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Positive nodes with long term survival

many
many Member Posts: 57
edited February 2023 in Stage III Breast Cancer

I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM WOMEN WITH LOTS OF POSITIVE NODES AND HORMONE POSITIVE WHO ARE SURVIVORS OF 10 /15 /20 YEARS, PLZ POST

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Comments

  • solange49
    solange49 Member Posts: 19
    edited August 2011

    Hi Many, your diagnosis and mine are very similar. I am still undergoing chemo and will have my BMX and rads afterward. I had a PET scan at the beginning but not certain how many positive nodes I have. My Onc said she would not be sure of the amount until my surgeon went in. Have you visited the "3+ years out" forum. I enjoy going to that one. It gives me hope for long term survival. Speaking of hope...I just finished a wonderful book that I would recommend to any woman with breast cancer. It's called "There's No Place Like Hope" written by Vickie Girard. She was diagnosed in 1992 with advanced stage IV breast cancer. Although she's no longer with us... She lived for 15 years! Her story and spirit inspired me. :) I have read several books since being diagnosed. Vickie's jouney and message was so uplifting. It brought me to tears. We need all the hope and encouragement we can get right now. There are also several good survivor stories on the Susan Komen site.



    Diana

  • shanagirl
    shanagirl Member Posts: 460
    edited August 2011

    Hi Many,  I know from your previous posts that this is a lot for you to go thru with your wife.  I can tell you that with the treatment today, breast cancer is not the death sentence it used to be.  Trust in your wife's treatment plan.  Once she begins treatment you will feel a little more confident that you are more in control of this.  Just remember the SE's are tough to deal with but doable with support.  Stay connected here for the support you will need. The stage III women are all wonderful and encouraging and will help you thru this.

    image

    Barb

  • bak94
    bak94 Member Posts: 652
    edited August 2011

    My sister's sister in law had alot of positive nodes and her tumor was attached to her chest wall and she is abut 9 years out. Hers was er pr positive and im not sure about the her2. I can't rmember how many nodes positive but I think it was 14.

  • kathleen1966
    kathleen1966 Member Posts: 68
    edited August 2011

    Dear Many,

    I am only a year out with four nodes but my oncologist has a woman who had 25 positive nodes and was also her2+ and she is going on year 10!  I also have a friend who was stage III with many nodes and she is going on year 12 year of being cancer free! Recently, when I had to get another Herceptin treatment, there was a woman sitting next to be who had metastatic breast cancer that had gone to her bones.  She was hormone postiive.  Even though her cancer was metastatic, she was in her 14th year of treatment. ...I hope this helps...

  • many
    many Member Posts: 57
    edited September 2011

    Plz come up with more inspiring stories

  • vmudrow
    vmudrow Member Posts: 415
    edited September 2011

    My mom is a 21 year cancer survivor. She had cancer is 22 out of 24 nodes. Not sure if she was harm one positive or not but she has been on tamoxifen for 21 years. Doctor says she has done so well on it he wants her to stay on it. She will turn 83 on Saturday!

  • Pure
    Pure Member Posts: 18
    edited September 2011

    My oncologist has a stage 3 sister with over 21 nodes. My friend had 10 nodes and is 19 years out.

  • weesa
    weesa Member Posts: 78
    edited September 2011

    I only had five positive nodes, but they were huge, totally engulfed in tumors and matted together, and I am nine years out despite a Ki-67 of 75%.

  • Mamita49
    Mamita49 Member Posts: 58
    edited September 2011

    From all the stories, YOU, weesa have made my day.......

    Thank you soooo much,

    Carol 

  • orlandpark65
    orlandpark65 Member Posts: 22
    edited September 2011

    Thanks for the positive stories.   I have stopped telling people "how many nodes"  I'm sick of the

    "Oh my God!" comments.  I'm treating my stage and nodes as my weight   I LIE big time.  LOL... 

  • peggy_j
    peggy_j Member Posts: 89
    edited September 2011

    There's a woman in my healing imagery group who had mets to her lymph nodes and is a 15+ yr survivor. (I don't know more details of her case). A friend is an 11 yr survivor. Her tumor was grade 3, and it had spread to 7 nodes (and they were enlarged) and the risk of recurrence with only surgery was pretty darn scary. She did chemo and hormone blockers and now 11 yrs later is doing great. (((hugs)))

  • Pure
    Pure Member Posts: 18
    edited September 2011

    I have 2 facebook friends..One is stage 3 witth 2 tumours and 5 nodes...The nodes were bursting with cancer. She is 9 years out. I have another friend who is 6 years out. She had 10 nodes...SHe use to come here...Years ago...She doesn't visit here anymore...

  • many
    many Member Posts: 57
    edited January 2013

    More stories plz

  • pupfoster1
    pupfoster1 Member Posts: 176
    edited October 2011

    Many,

    Can't say I'm 10+ years out, but 2 at this point! 

    Best to you and your wife.

    Sharon

  • Jellydonut
    Jellydonut Member Posts: 20
    edited October 2011

    Had three positive nodes & a nodule on top of the tumor.....9+ years out.

    A friend had 11 positive nodes & is over 10 years out and doing well.

  • CynthiainChicago
    CynthiainChicago Member Posts: 7
    edited October 2011

    vmudrow, Best thing I have heard all day.  May print this out!!! Thank you for sharing

  • Romansma
    Romansma Member Posts: 650
    edited October 2011

    Thanks for the stories everyone!  I'm a year out from diagnosis and I needed a little inspiration to pop that tamoxifen today, go out and exercise, and eat lot's of fruits and veggies.  I hope to be one of those inspiring stories when I'm a grandma!

  • Fearless_One
    Fearless_One Member Posts: 905
    edited October 2011

    Am only 2 years out, but had perinodal invasion as well (where cancer breaks out of the lymph nodes and invades nearby tissue).  

  • cookiegal
    cookiegal Member Posts: 527
    edited October 2011

    nodes are not as strong a prognostic as they were in the past. Tumor biology is more significant, or so says my onc.

    There is a school of thought that positive nodes shows the cancer was "caught".

    I am not sure if that's something docs say to make us feel better, but there are node negative stage 4 women out there, so maybe there is something to it.

    My friend says she thinks of it like football, the defense did it's job and blocked. 

  • Paljo
    Paljo Member Posts: 2
    edited October 2011

    WOW, WOW, WOW and WOW, again.........You ladies all just made my day!! love you all.

  • Patriotic
    Patriotic Member Posts: 30
    edited October 2011

    Thank you for the inspiring stories. I have a friend who was Stage III at dx at age 31. After chemo and rads concurrently, 5 years of Tamox and another 5 of AI, she is a 15-year survivor!



    I am Stage III with at least 2 positive nodes. I hope to be answering this "call" next year and many more years from now. :)

  • caaclark
    caaclark Member Posts: 19
    edited October 2011

    Ok...I'll join in.  Diagnosed at age 40-no risk factors, in great shape, really did not that small lump was anything but checked it our anyway (you know the drill).  6+ nodes.  One node was 2cm large(extra-capsular extension-cancer coming out of the node!!!!).   I am over 5 1/2 years out.  My kids were 8, 6 and 4 when I was diagnosed.  They are now 14, 12 and 10.  I NEVER thought I would still be here to "enjoy" the teen years. 

  • Ihopeg
    Ihopeg Member Posts: 92
    edited October 2011

    I'm joining in too. Diagnosed 11/06 with multi focal tumors in rt breast. 19/20 nodes positive... Next month will be 5 years out!!!!!!!!!!

  • Juliebell22
    Juliebell22 Member Posts: 37
    edited October 2011

    Love these stories!! Thank you all for sharing!

  • lkc
    lkc Member Posts: 183
    edited October 2011

    12 nodes Positive, out over 6 yrs!!!

  • lvtwoqlt
    lvtwoqlt Member Posts: 765
    edited October 2011

    My mom had 8 positive nodes and she is 10 years out!

  • bevdurrant
    bevdurrant Member Posts: 30
    edited October 2011

    hi ladies, thank you for posting these inspirational stories, i have two tumours one was found after my double mastectomy in the other breast, didnt show on scans or mamos, the tumour in the left side was almost 5 cm, the second 2 cm, micro mestasis to two of three lymphnodes, all scans clear.................i have been feeling very down thinking the worst lately, i have had my chemo and had problems with my TE so they were removed and now i have a wound vac on one side to heal my chest so that i can continue with radiation i am her2 neg.  It is easy to become obsessed with this site, whilst it is a good place to come it can also bring anxiety, but reading your messages has been uplifting, i wish you all a happy future.  thank you again Bev :)

  • orlandpark65
    orlandpark65 Member Posts: 22
    edited October 2011

    Thank you!  Need these stories

  • kiwimum
    kiwimum Member Posts: 460
    edited October 2011

    Wow. Thanks ladies for sharing. I love these stories and the pick me up they give us.

  • shanagirl
    shanagirl Member Posts: 460
    edited October 2011

    Such great stories.  I had once read on another forum about a stage IV girl who is 17 years out and still NED.  I love these stories.

    imageBarb

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