You are right. You go to your oncologist and say that you want a test done to make sure the radiation was effective in treating the nodes. And also that you want a scan for the spot they found on the chest wall. Paying attention is important, but so is a followup scan to see if they got everything.

You need that. They should be taking all these tests or at least some of them after you have completed treatment. How else are they going to know if the treatment worked?

I would insist on a pet scan

My oncologist, who I see every six months, does scans on me especially for my piece of mind. She feels that someone who has had cancer should be able to have this piece of mind with scans.

I asked the same thing how can they tell if the radiation worked etc and i was told there is no way to know except for time which to someone with a cancer diagnosis is scary!

I was diagnoses at stage II B in 2013. ER+PR-HER- I had lumpectomy,chemo and radiation followed by Arimidex. I was told no tests or scans unless I was symptomatic.The reason that I was given is that further testing does not improve your prognosis. BY June of 2017 I was diagnosed with Mets to bones. I presented with hip pain and was giver a nuclear bone scan.