Please can anybody tell me when I will get another mammogram. Is it 1 year after diagnosis, or 1 year after surgery.Just coming to end of rads, and wondering about future etc. Holly
I started my mamos one year after surgery but i am in France so could be different in UK.
My first was just over one year after diagnosis and just under one year post surgery.
I was diagnosed last December and had surgery in January and have been told my first mammogram will be in January - one year after surgery.
I was diagnosed for recurrence (after 17 years) in April and have a mammogram and ultrasound next Monday. Its going to be a long week…
Olivia 7
Hope everything goes ok . Thinking of you
Holly
Mine is yearly in May, when I was diagnosed.
I see the bc surgeon, but not the Onc, yearly, around the time I was dx. However, we only get 2 yrly mammos after bc, unless there are problems. I got Mondor’s disease (non malignant superficial thrombophlebitis) in the same breast where I had cancer, and I had an immediate mammo, ultrasound and biopsy. I am not happy with 2 yrly mammos, as my tumour was not palpable so unsure how I would know if I had a recurrence. Surgeon says it is because too much radiation can cause breast cancer. Yikes - how come I had 5 and a half weeks of daily radiotherapy to kill any stray cancer cells? Doesn’t make sense to me. Hubby says the surgeon really means that the hospital managers set the rules, and it is all about resources. I rang the Nuffield private hospital to see what a mammo would cost and they said because I had already had bc I would need a mammo and ultrasound - cost? £450! My friends in Northampton pay for annual private mammograms, and they only cost £85.
Liz.
There were only 6 days between my diagnosis and mastectomy, in July last year!
Had another mammogram (on remaining breast) in May this year as I could felt lumpy patches…it turned out to be benign microcalcification.
My consultant said I’d be due for the scan anyway, so he hurried it through for me!
Hi everyone,
Can anyone tell me how we are checked for recourring BC when we have had a mastectomy and removal of all lymph nodes (June 2007) when I asked the breast nurse she said, most unsatisfactory to me, that she would feel around my wound! i was horrified as feeling in the first place never found a lump, i had two cancers neither of them a lump, could not even find a lump on ultrasound, both invasive in the same breast. Also she said i would feel unwell! Considering i feel unwell at least 2 times a week this is not reassuring to me. I paid £85 at the private hospital in Stafford for my yearly mammos and if i was told 2 yearly would pay privately again, when i did not have the cash i used my credit card but it paid off as this year the 2 cancers were found. I was due in 2 years time for my NHS mammo, dread to think how i would have been by then.
Love to you all
Suzy
I have mammogram annually round about time of diagnosis.
Olivia…hope all goes well x
karen x
When I requested a mammogram I was denied one and 4 months later was diagnosed two aggressive tumours (neither showed on mammo) and lymph nodes affected, so much for NICE guidelines …
I have no confidence in mammograms, they only detect 80% (max) abnormalities and when my year was up insisted I would not attend a mammo so had MRI scan and got peace of mind.
FYI - for BRCA carriers mammos detect less than 30% abnormalities, I’m told.
Hi Dahlia,
After reading in the Express that MRI picks up 97% of recurring breast cancers i mentioned to my breast nurse that would have peace of mind if i could have one every year instead of a mammo and would be prepared to pay for it whatever the cost as I am so terrified of it coming back. She said i would be sent for one if they thought i needed one! Even offering to pick up the cost myself would not sway her, i have no confidence in my breast unit but am not sure how to go about getting an MRI next year. I think one every two years would be enough alongside the yearly mammo or am i exposing myself to too much radiation, did not have rads or chemmo as it was not offered to me only the mastectomy and full lymph node removal. Very happy about that but i do worry about the stray cell!
I know am full of nuerosis but this thing is so big in all our lives, peace of mind, well you can’t put a price on that!
Thanks for the replies
Suzy
Hi to you all
I am 13 months post surgery and still waiting for my 1st annual mammogram.
I phoned the breast nurse and she assured me my appointment was in the system but still I am waiting. Why should I have to be chasing my own appointment, it is so frustrating and I feel really angry!
Whinge over.
Best of luck to you all
love Deborah xxx
Karen - thanks for your concern - greatly appreciated. All well. Love Olivia
My last appointment with my breast surgeon was Nov 2nd last year, after the removal of my lymph nodes. My next mammogram is 31st December and I will see my surgeon on January 10th next year. I asked my BC nurse about this today, apparently they are running behind due to having to do extra mammograms earlier in the year and this has had a knock on effect on patients like myself who were diagnosed in the autumn of last year. However, she said my surgeon is aware that there are concerns over this (the appointments office has spoken to him about it), but he assures that going into 14 months will make no real difference to most patients. In the meantime, if any patients are concerned about anything before there next appointment they will be seen within the week of alerting the clinic to it. I am still seeing my onc regularly on account of being on Herceptin and she is quite happy to do a breast examination, so I am not too worried as I should be seeing her again within the next 2 or 3 weeks. I look and feel well at the moment so see no cause for concern.
My BC nurse said they will be having a meeting at the beginning of the year to discuss how to get back on track, she says she is pretty certain that after this year myself and the other ladies will all be 12 monthly without fail.