[RobinP]

Many of us here have periodic MRIs even if we have to make up the symptoms as the sooner you can find the lesion, the better you can treat with gamma knife. The problem is once brain lesions are large, over I think 3cm, you can't use something as simple as noninvasive gamma knife radiation. Please note; however, that brain mets is more common in er,pr negative bc.

I also suggest at least biannual evaluation of blood tests for liver enzymes, ca27/29 and serum her2. Beyond that you can have MRIs done just about for any ache, knowing a MRI offers no risk of radiation. Personally, I just am not into pet and cat scans due to the risk of low amounts of rradiation exposure. However, if I was to have bone pain, a bone scan is most purdent for a bone mets workup.

Perhaps my approach is less diagnostic than others here but I was stage1, with only a 4mm invasive her2. So I figure I am probably at low risk for a relapse. Also, let me say that I do not recommend the wait and see program that most oncologist advocate nor do suggest we do a constant witch hunt. I think you have to met somewhere in between at a happy medium that suits you. I do want to add that it seems only logical that the sooner you treat a mets, the better chance of sucessful treatment.