Hi all,
I’ve just been to see onc as my treatment finished 3 weeks ago, i was originally told that i would have an mri and bone scan at the end of treatment but have now been told by a registrar ( was supposed to see my doc but she asked a registrar to see me instead!) that he doesn’t see any point giving me the scans as there are no obvious signs of cancer!! There were no obvious signs when i was diagnosed, it had also spread to my lymph nodes which they didnt find till surgery. Is it normal not to have the scans?
Hi,
I finished my treatment in December last year, and had extensive node involvment. I asked the ONC about a scan, but was told it wasn’t usually done after treatment. I have also been signed off from oncology, but have an open appointment with the Breast Care Centre.
Dotty2 xx
Hi I was dx in may 09 fin treatment feb 10 I never had no scans either don’t think it’s done as routine laura
I was diagnosed 8 years ago and 6/17 nodes affected. I asked the question about being scanned and was told by my surgeon that it is not done(even though I had PMI it was not offered). From my understanding a scan would throw up things that do not need investigating. I was also told that if I get any aches or pains that do not go away in a couple of weeks to speak to my GP.
I was told that scans cannot pick up miniscule cancers, they have to form an area at least the size of the nail on your little finger to be detected. They will have gone through all your notes and results meticulously and I’m sure a scan would be offered if they thought it necessary.
If everyone who had had cancer got a scan at the end of treatment, the system would collapse. It would be completely impractical-when would the newly diagnosed patients be seen?!
I thought the same as cherub, that any scans would be pointless as they would not show up anything small. I just tell myself that they were happy that they had removed all of my cancer with the operations and any stray cells would be cleared up by the chemo and radiotherapy. I just have to keep taking the tablets and hope it doesn’t come back. But the first sign of any aches and pains and I’ll be banging down the doctors door!
OMG - I finished my treatment , saw the onc on Wednesday and he said he didn’t want to see me for 9 months - I felt elated! Then I’ve just got a phone call from him saying he has checked some of my markers and now whats me to have a bone scan. Now I feel really worried!!
I was told it is not routine to repeat scans after treatment and that CT only picks up masses >1cm in size anyway.
Hi i had all scans and was told im having them because of my age (47) had 3 out of 9 lymph nodes and was told they dont normaly send you for scans unless there are 4 or more involved have been told this 3 times as was so scared about scans (still am) xx
Hi,
I finished chemo in June and then had Mx and Radio. I’m still having herceptin, tam and zoladex. My hospital don’t routinely scan at the end of active treatment. I have had some pain in my back and hips and have been offered bone scan but I refused as too scared and think I might me obsessing about it.
I am cup cancer so they have never found my primary, i was told i would be scanned every 6 months but they have decided that as im in remission i wont be scanned until i present with symptoms. Great me thinks i never had symptoms this time and the lump was in my nodes so no nodes ah well onwards and upwards. For sure the nhs couldnt afford to scan everyone so heres hoping none of us have any symptoms.
Thanks everyone for your comments, i was originally told that i would have scans after because of my age (46) and node involvement (7/13) Thats why i was worried when i was told i wouldn’t be having them but now that i know its not routine anyway i feel much happier, thanks again, Sophia.
strangely enough reading that it was the same for every one made me feel better about it to Sophia.
Every step of the way is new and often very scary so its really good to hear of other peoples experiences coz i was feeling very alone and scared!
Claire, it seems that some people have scans and some dont, It must be down to each Doctor, good luck. Sophia.
Hi
I too had heavy node envolment (7/14) and was expecting scans at the end of my treatments. I was told that since I had nothing before I started treatments ( I had CT scan and bone scan)then it would be pointless to have any more as these might trigger malignancies (her exact words). She did say however that if I get any symptoms that do not go away to give them a call directly.
I just take my Tamoxifen every day and hope to keep the beast at bay…
Deb