How often should I be meeting my Oncologist?

I saw my oncologist face to face before he recommended chemo.
I saw him again after the 4th chemo which was tiring as I had to drive 50 miles to the hospital and another 50 miles home after a 3 minute meeting when he said everything was going well and to finish the chemo.
Every other meeting has been over the phone and again they are just a couple of minutes where he tells me everything is going fine as I get a PSA test done every 3 months at the same time as my HT injection.

My initial PSA was 383. I'm stage 4 with mets to bones any lymph nodes. My last PSA was 0.43 which is slightly higher than the previous reading of 0.29, probably shouldn't have gone to karate on the Friday and rode a big shouty motorbike around on the Sunday if I was having the PSA on Monday but it was a nice day and you have to do things you enjoy otherwise what's the point ;-)

Good Luck with your treatment

Hi Andy,

My husband has 3 monthly appointment with the oncologist, this is over the phone apart from the first one. We also had a monthly call the the oncologist nurse. From now it is every two months. Yes, 6 months gap is too long to wait. You should chase it and demand to see an oncologist.

Good luck and lots of love Dafna

Thanks Dafna, that's what I'm thinking - even a phone call to say that there are no worries would be nice...

Cheers Slart - it sounds like you're having a decent response and that things are steady. I'm hoping that I'll be the same, but at least a phone call from my oncologist would be good, so I'll chase it.

What kind of shouty motorbike do you ride? Mine is pretty unshouty - Suzuki v-strom

PS - Hitchhiker's Guide is one of my favourite trilogies (in four parts)

I’m keeping positive as I refuse to let this get on top of me mentally.

when I was diagnosed I decided to part ex one of my bikes and get a bike I always wanted as motivation to get through it so I could ride it.

i got a Triumph Rocket III. It’s very big(2300cc) and shouty but a lot of fun

Hi Andy, I saw my oncologist prior to RT April 2024, then not again until April 2025, which is ok as she is one member of my MDT, one of which, who has access to all my MDT notes, i can contact whenever i need to. PS regarding ALP and AP i have regular liver function tests to monitor mine and apart from alkaline phosphatase up a little at time all ok. I prefer to contact my LCN so much easier to contact, gives me much more time and has all the information my oncologist has from MDT meetings. best wishes.

Eddie

I was seen on January 1st face to face,then I was supposed to have an appointment last Wednesday but got a phone call on Tuesday night at 07.30pm saying the appointment was cancelled,first thing Wednesday morning I phoned her secretary and said I was at the end off my tether as I’m waiting to start RT plus my PSA was up to 5.6i managed to get an appointment for this Wednesday afternoon so it pays to be firm but polite 

"Very big" is perhaps an understatement! Bet it truly goes like a rocket though...

Glad you managed - it's rubbish to get palmed off and shunted down the line. 

What I find difficult is getting through to anyone on the phone, lines are always busy! Emailing is more successful and my Macmillan nurses are great at responding.

Sorry my PSa was 6.5