ANGIOSARCOMA RECURRENCE AFTER 20 MONTHS...
2017- Original diagnosis lump right breast, lumpectomy, radiation.
2021 - husband diagnosed with Alzheimer's due to Agent Orange.
Dec 2023 - Angiosarcoma diagnosis due to radiation.
2024 - Chemo, no radiation, double radical mastectomy with flap on right side. First recommendation mastectomy on right breast only. Got 2nd opinion and Moffitt Cancer Center recommended the double.
Aug 2024 - my husband passed away in a memory care facility. He never knew I had cancer. 😪
Dec 2025 - noticed a thickening of skin next to my left breast. Had a follow up appt with Moffit surgeon 2 weeks later. 2 punch biopsies confirmed angiosarcoma recurrence. Referred to Sarcoma Clinic Dr Brohl. He recommended 3 months chemo, radiation starting in 2 months will be 5 days per week for 5-1/2 weeks (scares the crap out of me) and more surgery about May.
Jan 2026 - started chemo 3 weeks ago. Paclitaxel
Angiosarcoma is very rare. Ironically, it can be caused by radiation. spread through the skin, blood stream & lymph system and doesn't show up on scans. They do scans every 6 months to see if it has metastasized.
I'm 77 years old. I'll be 78 in June 2026. Not sure I can do this anymore. I moved in with my daughter & son-ini-law after I had to place my husband in memory care to get treatment in 2024. I'm sad and scared but not surprised. Moffitt Cancer Center was very clear that this cancer has a 50% recurrence within 5 yrs and for breast angiosarcoma it's more like 70% recurrence.
Death rates for radiation-associated breast angiosarcoma (RAS) are high due to its aggressive nature, with reported 5-year overall survival rates varying significantly but generally poor, from around 20% to 40%. 😭
I welcome all thoughts and prayers as I fight this! I'll take 20 months at a time if Moffitt can give them to me. 🙏💗
Comments
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Dear @sdianel
Thank you for trusting this community with so much of your story. We are incredibly sorry for all you’ve been through—the loss of your husband, the shock of a rare and aggressive diagnosis, and now facing treatment again. That is a tremendous amount for one person to carry, and it makes complete sense that you’re feeling sad, scared, and exhausted.You’ve clearly been thoughtful and proactive every step of the way, seeking second opinions and placing yourself in expert hands at Moffitt.
Please know that it is also okay to question how much more you can do. Many members here wrestle with that same question, especially after years of caregiving, loss, and repeated treatments. There is no “right” way to feel, and no requirement to be brave every moment. Taking things one step, one month, even one day at a time—as you said, 20 months at a time—is sometimes the only way forward.
We hope other members with experience in angiosarcoma or paclitaxel will weigh in, but even those who can’t share medical insight are here to walk beside you, listen, and support you. You are not alone.
We’re holding you close in our thoughts, sending strength and comfort your way, and wishing you moments of peace in the middle of all this uncertainty. Please keep posting —about treatment, fear, grief, or anything at all. 💗
With care,
The Moderators1
