Not sure what screening tests to do now

[m b]

Have just reached my 1 yr anniv of being dx. I just had mamogram (right side) & chest x-ray (left side). My oncologist doesn't usually do annual bone scans or cat scans post treatment unless there is some symptoms to warrant them. One of the reasons is sometimes they can give you false positive. If the cancer does spread I just think it would be best to try and catch it early. Does anyone have annual catscans or MRI's to ck for brain mets? Thanks for your thoughts.

Dx 2/05 41years
ER+ / Her2 +
6/9 nodes positive
Lumpectomy 3/05
AC/Taxol
Masectomy 7/05
33 rads
Herceptin
Tomoxifin

[Becky]

I get an annual brain MRI and annual CT scans of the chest, abdomen and pelvis. I could have these every 6 months if I want. I also get a bone scan.


I get a CA 27/29 every three months as well. You had 6 nodes involved, perhaps you should consider at least yearly scans or at least the CA 27/29 and maybe the Her2 Serum test.

I get mammos every 6 months (for now) and I had lumpectomy but only one node involved.

Best regards

Becky

[saleboat]

My Onc, nor any of the Oncs where I am treated do annual scans. This is a question that I've been musing about for a while-- does the management of the disease change at all with the use of Herceptin in the adjuvent/early-stage setting (as opposed to advanced breast cancer). If there was a recurrance that was caught earlier due to annual screens, would it be more easily treated with a better prognosis than waiting for symptoms? Not sure anyone has the answer to that. Also wondering if any Oncs would treat rising CA or HER2 serum #s with Herceptin while a patient was still NED.

Jen