Q: I’ve just been through chemotherapy for breast cancer and I’m terrified that my cancer will return. How often should I be checked?
A: “You need to be checked by your oncologist yearly,” says Christy A. Russell, M.D., co-director of the Lee Breast Center at USC/Norris Cancer Hospital. “The purpose of the check is not to look for return of your cancer, but to make sure that you have no evidence of a new cancer in the remaining breast or opposite breast.” In addition, says Russell, your annual visit is the time for your doctor to make sure that you are on schedule for follow-up mammograms and other cancer-related screenings such as a Pap smear or colonoscopy, when indicated. “More frequent visits may allay your fears,” says Russell, “but they will not increase your chances of being cured. Unfortunately, metastatic breast cancer is not curable, even when found early.”
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