Lorraine - I did see an Oncologist after I finished chemo and rads, but he then discharged me!! I was flabbergasted. Have seen him once since, for a private HER2 test, as this was not done in 2003 at my hospital. Thankfully I was negative, but worth the £120 it cost, just for peace of mind. He also told me in no uncertain terms, that if I was HER2+, he would not prescribe Herceptin, as it was too long since I had chemo.
I now see my bc surgeon (always him) annually, but he will only do bi-annual mammos, as his opinion is that radiation can cause breast cancer. Don’t get that one - why do we have rads if by doing so, it can cause the very disease we are trying to treat? My husband thinks if is a question of financial resources. As my 2 cm tumour, and DCIS, was not palpable I had no idea anything was wrong. It was seen on he normal 3 yrly mammo we get after 50 yrs. I believe that if I had had annual mammos, my tumour would not have been so big, nor had spread to my lymph nodes.
After speaking to a couple of younger friends (in their early 50’s) who pay £85 for mammos in the years they don’t get the freebie, and none having had cancer, but close friends who did, I am going to arrange a private mammo with the Nuffield. I am concerned that if I get a recurrence (non palpable), I won’t be able to feel it, and ask for help on the NHS. As my friend said: “you pay for an annual service on your car, so why not your body?”. That kind of hit home with me.
I have recently learned that a friend who had a mastectomy 12 yrs ago for bc (leaking of her nipple, tumour behind the nipple) that she now has a similar recurrence in her other breast and is to have another mastectomy. My hairdresser, who had invasive bc 5 yrs ago, was dx 2 weeks ago with another tumour in the same breast, at her 5 yrly mammo. These two recent instances of recurrence have made me more determined to ensure I get an annual mammo, even if I have to pay for it. Oh, that we could have such wonderful treatment as in UAE.
Perhaps in Mole’s case, she had a palpable tumour, and if she has a recurrence, will be able to feel it and go back to her surgeon. When the tumour is non-palpable, I don’t know how I would know if I had a recurrence, without having the security of annual mammos. I would be interested to learn of any other women who had non-palpable tumours, and went on to get a similar recurrence. Two years is a long time I feel, for a tumour to be growing. My tumour was found at my 3rd, 3 yrly mammo when I was 58 yrs. In the USA, my friends have annual mammos from age 40, as a condition of their medical insurance, and perhaps that is why their survival stats are so much better than ours.
I did however, get a CT scan of my liver, bone scan and chest x-ray, just after I started chemo, and thankfully, all was well. I think this was normal protocol where there was spread to the lymph nodes.
Liz.