Do you know anyone who NEVER had a recurrence?
Comments
-
I know a lot of miracle cancer patients with no recurrence - all stages! But my favorite story is my grade school friend's mom.
In 1956 she was diagnosed in her 30s with breast cancer while she was pregnant with my friend. The minute the baby was born, the baby was given off to family members so she could be whisked into surgery to have a very radical mastectomy. Her tumor was huge. She had so many positive lymph nodes the doctor told them to get the family affairs in order. Her parents, my friend's grandparents, bought the house next to them so they could take care of the children. She had cobalt treatments as it was all that was available.
She suffered with lymphedema her whole life but died in 2015 from old age in her late 90s. My friend said she had to wear a prosthesis that was made of rubber for years and weighed a ton. Then when lighter weight prosthesis came to be in the 1980s, she was so thrilled. She loved going to the breast cancer store to see what new inventions came to be through the years.
0 -
Don't let anybody tell you that nobody survives long-term to die of somethign unrelated. SO MANY DO!
My great aunt was diagnosed in the late 70s and died around 30 years later of old age. Plus remember that there weren't even modern treatments available (such as tamoxifen) until the 90s. 0 -
My mom is 10 years out. Stage 1/TN. Not sure of the grade. No lymph node involvement.
She gets a LOT of exercise -- but except for this -- has changed nothing else. Drinks wine, etc.
0 -
This question really confuses me. I know that there is always a chance of reoccurance but when it's asked this way it makes me think Dr's have told this poster a much worse scenario. Or maybe they are looking for reassurance and posting a dramatic question
0 -
Yes, she's just looking for reassurance as some silly FB group is giving out bad info. (I'm not on FB...so not a fan.)
0 -
maternal grandmother diagnosed she 35. Died peacefully at age 85. No recurrences
0 -
Sure:
My aunt, who was DXed at least 20 years ago. She is past 80 at this point.
My g-grandmother, who had a single mastectomy sometime back in the dark ages
, probably in the late 30s or early 40s. She died sometime in the 1960s, of ripe, old age.A friend who was DXed stage 3 about 15 years ago. She is 88 now, and has no sign of the cancer returning.
My other aunt, DXed 6 years ago. She just turned 80 and has a new primary, but lung cancer this time. The breast cancer has neither metastasized nor come back.
I am sure there are others among friends and family, but can't recall right now.
0 -
Don't know what group that is, but those people are gravely mistaken. It is true that breast cancer, in particular, has a nasty habit of recurring, even many years after initial DX. However, and it is a huge however, that doesn't mean it ALWAYS does. In fact it looks like mortality rates are finally going down, and even previous estimates put the risk (overall) at around 30%. That would mean that 70% of cases do NOT recur, and it now looks like that percentage is rising.
For several other cancers, the statement is even more ridiculous. For example ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer has a poor prognosis overall. The mortality rate is high. BUT, if you do survive the initial bout, the chance that it will ever bother you again is really low (my mom is a 10-yr survivor so far and I know others as well). Colon cancer is another cancer where successful treatment typically leads to permanent remission. Leukemia ditto.
This kind of disinfo drives me nuts. It is what sometimes leads people to refuse life-saving treatment ("why bother, I am just gonna die anyway").
0 -
I agree with Momine. That type of misinformation drives me crazy. I hope that the original poster of the question either corrected the person in the group, or at least informed others in the group of the misinformation.
0 -
For what it is worth, I am almost 10 years out-- and don't have any reason to expect a recurrence.... not planning on it!!!
0 -
Yes, my Mother from 1999 and she's still alive. She had Stage 1 with no Node involvement, but had both IDC and ILC.
0 -
My SIL is 20years out. I did not have positive lymph nodes and didn’t make it 2 years. I personally know 40 women from BCO that have not had reoccurrence.....we meet every year. Many are 5-10 years out.
There is hope.
0 -
I am 73 and had ovarian cancer at 51 was cancer free until being diagnosed with DCIS in March 2018.Had a bilateral mastectomy with removal of one healthy breast due to odds of bc occurring without 5 years.. I am BRCA1 positive and knew that when the genetic testing was done that my chances of getting breast cancer were greatly increased as were those of my children with the gene mutation. In fact For women who have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 abnormality, the risk of developing breast cancer in your lifetime is between about 40% and 85% — about 3 to 7 times greater than that of a woman who does not have the mutation. Your lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is significantly elevated as well: 16% to 44%, versus just under 2% for the general population. My daughter who also is BRCA1 positive had breast cancer at 41, had a bilateral mastectomy and oopherectomy - she also now has great boobs.
That said my maternal grandmother lived 51 years after having breast cancer (long before chemo and radiation) and died of congestive heart failure at 102. My mother lived 40 years after uterine cancer without reoccur.
Be kind to yourself somethings we can't control but can learn from our plight altho there are times the "why me s" hit me hard. Love and hugs
0 -
yes, I do my husband's great aunt who survived 40 years and died at age 100, not of breast cancer.
0 -
Hi everyone...my dear friend was diagnosed with a 5cm ILC tumor. She had 5 positive nodes. She refused chemo because her daughter was having a baby and she didn't want to be sick. She had a BMX and took an aromatase inhibitor for 5 years. She has been NED for 15 years!
0 -
Meow - that is GREAT news!!!
I have a different story (but, similar). My DD's BF's Dad's aunt (if you can follow all of that!) was dx with Stage IV - 21 years ago. She is still alive and kicking!!!
1 -
Statistically the majority of people don't recur. Most of the people I've known haven't.
0 -
Thank you for all these encouraging stories!
0 -
Even if you have a 2nd or even 3rd recurrence it does not mean you are doomed. The best thing we all can do is get screened regularly keep on it. I can't believe I just said this because I dread my yearly mammo and mri. But so happy after they are done.
0 -
I am 46 year old married with two kids. In 2016 I had ovarian cancer stage 3 and that is when I found out that I am BRCA1 positive when doctor sent me for genetic testing. Since 1.5 years I am going for mammogram and breast MRI. I started thinking about trying alternate medicine like IV vitamin C, supplements and vegetable juicing to prevent recurrence and other cancers, but last month MRI showed a small lesion in my left breast. MRI guided biopsy confirmed it is IDC which is heart breaking because I did'nt expect this so soon. Now my options are lumpectomy + radiation or mastectomy. I almost decided for bilateral mastectomy but I am nervous and worried about loosing breasts and thinking about my life later. Any thoughts and suggestions will help me.
0 -
I'm so happy I found this thread. I was diagnosed in Feb, have had two surgeries and am getting ready to start radiation. Sometimes i get scared and can't help but worry about recurrence. The responses posted on this thread have literally made me SMILE several times over. Thank you to all who took the time to post these positive stories.
0 -
I too am BRCA1 positive and am a little shocked that you weren't counseled on your odds of getting breast cancer and what treatment options you had. I was. I was also told how much higher my odds were of BC occurring in the currently cancer free breast if I went with only a single mastectomy. It is a personal decision, I am older and wanted my odds as close to zero as possible so went for the bilateral. No more mammos or MRIs. Just an older (73) ladies way of looking at it. My daughter was 41 when diagnosed with BC, had the works, no boobs and no ovaries - but has nice firm breasts now that won't try to make her sick.
0 -
hi there
My parents have a friend who was diagnosed with cancer about 35 years ago. When they went to operate the cancer had apparently spread and was inoperable. She was told she had less than 6 months left.
I don’t know details but her cancer went into remission and she’s still alive.
I agree cancer often comes back but I don’t believe it ALWAYS comes back. I too am worried about a recurrence despite early diagnosis full treatment. But I try to look at it this way. I don’t live my life in fear it will return. But I’ve met many people whose cancer came back years later. So I’m not in denial or believe that when I hit the 5 year mark I’m home free. if mine comes back at some point I’m not going to be in shock. We can’t worry about what might happy but I think it’s important to be informed that it will always be a possibility.
Hope this helps.
0 -
hi there
How are you doing? Your story seems similar to mine. Diagnosed February 2016 and had two surgeries, chemotherapy, Herceptin and radiation. So far so good.
0 -
My grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer back in the mid 1940's when she was 37. She had a radical mastectomy and radiation, no other drugs or chemo or AI's or whatnot. She did suffer from the aftereffects of the harsh radiation back then, but she lived to be over 80 and died comfortably.
May we all be well!
0 -
My mom had stage 2 bc treated with a lumpectomy chemo rads and Tamoxifen for five years. That was over twenty years ago, just before her first of six grandchildren was born. She's losing her hearing, her mind is getting dotty, but no bc recurrence.
0 -
my grandmother was 35 when she was diagnosed. She opted for a mastectomy in the affected side only and then proceeded with cobalt treatment. She passed away at age 85. No recurrence.
0 -
I’m fifteen years out and feeling pretty chipper
0 -
My sister and I we're diagnosed a year apart. I was 54 and she was 61. Mine came back 8 years later, hers has not. Hers was larger and in her lymph nodes, mine was not.
0 -
I personally know over 40 women that have not had recurrence or mets.... met from a group here on BCO and we stay in touch on FB and meet twice a year.....from all over the US. So yes there are lots of women who have not recurred or have mets
0
