Hello, I see that there hasn't been much activity on here lately, but hello to you all. I'm a survivor of Askins from my teenage years and now teach biology and raise a couple of young sons. I had a question for those of you who are long-term survivors. What type of follow-up regimens do you follow -- i.e., what type of scans/labs, and at what intervals? I've moved around quite a bit and am now more or less settled in one place. I will be contacting my long-ago hemonc people for advice on this, but would appreciate any information you could give. Happy summer to you all! - Clare

Well it really depends on what treatment you had and what long-term side effects you deal with. I have heart checks from some of the chemo, chest check ups from the radiation, thyroid blood tests every 3 months, etc.

Yes, it would depend on that. Mine was at 16, in the pleural membrane/lung, so have had some heart and pulmonary function followup due to chemo and radiation damage. Have you had bone checks? I remember being told that future bone cancer could be a risk of the chemo, but haven't yet had any scans. I was fortunate and had no recurrences. Emergency surgery, followed by two years of chemo, radiation and more surgery. Any 'major' side-effects are still to come, but as I've crossed to the far side of 40, I'm on the lookout more than I've been before. Take good care of you!

I have some bone checks but not recently. I have to be careful about additional radiation exposure. These may be useful for you too: http://www.livestrong.org/Get-Help/Learn-About-Cancer/Cancer-Support-Topics/Practical-Effects-of-Cancer/Cancer-Survivorship-After-Treatment http://www.survivorshipguidelines.org/ I'm glad to 'meet' you and wish you continued health! Rachel

Hi! I see an oncologist once a year to determine any necessary tests. I only had chemo for 6 months and no radiation so he has not required too much out of the ordinary. I am really strict about following all of the standard guidelines though (physicals, skin checks, etc.). My regular doctors all (obviously) know my history and react to any concerns immediately. I made it a point to find doctors like that, even my dentist! Hope things continue to go well for you!