A 45-year-old premenopausal woman undergoes a left breast lumpectomy for a 1.5 cm, lymph node positive, hormone sensitive invasive breast cancer. She receives chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and is on tamoxifen. Recommended follow-up after therapy should always include:
High-Yield Explanation
Follow-up after breast cancer treatment is very variable. There is no consensus and no follow-up test has shown a survival advantage. Routine 3-6-month clinical examinations and yearly mammography should always be performed. The use of tumor markers such as a CA15-3has not shown any proven significant value and may lead to unnecessary worry.