after five years

lindatn

I have been reading on another chat page that the chance of reaccurance increases after five years. Where are those figures coming from and does it iclude us gals who are ER Postive? Here I thought after five years we could go and celebrate a bit instead of even worrying more. God Bless. Linda

inkblot

Just read your post and that info is WRONG.

Had my onc check up two weeks ago and she mentioned that very subject. She said that, HANDS DOWN, one's risk of recurrence/mets diminishes after 5 years and continues to diminish in future years. Recurrences have happened after 20 years though, so that figure never goes down to zero, obviously. New cancers can and do crop up but that's NOT the same thing as recurrence/mets of original cancer.

Will be sending you info about these "figures" later. I remember saving something on this some time ago. (Will have to look it up in my folder as I'm on my way out shortly) Take heart Linda. It's hogwash, regardless of hormone status. Granted, hormone pos. typically grows much slower but some gals are hormone pos. in addition to Her2/neu pos. A big plate of spaghetti...that hormone status stuff! LOL

Love, light and laughter,
Ink

24242

The key is to be vidulent and have faith in your ability to read your body. Actually we are at higher risk for other cancers as well as the cancer we just recovered from. They watch you closely for first five years then you seem to be on your own. Far to often I have seen women find false hope in the word CURE. It is through realizing our risks and realities that we will be able to help ourselves through time. All the stats are made to be broken for no one person is alike. My advise after 8 years of survival is to do what we can to help ourselves feel better and get better so we can get back to this thing called living.
Be good to yourself always
Tara

mc2001

Linda,
Go and celebrate! You made it five years.... Good for you! Thank God. Making it five years IS a good thing. Try not to worry about what ifs. God bless.
-Michael (leukemia survivor)

lindatn

mc2001 said:

Linda,
Go and celebrate! You made it five years.... Good for you! Thank God. Making it five years IS a good thing. Try not to worry about what ifs. God bless.
-Michael (leukemia survivor)

I am three years nearly from Dx just looking down the road. I am begining to think the drug companies come out with rumors to sell drugs. With Femara being $600. a month I can see where the drug companies would consider that all of us coming off of Tamoxifen should go on Femara. Much like all men with prostate cancer should take Lupron at $1200. a month, it has only been approved for stage D cancer. Ink I am looking forward to your figures on reaccurance after five years. How long has Femara been used? Linda

inkblot

lindatn said:

I am three years nearly from Dx just looking down the road. I am begining to think the drug companies come out with rumors to sell drugs. With Femara being $600. a month I can see where the drug companies would consider that all of us coming off of Tamoxifen should go on Femara. Much like all men with prostate cancer should take Lupron at $1200. a month, it has only been approved for stage D cancer. Ink I am looking forward to your figures on reaccurance after five years. How long has Femara been used? Linda

Have emailed you Linda.

Ink

tlmac

Hi Linda, I've been reading this thread with interest. I'm 2 years past treatment for stage II, grade 3 agressive, ER+, lymph node clear IDC. I've been on Arimidex for 2 years and live with considerable joint pain and some neuropathy in my hands. I continue to take the drug because I have such confidence in it's track record of preventing recurrances. I also read everything I can get my hands on related to research and prognosis updates. There was an article in the Journal of Clinical Oncology 2004 from the ASCO Annual Meeting. The discussion related to extending adjuvant systemic therapy beyond the first 5 years. Research comes from doctors at MD Anderson in Houston. Hate to be the bearer of bad news but it indicates that extended therapy is warranted by an increased risk beyond the "cure" period of 5 years. I'm enclosing the chart of their findings for all of you to read. It has statistics on a number of groups including age, stage, estrogen status and node status. If anyone has information that refutes these findings, I'd be really interested in reading the research. Best of luck to all of you.
terri

Group....#ofPatients....5yrDFS%.....10yrDFS%
Stage I......101..........94...........NR
Stage II....1104..........87...........79
Age
<50 yrs......637..........88...........83
>50 yrs......467..........85...........74
Nodal Status
0............149..........95...........86
1-3..........573..........89...........82
4-14.........303..........82...........74
>10...........79..........78...........68
Stage III....202..........83...........71
Conclusions: Patients with all Stages of primary BC have substantial residual risk of relapse following completion of AST and would benefit from additional risk reduction. Additional analysis of larger databases of patients with stage Ia and Ib BC would help in calculating benefit from extended AST.

lindatn

tlmac said:

Hi Linda, I've been reading this thread with interest. I'm 2 years past treatment for stage II, grade 3 agressive, ER+, lymph node clear IDC. I've been on Arimidex for 2 years and live with considerable joint pain and some neuropathy in my hands. I continue to take the drug because I have such confidence in it's track record of preventing recurrances. I also read everything I can get my hands on related to research and prognosis updates. There was an article in the Journal of Clinical Oncology 2004 from the ASCO Annual Meeting. The discussion related to extending adjuvant systemic therapy beyond the first 5 years. Research comes from doctors at MD Anderson in Houston. Hate to be the bearer of bad news but it indicates that extended therapy is warranted by an increased risk beyond the "cure" period of 5 years. I'm enclosing the chart of their findings for all of you to read. It has statistics on a number of groups including age, stage, estrogen status and node status. If anyone has information that refutes these findings, I'd be really interested in reading the research. Best of luck to all of you.
terri

Group....#ofPatients....5yrDFS%.....10yrDFS%
Stage I......101..........94...........NR
Stage II....1104..........87...........79
Age
<50 yrs......637..........88...........83
>50 yrs......467..........85...........74
Nodal Status
0............149..........95...........86
1-3..........573..........89...........82
4-14.........303..........82...........74
>10...........79..........78...........68
Stage III....202..........83...........71
Conclusions: Patients with all Stages of primary BC have substantial residual risk of relapse following completion of AST and would benefit from additional risk reduction. Additional analysis of larger databases of patients with stage Ia and Ib BC would help in calculating benefit from extended AST.

Ink and tlmac, I read what you forwarded Ink and what you posted tlmac and have reached the conclusion that what the math teachers have always said we can make figures say whatever we want. Not sure arimidex or tamoxifen are safe drugs either. I continue to take tamoxifen but wonder what else it is doing to the old body. I had two nodes, fairly small tumor, ER+ considered aggressive form, three years nearly since dx. My husband had prostate cancer, very high psa nine months after I was dx, he had radiation and has refused any follow up tests, says we will live as long as God wants us too and not to worry we will know if we have a reoccurance. Figures are interesting but guess we would be better off to just enjoy today as that is all we have anyhow. Linda