[Becky]

I am almost 4 yrs out and in September it will be my last every 4 months onc visit and I will graduate to every 6 months (which he plans to do for several yrs before I graduate to once a yr). I still see my rads onc every 6 months since I had lumpectomy (on both sides, the left being a very small low grade dcis with NO rads - which everyone on this board knows this makes me more of a wreck than the Her2+ invasive cancer side). I also see my surgeon once a yr and the gyne once a year. Plus my yearly physical with my primary care physician.

When I see my onc, he runs the estradiol level, liver enzymes and blood panel plus the CA 27/29. He also does a breast exam (which all the above docs also do - my primary care also runs my CA 27/29 and the other blood work as well as cholestrol (HDL, LDL, triglycerides).

I don't do other scans. Did a brain MRI as a baseline as well as CT of the abdomen, pelvis and chest and a bone scan. Did these one year out because like many women on the board, I had alot of rib pain at that time and wanted to rule out possible bone or liver mets.

Until I got my ovaries removed, both the onc and gyne ran the CA125 (ovarian cancer marker) as well.

In early Sept, I will be at 4 yrs and feel very comfortable with myself. I feel I am also very attuned to my body and feel well. I do and believe in monthly self breast exams. I have had some false lumps (a cyst on the left and glandular tissue from surgery on the right) but I found my lump myself and I believe it saved me as it could always have been bigger than it was.

I get a mammo once a year now as most surgeons make you get it twice a year until you've passed year 3. I plan to start getting an MRI or a dilon (BSGI - breast specific gamma imaging) at the 6 month and a mammo the second 6 months. Just had clean digital on July 7 so after the new year I will plan my new test.

Peace,