I was hoping to get a couple of opinions related to follow up visits. I have been doing great after my surgery as noted below for 3 1/2 years. I recently moved to the West from KY. My doctor in KY let me come for check ups every month at first, then every two months, then every 3 months. I went today to the new Cancer Center I will be going to. I was super stressed out because I have been seeing the same doctor this whole time. This new doctor said I don't need to come in 3 months and gave me an appointment six months from now. I do not like this at all. Why wait six months? If it is going to return, better to find out sooner than later, right? He said the recurrence rate drops significantly after 2 years, so just come in 6 months. If I see something or feel something, then come sooner! By the time I FEEL something, it could be too late. Unless the recurrence rate drops to 0% I prefer to go more often. I totally don't get this. If it's so unlikely to return, why do they have you come back at all??? I don't see the harm in going every 3 months just to play it safe.

I thought maybe to just go to another doctor for a check up after three months. Then go back to this guy.

So, am I crazy or something? I don't think I can wait 6 months. Please can I get a couple of opinions? Am I being unreasonable? I don't think so!

Denise

I’m not sure how your insurance works, but going to your primary care physician before the six months are up may be a way of reassuring you that nothing untoward is happening. My husband used to go to his PCP every month or so even while he was in treatment. His PCP helped him with all kind of stuff (like sleep apnea, granulation at the feeding tube insertion site, skin changes after chem, etc.) that the oncologists simply did not tackle. The PCP is also the one who can advise you to go back to your oncologist if it’s necessary.

Wow, thanks Gloria! I never thought to just check with a PCP. I have to find one being new to this area. That is great advice and I will follow it. I am new to New Mexico and getting used to the new insurance and having to find doctors. I will follow your advice. The oncologist is really great but I am WAY TOO paranoid to wait six months.
Thank you so much for your response.
Denise

Glad to have been able to support you.

I too had my ENT tell me to come back in 6 months. I told him I wasn’t comfortable with that and wanted to come every month - we agreed on every other month.

I would call your doctor’s office back and tell them you want to be seen sooner than 6 months. Ask them to check with your insurance (or you can call your insurance as well and ask them how soon you can be seen and still have it covered by insurance) to see when is the soonest you can be seen.

Being stressed about it is not good for you either.

Hope this helps!

Susan

My visit intervals became longer the further out from treatment I got. We started out monthly, then 3 months, then 6 months, then annually for the last couple years.

I did make an anxiety appointment or two or three when things didn't seem right. Each turned out to be nothing.

The positive way to look at it is that your chances of a recurrence decrease in an exponential kind of way over time. After the two year point the curve steepens significantly and your less and less likely to see a recurrence.

The difficulty of managing emotionally after treatment is really not adequately addressed through the process. It's not like breaking your leg.