Hi,
Does anyone know anything about how effective mammograms are for yearly check-ups? I have been considering paying for an MRI once every couple of years as an added precaution but really would like to know if anyone else knows anything about doing this, if it’s worth it, etc etc.
Any advice would be really appreciated.
Thanks!
flaxhigh
I am sure they only do MRI scans when there is something that needs clarification. I had one after a mammogram, ultrasound scan and core biopsy, to discover the extent of the invasive lobular bc - I also have ductal, which showed as a lump.
I am concerned that follow-up mammograms won’t show up any lobular recurrence. I have no idea how much an MRI scan would cost, do you? I can’t help thinking it would be a good idea, though, as I understood mammograms are not good at showing up lobular bc.
The only trouble with MRI scans is that they can show up things that are not bc, causing a great deal of worry until more biopsies are done, as happened to me. They thought I may have more than one area of bc, but it turned out not to be the case - but I had a very worrying time, wondering if I was going to have to have a mastectomy, whereas in the end I had a WLE and SNB (results next Thursday.)
Ann x
I do not understand the system for check ups at all. I was dx with Grade 2 Her2 lobular cancer in Feb 08 and have had no check ups since. My last herceptin is 12/10/09. I have just received a letter for a mammogram for the 12/10/09! I saw I think a registrar oncologist in clinic a few weeks ago who asked me to make an appointment for a check up in April 2010. I have previously been told by the senior oncologist than mammograms are not much good for lobular. Indeed I reckon they missed my cancer some 13 months before it was dx. I had had a mammogram, heard nothing and assumed everything was ok in 2007. I intend to contact bcn. The whole thing seems a shambles to me. I also intend to ask for an MRI.
Incidentally I had already received the a letter for the routine screening programme earlier in the summer of this year! To say I was fuming is putting it mildly. I screwed it up and threw it away. One department never talks to another. It is all so upsetting, on top of all the treatment as well.
Post treatment checks do seem to be a bit hit and miss. I was diag last oct 08 had WLE high lymph node invl/chemo/rads when i saw my Onc in Aug, he said he didn’t think MRI were a good idea because of showing up ‘too much’ i had been on track to have my post treatment checks at the end of Oct, these i thought would be a mamaogram and ultrasound. Then 3 weeks ago i get a swelling in my neck on the BC side and i went for an MRI last week, thankfully nothing found in the neck but have now been told i won’t have any checks until Feb 10 , i am totally confused.
by the way the MRI i had last week cost £600 ( i am on private medical ins so see the invoices)
rhian x
In a similar position to Starfish in that I had grade 2 lobular dx Nov 07. It didn’t show on the mammogram neither did a cyst a few years previously.
I did have a follow up mammogram in Nov 08 but after a chat with a reg. at hospital it has been decided that I have ultrasounds in future. So had one last Feb 09 and next one this Nov. I must say that I have more confidence in the ultrasound as it was during that scan that the bc was picked up.
Also like starfish I received a letter for routine screening. There is definitely no contact between depts but I rung anyway just to let them know why I wouldn’t be turning up.Perhaps they will start to liase with one another.
M x
I had an MRI scan before my operation, and another one a year after diagnosis and suspect that I may have another one late this year as well. Since I have a good prognosis and there was no spread to the lymph nodes, I suspect it’s because MRI-assisted diagnosis is one of my surgeon’s areas of interest.
Thanks for your comments - I think I am going to discuss it with my consultant and see what he says.
Best wishes to you all.
L x