how long after breast cancer treatment is done to you start checkups

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How soon after a diagnosis of breast cancer should surgery be done?

Though we don't have a solid answer on how soon surgery should be done after a diagnosis of breast cancer (it would be unethical to conduct a definitive study), it would seem earlier surgery is ideal (though taking a short time to plan is equally as important).

Do I need lab tests after breast cancer treatment?

Lab tests and imaging tests aren't typically needed after treatment for most early stage breast cancers, but they might be done in some women to look for signs of cancer or treatment side effects. Almost any cancer treatment can have side effects. Some might only last for a few days or weeks, but others might last a long time.

What is time to chemotherapy for breast cancer?

Time to chemotherapy was defined as the number of days between the last surgery for breast cancer and the first dose of chemotherapy, and delayed time to chemotherapy was defined as 91 or more days.

What follow-up should I expect after breast cancer treatment?

You can call your doctor immediately. Your follow-up schedule can depend on many factors, including the type of breast cancer, how advanced it was when it was found, and how it was (or is being) treated. Doctor visits: If you have finished treatment, your follow-up doctor visits will probably be scheduled for every few months at first.

How often should you see your oncologist after treatment?

In general, people return to the doctor for follow-up appointments every 3 to 4 months during the first 2 to 3 years after treatment, and once or twice a year after that. At these visits, you may have a physical exam along with blood tests and other necessary tests and procedures.

How long do you need to see an oncologist after breast cancer?

Once your initial breast cancer treatment ends, you will need to see your oncologist every three or four months during the first two or three years. Then, you can visit your doctor once or twice a year. After that, these visits will depend on the type of cancer you have had.

What tests are done after breast cancer treatment?

Depending on your signs and symptoms, follow-up tests may include:Blood tests (including tumor marker tests)Imaging tests (such as bone scans, CT scans, PET scans and chest X-rays)A tissue biopsy (to check if a suspicious finding is a recurrence of breast cancer)

How long is follow up after breast cancer?

After your treatment, you might have regular check ups for at least 5 years. How long you have these will vary depending on your hospital or clinic. You might have regular follow up appointments at the hospital. Some hospitals have a system of nurse-led follow up where you don't have regular appointments.

How often do you get scans after breast cancer?

After 5 years, they are typically done about once a year. Mammograms: If you had breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy or partial mastectomy), you will probably have a mammogram about 6 to 12 months after surgery and radiation are completed, and then at least every year after that.

How often should I get a mammogram if I had breast cancer?

Women 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year. Women 55 and older can switch to a mammogram every other year, or they can choose to continue yearly mammograms.

What are the signs of breast cancer returning?

What are the symptoms of breast cancer recurrence?Breast lump or bumps on or under the chest.Nipple changes, such as flattening or nipple discharge.Swollen skin or skin that pulls near the lumpectomy site.Thickening on or near the surgical scar.Unusually firm breast tissue.

How often do you have check ups after cancer?

After treatment such as surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy, you are likely to have an appointment with your doctor between 2 and 6 weeks after the treatment has finished. After that you have appointments with your doctor or specialist nurse at regular intervals, usually every 6 to 12 weeks.

What happens after breast cancer treatment finishes?

Long-term effects of surgery. Or, the area around the surgical site may become hardened. If lymph nodes were removed as part of the surgery or affected during treatment, lymphedema in the arm, chest wall, or breast may occur, even many years after treatment. This is a life-long risk for survivors.

Can you be cancer free after breast cancer?

Women who've had breast cancer can still get other cancers. Although most breast cancer survivors don't get cancer again, they are at higher risk for getting some types of cancer. The most common second cancer in breast cancer survivors is another breast cancer. (This is different from the first cancer coming back.)

What happens when cancer treatment is finished?

When treatment ends, you may expect life to return to the way it was before you were diagnosed with cancer. But it can take time to recover. You may have permanent scars on your body, or you may not be able to do some things you once did easily. Or you may even have emotional scars from going through so much.

What type breast cancer has the highest recurrence rate?

Research suggests that estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer is more likely to come back more than five years after diagnosis. In this study, the researchers looked at the risk of late breast cancer recurrence, meaning the breast cancer came back 10 or more years after diagnosis.

How long after breast cancer treatment do you need a mammogram?

If you had a total mastectomy, you only need one of the other breast. You’ll likely need a mammogram within 6 12 months after finishing your breast cancer treatment and at least annually after that. Routine chest X-rays and blood tests in women who have no symptoms of cancer aren’t always reliable.

What to do after breast cancer treatment?

Once your breast cancer treatment has ended, you’ll need to keep in touch with your cancer doctor and surgeon. Schedule regular appointments with them. Between medical visits, watch for any changes in your body.

What conditions can a doctor check for?

Conditions your doctor may want to check for include: Bone density (certain cancer drugs and menopause can weaken your bones) Diabetes. High blood pressure. Heart disease. Weight gain or obesity. Make taking care of your emotional and physical well-being a priority in life.

What are the changes in breasts?

Pay attention to any changes in your breast, including: Skin rashes, redness, or swelling. New lumps in your breast or chest. Also pay attention to: Bone pain, back pain, or tenderness that doesn't go away. Shortness of breath or chest pain. Persistent belly pain.

How often should I see a doctor for a syphilis?

Typically, you should see your doctors every 3 months for the first 2 years after treatment ends, every 6 months during years 3 through 5, and then annually for the rest of your life. Your personal schedule will depend on your diagnosis.

Do you need a blood test if you have cancer?

Routine chest X-rays and blood tests in women who have no symptoms of cancer aren’t always reliable. If you had chemotherapy, you’ll need regular blood tests to make sure that your body has recovered from it.

Do you need a Pap smear if you have a uterus?

If you take it and still have your uterus, you need an annual Pap smear, regardless of age. If you are postmenopausal, if you are taking a medicine called an aromatase inhibitor, or if you've had chemotherapy in the past, get regular screening tests for osteoporosis.

Survival Happens Every Day

These rough estimates for how long breast cancer takes to treat can be helpful to plan your life around treatment. More importantly, they provide a light at the end of the tunnel for you to focus on. However, for your daily sanity, it may be better to break down your treatment into smaller parts. Take it from one day to the next.

Surgery

In some cases, where the tumor is still relatively small, your doctor may choose to administer a cycle of chemotherapy prior to surgery. This attempts to shrink the tumor. There are a number of reasons your doctor may suggest this practice.

Chemotherapy

Although some early cases can be treated with radiation therapy, many breast cancer patients have to go through chemotherapy. Medical News Today’s professionally-reviewed article explains that your doctor’s approach to chemotherapy will vary based on your condition. Typically, they will sketch out a plan based on your prognosis.

Keeping Cancer in its Place

It’s frustrating when you don’t know exactly how long this nightmare will last, but every step you take has the opportunity to give you hope if you’re willing to treat it as progress. Whether your battle with cancer lasts for three months, six months, or a year, the most important thing is to create a support network you can rely on.

How do you know if you have breast cancer?

Breast cancer can come back in the breast or other areas of the body. Generally, a recurrence is found when a person has symptoms or an abnormal finding during a physical examination. Annual mammograms are also recommended after a diagnosis of breast cancer. The symptoms depend on where the cancer has recurred and may include: 1 A lump under the arm or along the chest wall 2 Pain that is constant, worsening, and not relieved by over-the-counter medication such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) 3 Bone, back, neck, or joint pain, fractures, or swelling, which are possible signs of bone metastases 4 Headaches, seizures, dizziness, confusion, personality changes, loss of balance, nausea, vomiting, or changes in vision, which are possible signs of brain metastases 5 Chronic coughing, shortness of breath, or trouble breathing, which are possible symptoms of lung metastases 6 Abdominal pain, itchy skin or rash, or yellow skin and eyes from a condition called jaundice, which may be associated with liver metastases 7 Changes in energy levels, such as feeling ill or extremely tired 8 Having a low appetite and/or weight loss 9 Nausea or vomiting 10 Rash or skin changes on the breast or chest wall 11 Changes in the shape or size of the breast, or swelling in the breast or arm

Why is follow up care important for breast cancer?

One goal of follow-up care is to check for a recurrence, which means that the cancer has come back. Treatment for early stage or locally advanced breast cancer is given to eradicate as many cancer cells in the body as possible. However, cancer recurs because small areas of cancer cells that don't respond to treatment may remain undetected in ...

What is a recurrence of breast cancer?

Generally, a recurrence is found when a person has symptoms or an abnormal finding during a physical examination. Annual mammograms are also recommended after a diagnosis of breast cancer. The symptoms depend on where the cancer has recurred and may include: A lump under the arm or along the chest wall.

What does it feel like to have a breast removed?

Having a low appetite and/or weight loss. Nausea or vomiting. Rash or skin changes on the breast or chest wall. Changes in the shape or size of the breast, or swelling in the breast or arm. It is important that your surgeon explain what your breast will feel like after surgery and, when used, radiation therapy.

What happens after a lumpectomy?

After a mastectomy or lumpectomy to treat early-stage or locally advanced breast cancer, the breast may be scarred and may have a different shape or size than before surgery. Or, the area around the surgical site may become hardened.

Why is follow up care important?

Doctors want to keep track of your recovery in the months and years ahead. Follow-up care is also important for screening for other types of cancer. In some instances, patients may be able to visit a survivorship clinic that specializes in the post-treatment needs of people diagnosed with breast cancer.

How long does it take for a person to feel a swollen chest after radiation?

This is a life-long risk for survivors. Long-term effects of radiation therapy. Some survivors experience breathlessness, a dry cough, and/or chest pain 2 to 3 months after finishing radiation therapy. That is because radiation therapy can cause swelling and a hardening or thickening of the lungs called fibrosis.

How soon after a diagnosis can you have surgery?

For women who are young (defined as 15 to 39), a 2013 study in JAMA Surgery suggested that young women should have surgery no more than six weeks after diagnosis and preferably earlier. This study of close to 9,000 women found 5-year survival rates as follows: 4 

How long can you delay breast cancer?

Delaying for a lengthy period of time can be dangerous, with studies finding that those who delay over six months are twice as likely to die from the disease. This is important to keep in mind for those who have breast lumps they are "observing" without a clear diagnosis. Any breast lump needs to be explained.

Can a mastectomie be done for breast cancer?

Newer procedures such as nipple-sparing/skin-sparing mastectomies are a great option for some women, but not all surgeons do these procedures. For young women with breast cancer, time to see a fertility specialist to talk about fertility preservation.

How long does breast cancer treatment last?

After a marathon of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment that may last six months to a year, you can hardly wait to get back to a normal life again.

What does it mean to return to your normal after breast cancer?

Here's how to return to your "new normal.". Life after breast cancer means returning to some familiar things and also making some new choices. The song says "It ain't over 'til it's over," but when you've had breast cancer, you discover that it's not even over when it's over.

What are the challenges women face after breast cancer treatment?

Two of the biggest hurdles women with breast cancer face post-treatment are fatigue resulting from chemotherapy and/or the accumulated effects of other treatments, and a phenomenon some women have dubbed "chemobrain" -- mental changes such as memory deficits and the inability to focus.

How does breast cancer affect your life?

From your relationships with your family and your spouse to eating habits and exercise, breast cancer will change your life in ways that last well after treatment ends.

Is breast cancer a marathon?

It can feel like an endless process.". Breast cancer survivorship, Weiss observes, is a marathon, not a sprint. That means learning to handle the symptoms that stick around after treatment ends, says Sloan-Kettering's McCabe, by using those adaptive strategies you learned while on chemotherapy or recovering from surgery.

Can breast cancer survivors survive?

Women with breast cancer, like other people with a cancer diagnosis, are now surviving for so much longer, and in such large numbers, that some hospitals are opening entire departments devoted to survivorship The National Cancer Institute has also launched a special research area dedicated to studying what it means to survive cancer. Â.

Is inflammatory breast cancer treated first with chemotherapy?

Patients with inflammatory breast cancer were excluded, which makes sense because inflammatory cancer is generally treated first with chemotherapy. The SEER-Medicare cohort included 94,544 patients 66 years or older diagnosed between 1992 and 2009, while the NCDB cohort included 115,970 patients 18 years or older diagnosed between 2003 and 2005.

Is it possible to have chemotherapy for breast cancer?

Furthermore, it is possible that the time to chemotherapy (TTC) has a different effect according to tumor subtype, tumor stage, and tumor grade .

Can you delay chemo surgery?

Speaking of adjuvant therapy, delays in chemotherapy are not good, either, as we shall see.

Can you use chemo to prevent breast cancer?

Well you would never use chemo to prevent breast cancer, that's just stupid. Weight loss and a diet rich in fruits and vegetables are your best bets. And chances are you'd use surgery to cure a solid tumor like breast cancer, with chemo to kill of any metastases, in the form of adjuvant chemotheapy.

What type of cancer needs to be treated right away?

You have a type of cancer that needs to be treated right away, like some leukemias, lymphomas, and certain other cancers that tend to be aggressive (grow and spread very fast). You have a tumor that's pressing on an organ or other vital part of the body, and treatment is needed to relieve the pressure.

Do you need to make adjustments before starting treatment?

You want more time to get a second opinion. It's important to know each person's case is different.

Can you wait to get lab results back?

You are waiting to get lab results back that will help decide what treatment option is best. You have already had surgery to remove a tumor, and you need time to recover before starting more treatment. You need to make adjustments at home, work, or for child care before starting treatment.

Does cancer need to be started right away?

Does cancer treatment always need to be started right away? Sometimes, it's important to start treatment as quickly as possible, but that's not always the case. Planning cancer treatment can be complex and might take some time, depending on the type and stage of your cancer.

Surveillance and Monitoring For Signs and Symptoms of Recurrence

• One goal of follow-up care is to check for a recurrence, which means that the cancer has come back. Treatment for early-stage or locally advanced breast cancer is given to get rid of as many cancer cells in the body as possible. However, cancer recurs because small areas of cancer cells that don't respond to treatment may remain undetected in the b...

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