And the Survey says......

[Kristen]

I am very curious about how other oncologist works. No one answered my questions,they were in a venting period, but I really would like to know the answers to some questions. Stay Anonymous if you wish. (lisa, maybe questions for your book)
1. When you go in for a tx, do you see your onc. before each one?
2. If not, who do you see?
3. Does your onc. request your scans?
4. Does your onc. request that you get your scans ordered from your primary care dr. or someone else?
5. What does your cancer team consist of:
a) breast surgeon, medical onc, rad. onc, and your reconstruction dr?
B) who else is included on your team?
6. If you are on adjunct therapy, ie: Rads, Chemo, Herceptin, Tamoxifen, etc. how often do you see your primary oncologist?
a)every 3 weeks?
b)every 6 weeks?
c) other?
7. When you finish your chemo/and or rads, when does your onc. schedule your first scan?
8, If you are on Herceptin or Tamoxifen, do you have any scans done on a routine basis? How far out are they after or durning treatment?

That's it, thank you for answering.
PS.. One of my doctors told me that to build your immune system up (to get the killer cells going) if you have one GREAT BIG belly laugh, to where you are almost crying or going to wet your pants it stimulates them and will last one week. So go have a good laugh and let these guys do there job and keep any new little cells at bay. ty k

[carlye]

Hey K,
I will answer first even though I think you know the answers for the most part!
1. I saw my onco everytime before before my chemo, no PA always the onco.
2. Yes my onco does request all my scans.
3. He is also the one to request them and always gets my appointments very promply, much faster than my primary.
4.I have a surgeon, onco, rad onco, internal doc, and reconstruction doc! They all get copies of all my visits!
5. I take only femera now only and I see Mark every 3 months unless I am having problems and I get in asap.
6. I had my first scan 3 months after I finished chemo.
7. I have cat/pelvic and abdominal, every 3 months. I have a mamo every 6 months, I have a pet scan every 6 months, and now I will have a brain mri yearly! I also have all my tumor markers done every 3 months consisting of cbc, cmp, chem 12, ca 27.29 and CEA.
Even if you know all this it will be a good comparison to others on here and see how diff other doctors are. I am sure there will be alot of ppl that think I am way over scanned. Speaking of which I have my pet tomorrow!

[lauren]

1. When you go in for a tx, do you see your onc. before each one? Yes, every time.

2. If not, who do you see? N/A

3. Does your onc. request your scans? No scans except echo and bone density, and yes.

4. Does your onc. request that you get your scans ordered from your primary care dr. or someone else? N/A

5. What does your cancer team consist of:
a) breast surgeon, medical onc, rad. onc, and your reconstruction dr? I got diagnosed by a radiologist after a core biopsy. Then I had double mastectomy with a breast surgeon with reconstruction by a plastic surgeon. When I got my pathology, my breast surgeon referred me to my medical oncologist. When it was time for the decision to do radiation, mymedical oncologist referred me to my radiation oncologogist. I still see my medical oncologist every two or three months (finished chemo a year and a half ago, finished herceptin five months ago). Still see my breast surgeon once a year.

B) who else is included on your team? ME!!!!!!!

6. If you are on adjunct therapy, ie: Rads, Chemo, Herceptin, Tamoxifen, etc. how often do you see your primary oncologist? See above.

7. When you finish your chemo/and or rads, when does your onc. schedule your first scan? If I ever have symptoms, and hopefully NEVER....

8, If you are on Herceptin or Tamoxifen, do you have any scans done on a routine basis? How far out are they after or durning treatment? Just echo and bone density.

I was stage II with two sentinal nodes positive, by the way. I had my ovaries removed because I was 36 and done with having children. I continue on Arimidex for the next four years.

That's it, thank you for answering.

PS.. One of my doctors told me that to build your immune system up (to get the killer cells going) if you have one GREAT BIG belly laugh, to where you are almost crying or going to wet your pants it stimulates them and will last one week. So go have a good laugh and let these guys do there job and keep any new little cells at bay. ty k

[Ruth]

Hi Kristen,

This is how I have been treated so far...
(I just finished a year of weekly Herceptin after DDense A/C, surgery, 12 weekly Taxol w/Herceptin, 40 weeks Herceptin alone).
1. Before every chemo treatment saw Dr., monthly only when on Herceptin alone.
2. Dr. requests all scans
3. Dr. orders them all (get in right away & results next day...sometimes same day. The radiologist sends all copies to team & one for me when I get to the office.
4. Cancer team: breast surgeon, Gyno (who still calls me monthly to see how I am!), Onc., & radialogist (for mammogram on remaining breast), and RN ONC.
5. Had MUGA & ECHO every 3 months for A/C and Herceptin. My EF fraction kept going up...figure that! He only schedules scans with symptoms. Did give me a feel good scan about 6 months after finished Taxol. However at diagnosis had bone scan, MRI's, Cat-Scan, MUGA, chest X-ray & ultrasound to rule out metastises. I will request another cat-scan sometime in the near future - and I'm sure that he will let me have it.

Hope this helps!
Peace, Ruth

[Patty H]

When I am on this weekly treatment The nurses take me in and do treatment, the Dr. is always in the office if something would go wrong. I see him usually every three weeks or once amonth, according to how long my cyles are. He orders most sacans. I see my breast surgeon twice a year unless I am having problems then I se her every three months. I only have a mamogram once a year now. I see my radiation Dr. according to when I am having radiaiotn which has been three sets so far. He also orders bone scans. I don't see my primary Dr. unless sick (not cancer realated) When I am not in treatment my breast surgeon takes over and orders my scans. If somehting shows up she sends me back to the oncologist. Patty H

[jojo]

Whew, the year has gone by so fast, so I'll try to remember...

Original diagnosis: stage 3b infiltrating ductal carcinoma, all scans to rule out mets (head MRI, CT scan of abdomen / chest, bone scan, ultrasound)

Neoadjuvant: saw nurse practitioner at every chemo; onc every 3 weeks.

Chemo: 4x dose-dense A/C; 12x weekly Taxol; Herceptin started w/ Taxol

Post-chemo: Herceptin, originally intended for a year only and Femara; see NP & onc every 3 months

Recurrence to brain mets: stopped Femara & switched to Faslodex; Herceptin indefinitely; head MRI every 3 months; body scan (either CT or PET) every 3 to 6 months; visit NP & onc every 3 weeks

Cancer Team: onc, NP, breast surgeon, rad onc, ob/gyn - they are all centralized in one clinic (saves me a LOT of phone calls!); my paperwork & test results circulate everywhere all the time; they even have their own staff psychologist there

[Barbara]

I am Stage 2b with one positive node, HER2 neu.
1) no, he only reviews the chart. However during dose dense therapy he saw me very two weeks exactly the week after chemo as that was my nadir point when my WBC was lowest and he would then prescribe an antibiotic if below 700. I am now on every three week Herceptin and I see my oncologist monthly.
3) my oncologist requests all my scans and his staff gets all authorizations and schedules them
5)my team is the oncologist, my surgeon and my internist
6)on does dense every two weeks, on Herceptin every 3-4 weeks.
7) my first scans were four months later; if I am worried he orders scans earlier than he normally would. He talks with me a lot to determine my anxiety level. He ordered a brain MRI because I was worried when my CA 27-29 went up. I think I do drive him bananas at times but he is very understanding and knows thata cancer robs his patients of so many things we used to take for granted.

[LOLAM]

1. When you go in for a tx, do you see your onc. before each one? NO I ONLY SEE THE ONC. EVERY THREE MONTHS
2. If not, who do you see? GO TO CHEMOTHERAPY SUITE FOR MY HERCEPTIN TREATMENT EVERY 3 WEEKS
3. Does your onc. request your scans? YES
4. Does your onc. request that you get your scans ordered from your primary care dr. or someone else? HE ONLY CALLS FOR THE SCANS
5. What does your cancer team consist of:
a) breast surgeon, medical onc, rad. onc, and your reconstruction dr? MEDICAL ONC. ONLY
B) who else is included on your team?NO ONE
6. If you are on adjunct therapy, ie: Rads, Chemo, Herceptin, Tamoxifen, etc. how often do you see your primary oncologist?
a)every 3 weeks?
b)every 6 weeks?APPROX. EVERY 6 WEEKS UNLESS I HAVE SOME PROBLEM
c) other?
7. When you finish your chemo/and or rads, when does your onc. schedule your first scan? MY FIRST SCAN WAS ABOUT 3 MOS I THINK
8, If you are on Herceptin or Tamoxifen, do you have any scans done on a routine basis? How far out are they after or durning treatment? MUGA SCAN ABOUT EVERY 6 MOS, SOONER IF SOME ISSUE. ONCE A YEAR I MAY GET A SCAN BUT USUALLY BECAUSE OF SOME SYMPTOMS TO CHECK OUT. I JUST HAD A BONE SCAN BECAUSE OF PAIN IN MY BACK. ALSO I HAVE ASKED FOR AN MRI OF THE BRAIN ONCE A YEAR W/O SYMPTOMS AND HAVE GOTTEN IT ALTHO WE FABRICATED SYMPTOMS FOR THE INS. CO.