My team ordered me PET scan as part of plan along with lumpectomy and sentenial node biopsies anyhow as part of the staging - at that time nodes were negative . I was told all clear and just completed radiation and herceptin /TDMI and hormone blockers .
Unfortunately some 16 months later I developed back pain and a L3 secondary found ( radiologist decided on review of previous scans it was probably there originally ). Lymph nodes still show negative on three monthly scans - L3 has been radiated and im basically naed - no evidence of active disease , on routine herceptin and perjeta three weekly and hormone blockers
I think having scans right from first diagnosis is an excellent idea for oncology team so that they know your status ( and any secondaries ) and direct your treatment accordingly. for the patient you’ll know hopefully exactly what you’re dealing with too. For example if secondaries found surgery isn’t always a option , chemo and radiation path may be different
For me I’d rather know from beginning exactly what I was dealing with .
From people I’ve talked to it seems to be very normal to have a scan before breast cancer treated to try and rule out secondaries
