finally went to oncologist yesterday!

[kitty]

Hi everyone. I finally went to the oncologist yesterday after 3 years all she did was palpate my abdomen ,do a breast manual exam, and since I told her that my neck has been stiff for quiet awhile she palpated around the clavicle .(I forgot to tell her my ear has been ringing for several months even though I had it cleaned.)Then she gave me a paper for a spinal film for the neck.What I am questioning is why did she not give me any blood test? The lady who took me into her waiting area wondered why there was no blood test ordered since it was 3 years. I wonder if any of you know because that is why i just go to a normal doctor and resist going to an onc. dr. . They would have done the same thing. so.......in 03 I had a 1 centimeter tumor taken out with er and pr pos. Her2 (2.7).stage 1,grade 2 with no lymph node involvement. I did not take tomoxifan and she didn`t ask about why or if I decided to take it. .She was very nice and said I will see you in another year.( on my next year ) appointment card it says to come in 15 min early for any labs.....haha They told me that for this visit also.... I truly do question the cancer deal and deep down I think since i would be considered 95% cured then she feels there is no need for further recomendations unless I have any problems. Thanks for letting me vent ,it just cost so much to go there to have nothing done as concidered a Whole assessment........shirl

[hutchibk]

It sounds like she is a new oncologist for you - not your old one, right? Hmmm. Personally, I am pretty much a stickler for getting as much info as possible and staying on top of it. I understand your concerns about her methodology. You could call her nurse with your concerns and ask for the onc to call you so you can tell her you would feel better if you had some more definitive testing done, as Her2 is nothing to mess with or ignore. If it were me, I would push for tumor markers, liver enzymes, CT and bone scan at the very minimum. Do you feel comfy asking around for referral to a different onc?

I'm sure the ladies on here will have a lot more ideas for you, too!

[kitty]

Thanks for replying, She was my old oncoligist so I am dissapointed.Yes it is a great idea to talk to the nurse....thanks ....shirl

[Karen Weixel]

Hi Kitty,

I was diagnosed in 2005 with a 1.3cm tumor, node negative, lymphovascular negative, er/pr+ and her2+++. I finished all treatment 8/06 (except for the Aromasin) and I see my onc once every 3 months (with labs everytime) for 5 years and then we go to once every 6 months. I also see my surgeon once every 6 months and rad onc once a year.

If I were you, I would get a new onc.

Karen

[kitty]

Thanks Karen, I will make a different appointment with someone else and see how that goes. I want someone who at least gives me some feed back about where I am several years later or at least explain that in "her oppinion" I don`t need any test for bloodwork...so that I know what is going on. You would think I went in for the common cold. I`m sorry, it just makes me so mad ...I remember the last time I went to a primary dr, he kept saying that I needed a complete check up with my onc, and that is why I FINALLY went back...shirl

[CLTann]

Patients of bc (myself included) are always anxious to know whether there is anything wrong in her body. We want all types of tests, then wait anxiously for the good (negative) lab report followed by six months for another round of tests and waiting. From a very objective angle, we should realize that any bad report or palpable finding are the result of a minimum of 6 to 12 month metastatic spread which was not detectable at the early stages of days to 6 months. When we look at the situation from this angle, the palpatation done after 4 years may be medically adequate to ensure the continuing good health in the patient. The probablity of metastasis after 4 years is extremely low. If you are uncomfortable, get another onc or regular doctor to run bone scan, blood analysis and x rays of lung and liver. The primary suspected areas are indeed bone, liver, lung and brain. Best wishes.

[AlaskaAngel]

Hi Kitty,

You didn't say whether you are getting annual mammograms or if you did, what the results were? What kind of surgery did you have for it?

AlaskaAngel

[kitty]

I had a mamogram 1and half years ago.

[kitty]

To ann...There probally isn`t any thing wrong with me after 4 years but that is not the point. The point is that it should be a standard for any body for their own well being but I can tell you one thing I will not EVER go back since I must ONly need a breast manual exam which I can get a heck cheaper than going to a glorified oncologist. Breast cancer doesn`t just happen to someone regardless of how many years AGO they have past......AS a nurse I have seen more people with cancer after the magic year of 5

[hutchibk]

When I finished my initial chemo in '04 - after mastectomy - I asked my onc how often I would see him. He said being Her2+, he was going to see me every 3 months for 7 years minimum and if no recurrance at that point then we might move to 6 months until 10 years, then after that we could move to every year. We were always going to do bloodwork, and at the first 6 months out, we did CT/bone scan, and again 6 months later. I LOVED that he had a plan to stay on top of it like that. Of course, I had my first recurrance at 14 months after chemo, but he was not ever going to let me out of his sight.

[AlaskaAngel]

Kitty,

I see an onc once a year if I want in Seattle. My internist in Alaska sees me the rest of the time, and the schedule was every 3 months for the first 2 years, then every 6 months for the next 3 years, and now that I am 5 years out and still NED, once a year. At ALL of these appointments a CBC is done as well as LFTs, and either a CA 15-3 or a CA 27.29.

Annual mammogram is the standard for lumpectomies.

Even though I'm sure I will get burned at the stake for saying this, I still am not convinced that annual mammograms make sense. But even so, so far I've gotten one every year myself.

I would not want to see your onc myself.

AlaskaAngel