no scans, just the assumption that I am clean. Mammo 6 months after surgery which will be next month. I'm sure different doctors do different things, particularly with different diagnosises.

    Maureen
  • Jeanne D
    Jeanne D Member Posts: 1,867
    #3
    EveningStar2 said:

    Follow up
    I have had follow up with the breast surgeon, oncologist and radiation oncologist. No tests, no scans, just the assumption that I am clean. Mammo 6 months after surgery which will be next month. I'm sure different doctors do different things, particularly with different diagnosises.

    Maureen

    Jackie, your font size looks
    Jackie, your font size looks the same as everyone else's. Or, it does to me anyway. And, about the tests, I see my radiation oncologist every month for a checkup. And, he said he would follow me for years, so, I had better get used to him. lol I love him! I see my oncologist every month, unless I need to sooner for some reason. My mammogram isn't until November, I think, this year, but, I told them that I may set that back if I feel I am not ready for it. I will also have an ultrasound and possibly an MRI too. I also had a bone scan and a liver scan, which were clean. As Maureen said, doctors do things differently. This is just the way mine do it and I am happy they do!
  • CR1954
    CR1954 Member Posts: 1,390 Member
    #4
    Hi Jackie.........
    My follow ups were/are pretty much the same as Maureen's, with the exception of: I had an MRI six months after surgery, to re-check the other breast. At that time, they also did the chest wall on mastectomy side and said everything looked good.
    And I had bloodwork for my onc before my re-check. My mammo is also next month.

    Your font size looks fine, but I know that I sometimes have a hard time reading small font on my computer, so I made the font size larger. Really makes a difference!
    If you want to do that, go to the top of the page under "view". Then go to "text size".
    Sure has made it easier on my eyes!

    CR
  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598
    #5
    CR1954 said:

    Hi Jackie.........
    My follow ups were/are pretty much the same as Maureen's, with the exception of: I had an MRI six months after surgery, to re-check the other breast. At that time, they also did the chest wall on mastectomy side and said everything looked good.
    And I had bloodwork for my onc before my re-check. My mammo is also next month.

    Your font size looks fine, but I know that I sometimes have a hard time reading small font on my computer, so I made the font size larger. Really makes a difference!
    If you want to do that, go to the top of the page under "view". Then go to "text size".
    Sure has made it easier on my eyes!

    CR

    Hey Jackie. I am still in
    Hey Jackie. I am still in radiation, so, I don't see my oncologist again until after I am done with radiation treatments. Then, they said they will schedule me 6 months out for a mammo, MRI and an ultrasound. And, that I will continue to see the radiation oncologist every month after treatments are done.
  • seof
    seof Member Posts: 819 Member
    #6
    How..
    I had a bilateral mastectomy, so no more mammograms. I had a CT scan to check for cancer and I had blood tests done. I will follow up with Oncologist every 3 months for a while, then 6 months, 12 months, so on. Other than reconstructive surgery, I am assuming that I am done with everything. Everyone is an individual and the Dr. is the best source of information on your specific case.

    Take care, seof
  • rjjj
    rjjj Member Posts: 1,822 Member
    #7
    CR1954 said:

    Hi Jackie.........
    My follow ups were/are pretty much the same as Maureen's, with the exception of: I had an MRI six months after surgery, to re-check the other breast. At that time, they also did the chest wall on mastectomy side and said everything looked good.
    And I had bloodwork for my onc before my re-check. My mammo is also next month.

    Your font size looks fine, but I know that I sometimes have a hard time reading small font on my computer, so I made the font size larger. Really makes a difference!
    If you want to do that, go to the top of the page under "view". Then go to "text size".
    Sure has made it easier on my eyes!

    CR

    Thanks CR
    That really helped now I can see you. and what i'm typing lol! I guess I was just expecting a slew of tests. I guess we have to trust in our doctors to know what we need.
    hugs, Jackie
  • Aortus
    Aortus Member Posts: 967
    #8
    CR1954 said:

    Hi Jackie.........
    My follow ups were/are pretty much the same as Maureen's, with the exception of: I had an MRI six months after surgery, to re-check the other breast. At that time, they also did the chest wall on mastectomy side and said everything looked good.
    And I had bloodwork for my onc before my re-check. My mammo is also next month.

    Your font size looks fine, but I know that I sometimes have a hard time reading small font on my computer, so I made the font size larger. Really makes a difference!
    If you want to do that, go to the top of the page under "view". Then go to "text size".
    Sure has made it easier on my eyes!

    CR

    Never mind the PM I just sent you, Jackie.
    Cindy's solution is simpler and will likely much work much better than the complicated crap I just messaged you. Good luck!
  • rjjj
    rjjj Member Posts: 1,822 Member
    #9
    CR1954 said:

    Hi Jackie.........
    My follow ups were/are pretty much the same as Maureen's, with the exception of: I had an MRI six months after surgery, to re-check the other breast. At that time, they also did the chest wall on mastectomy side and said everything looked good.
    And I had bloodwork for my onc before my re-check. My mammo is also next month.

    Your font size looks fine, but I know that I sometimes have a hard time reading small font on my computer, so I made the font size larger. Really makes a difference!
    If you want to do that, go to the top of the page under "view". Then go to "text size".
    Sure has made it easier on my eyes!

    CR

    Wow CR
    That really helped. and then I typed you a message and it disappeared. Maybe it is my eyes or chemo-brain! lol! anyway I guess we just need to trust our doctors to do what is best. But I really think all insurances should pay for screening for prevention. hugs, Jackie
  • Aortus
    Aortus Member Posts: 967
    #10
    rjjj said:

    Thanks CR
    That really helped now I can see you. and what i'm typing lol! I guess I was just expecting a slew of tests. I guess we have to trust in our doctors to know what we need.
    hugs, Jackie

    The mileage varies
    As Maureen says, different oncologists do it differently.

    Moopy's oncologist down here had her do a PET scan before chemo and but did not schedule one for after chemo. But her oncologist in St. Louis was almost scandalized that no PET scan had been ordered after chemo, so to the PET scan machine went Moopy... well loaded with Xanax.

    From looking here and at other boards most oncologists tend to consider their patients "cured" after chemo, or radiation, or both have been completed. Then there are oncologists who MAKE their patients take tests whether they want to or not. Then there are others who won't order a test until a patient reports symptoms. Outside of presenting with symptoms, it has to do more with an oncologist's approach than with consideration for the patient's needs or wants.

    As for insurance, who knows? Moopy's oncologist in St. Louis ordered 2 PET scans, one body and one brain. Moop's insurance approved the body scan but not the brain scan. Their reason was that Moopy had not been diagnosed with melanoma. Which was just fine with us; if they want to make melanoma a requirement to hell with that. It seems to that if a doctor makes enough of a racket, he or she can get a test approved. Who knows? Maybe Moopy's St. Louis onc ordered two PET scans to make sure she could get one approved?
  • Christmas Girl
    Christmas Girl Member Posts: 3,682 Member
    #11
    Aortus said:

    The mileage varies
    As Maureen says, different oncologists do it differently.

    Moopy's oncologist down here had her do a PET scan before chemo and but did not schedule one for after chemo. But her oncologist in St. Louis was almost scandalized that no PET scan had been ordered after chemo, so to the PET scan machine went Moopy... well loaded with Xanax.

    From looking here and at other boards most oncologists tend to consider their patients "cured" after chemo, or radiation, or both have been completed. Then there are oncologists who MAKE their patients take tests whether they want to or not. Then there are others who won't order a test until a patient reports symptoms. Outside of presenting with symptoms, it has to do more with an oncologist's approach than with consideration for the patient's needs or wants.

    As for insurance, who knows? Moopy's oncologist in St. Louis ordered 2 PET scans, one body and one brain. Moop's insurance approved the body scan but not the brain scan. Their reason was that Moopy had not been diagnosed with melanoma. Which was just fine with us; if they want to make melanoma a requirement to hell with that. It seems to that if a doctor makes enough of a racket, he or she can get a test approved. Who knows? Maybe Moopy's St. Louis onc ordered two PET scans to make sure she could get one approved?

    Jackie, I just got here...
    And, I'm gonna take the lazy way out and piggyback onto Joe's reply because I think he pretty much nailed it. Much depends on the individual doctor's own approach... However, I will add in that much ALSO depends on the individual patient's specifics and details of diagnosis. Let's not forget other health conditions, tendencies and issues, too. As my own onc (BC only) says frequently: "no cookie-cutter treatment"!

    Kind regards, Susan
  • rjjj
    rjjj Member Posts: 1,822 Member
    #12
    Aortus said:

    The mileage varies
    As Maureen says, different oncologists do it differently.

    Moopy's oncologist down here had her do a PET scan before chemo and but did not schedule one for after chemo. But her oncologist in St. Louis was almost scandalized that no PET scan had been ordered after chemo, so to the PET scan machine went Moopy... well loaded with Xanax.

    From looking here and at other boards most oncologists tend to consider their patients "cured" after chemo, or radiation, or both have been completed. Then there are oncologists who MAKE their patients take tests whether they want to or not. Then there are others who won't order a test until a patient reports symptoms. Outside of presenting with symptoms, it has to do more with an oncologist's approach than with consideration for the patient's needs or wants.

    As for insurance, who knows? Moopy's oncologist in St. Louis ordered 2 PET scans, one body and one brain. Moop's insurance approved the body scan but not the brain scan. Their reason was that Moopy had not been diagnosed with melanoma. Which was just fine with us; if they want to make melanoma a requirement to hell with that. It seems to that if a doctor makes enough of a racket, he or she can get a test approved. Who knows? Maybe Moopy's St. Louis onc ordered two PET scans to make sure she could get one approved?

    I think your right Joe
    I think we have to be our own advocates and if we holler loud enough the doc's can..get it ordered so that insurance will cover!

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