I had breast cancer when i was 29 and then again 3 years later in exactly the same place. Had double mastectomy (my choice) and reconstructive surgery. Had regular check ups where the doc would just look at me and check for more lumps. My point is I have never had or been offered any other checks, blood tests. scans etc to see if its gone anywhere else. Should I be concerned? Its 10 years on now.
I think you should be concerned. That is all my onc did too. At 10yrs I was dx with lung mets. The onc asked me when my last chest xray had been. I told him at my primary dx 10 yrs ago. He just said oh OK!! No one has told me that I should have been having scans or xrays but I now think I should have been. Funnyface
Hi Kaz
i agree with funnyface. I had a mastectomy in 1993 and only needed to take tamoxifen for 6 years. I went annually to see the surgeon for a checkup and like you apart from feeling for any lumps and having a general “chat” nothing else was offered or suggested. His only comments whenever I asked about the possibility of a recurrence were that there are no guarantees that the cancer would not return but I always appeared to be well and I think the only reason he did not discharge me was because I saw him privately.I thought that I had beaten it. How wrong !!! Last year I started with a pain in my hip/groin which my GP failed to dx for 6 months. I was devastated to say the least.The pain turned out to be bone mets and as yet there has been no spread to other organs. I was angry because I have since read an article( dated 2002) which said trials using Bonefos which is a drug normally used to treat thinning bones, had been found to stop the spread of breast cancer to the bones by more than 50% and cut the death rate
by 23 %. I often wonder if I had been offered the drug earlier whether I would now be looking at a shorter lifespan.
Ironically I now take Bonefos but the saying “shutting the door after the horse has bolted” comes to mind. I definitely think you should ask for a bone scan to put your mind at ease.
good luck
barbara