2 questions

Mary Jo · 10-21-2006, 07:15 PM

Hi,

My oncologist also does not believe in scans unless symptoms warrant. I do tend to agree with her but everyone feels differently on that one. Don't get me wrong, if it were possible to "catch" cancer before anything "bad" could happen to us I would be all for scans as often as possible but unfortunately, there are no such guarantees. My oncologist explained it to me this way............................"there are just way too many false positives. You would be checking this and that and literally chasing after things that just aren't their (not cancer). The stress of it on the patient isn't worth it." She checks me over every 4 months at this point (finished my chemo Nov. 2005, radiation finished Feb. 2006 and herceptin finishes Oct. 2006) She checks my blood work - does a physical exam and asks how I am feeling. That's it. Honestly, me personally, I'd go nuts going through scans on a regular basis. I couldn't handle the stress of it.

Like I said, we are all different and all need different things. All doctors do things differently as well and we all need to find the doctor that suits our individual needs.

Good Luck to you and God Bless..............

Mary Jo

Linda · 10-21-2006, 09:42 PM

Dear Lindyjo:
My onc did decide to scan after I finished treatment and I am now the poster girl for false positives, and know why so many oncs DON'T scan. Twice I was told that something had likely spread to my lungs, and that a lung biopsy was upcoming. And twice, further scans then showed NED. So, besides the cost and time of the scans, needless to say, the emotional wear and tear was intense. So, I'm in the follow up with blood work and symptoms camp now. There are others who really like scans, but my experience has been that radiologists don't really know what they're looking at. Maybe if you could request a certain radiologist, it would be better. Anyway -- that's my two cents.
Best
Linda

10-22-2006, 05:36 AM

My health insurance onc nurse recommended I use Sally Hanson Hard as Nails during chemo - kept all of my nails only had some slight discoloration. I had Adria/Cytox/Taxotere & zomete for 4 months.

As for periodic scans, if your insurance will pay for them - get them every 3-4 months...the little cancer buggers can appear from nowhere. Regular full blood work is VERY good also - every 6 to 8 weeks. My 2cents & good luck!

bobbiw · 10-23-2006, 08:12 AM

Oh boy I am glad for this post as I have just recently been sort of dwelling on reacurrance. I finished chemo in May and am now on Herceptin and Tomaxifen. But it seems that every time I feel a little 'icky' my first thought is cancer, or a headache, or a dizzy spell etc..... My oncologist is like most on this thread. He does not believe in scanning unless I have symptoms or the regular bloodwork warrants it. So I am glad to hear that others are having the same experience with their oncs.

Bobbi

MJo · 10-23-2006, 08:46 AM

My finger and toe nails didn't fall off, but they got very brittle -- they broke, they peeled, etc.
During A/C my finger nails turned black!! It might have been more attractive if they had fallen off. They grew out finally. My nails are still soft -- I suspect from Herceptin. The nail on my right big thumb is pitted. Rest of nails, including toe nails, look ok, but the break very easily

Marlys · 10-23-2006, 09:06 AM

LindyJo,
I, too, have oncologists who do not do scans without symptoms. I had a lumpectomy times 2 (second to get wider margins). I am Stage 1, HER2+++,ER+++,PR+. After I joined this board I asked the medical oncologist if he did tumor markers and if so had he done them on me. He replied he considered them to be highly unreliable because of too many false positives and only did them rarely. As to scans I get a mammogram on the affected breast every 6 months, and on the non-affected breast every year. Because of what I read here I am content to let the oncologists be the doctors. That said if I thought something was wrong I would raise holy hell to get whatever treatment or test I felt was indicated.
Incidentally welcome to the board. I have found so much hope and comfort, not to mention information since I joined.
Hugs & prayers,
Marlys

P.S. I didn't lose any toenails but my fingernails and fingertips are a real mess.

Kaye · 10-23-2006, 12:15 PM

Hi Lindyjo, my onc said the following to me--when people talk of the cancer 'coming back' where does it come back from? The pathology lab? I laughed but knew what he meant. What is important is to get the cells up front. If it 'returns' it didn't come back but was always there. Hopefully the treatment(s) we get will take care of them, so they do not show up again.
Sometimes the treatments alone work. There may be things that we can do to boost treatment. I had read that eating cruciferous vegetables and/or vegetable juicing may boost the effects of radiation. I think I also read that staying away from caffeine during radiation was recommended, too--but would research that to verify.
My best thoughts are with you and hope this is soon all behind you. Take care!