[madubois63]

This in NOT an attack on you or your words...just my reply/thoughts to a very well written post.

Markers are relatively cheap. Should everyone get markers done regularly? Or just certain "high risk" cancers? ...And we can't talk markers without mentioning that one drawback is their unreliability. Too many false positives (anxiety, expensive follow up scans, no recurrence). ...
Markers have NEVER worked for me. With 3 occurrences of bc and 1 bout of leukemia, my numbers have always been steady. Since this is the cheapest method of watching , it would be nice if it worked!
Regular scans as part of follow up could be justified...The technology is wildly expensive and in my opinion (OPINION, mine only), to demand scans of any kind after adjuvant treatment, in the absence of symptoms, simply for reassurance/peace of mind, is wasteful of our limited resources, and selfish.
Call me selfish!!!
...There is the issue of radiation exposure involved in scans and the carcinogenic potential of that exposure, especially long-term. Plus, scans (and for that matter, markers also) done only for reassurance/peace-of-mind offer that reassurance only for that moment - they do not carry a warranty (cancer could be raging the next week).
What are the scans going to do?? Give me cancer - LOL. Been there, done that! I fight each day trying to make it to the day there is a cure. I like the reprieve I get after scans are gone and clear...Last August, the scans were good - I had a GREAT summer/fall. I more than deserved those few months of peaceful sleeping!! November the scans showed a reoccurance. Caught early enough, things are underway for keeping it under control and making my way back to NED. There is never a guaranty of anything in this life. Each day is a gift. If a few of those days are showered with a peaceful reassurance of a healthy body even for just those few days, I will take it!!
Might it be better to find a way to come to terms with the uncertainty?
I have come to terms with the uncertainty. Just because I continue to get scanned does not mean that I haven't. This is a tool in my fight.
Does the ultra-vigilant style appeal to us, in part, because it offers us that illusion of control?
I would like to say I have no illusions about this disease, my control over it and my life expectancy, but I can't. That is also one of my tools in fighting this disease and in keeping some sort of sanity.
Phew, have you made it this far?
Yes...
...make the decision that seems right for us, individually. No one else can make these choices for us. (If our chosen style of follow up is not the same as our onc's then it might be time for a new onc.)...
Very well said!!In the end, the choice is yours and yours alone!! If you are not happy with your doctor, get a new one that will listen to you and do whats right for you!! You are the boss. I know not everyone can change doctors that easily or have access to as many doctors that I do, but best to try. My girlfriend (a gift of this disease) stood in front of the door as her onc tried to run out on her. She told him they weren't leaving until he listened and looked her in the eye. She made her demands and he finally listened. They are friends now, and they make the decisions together.