Is there anyone out there with a recurrance AFTER 2.5 years cancer free

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone has had a recurrance of stage 3 uterine cancer AFTER 2 and half years post treatment being clean?

I guess I want to hear that we are passed the point that it would most likely come back. The doctor said usually it is in the first 2 years after treatment but I wanted to see what "real people" have found.

Thanks!

Comments

  • HellieC
    HellieC Member Posts: 524 Member
    Hi
    Most docs seem to agree that the first 3 years are the most likely time for recurrence. So you just need to hang on for another 6 months or so before you take that great sigh of relief!

    Of course, there will always be "outliers", like me, who mess up the statistics! I recurred 7 years after my hysterectomy (although no cancer was found during the hyst - just atypical hyperplasia). I then had pelvic radiation and was cancer free again for 2.5 years before it re-recurred. Have now had 6 cycles of carbo/taxol and I'm dancing with NED! But this is very, very, very unusual!

    So six months and counting...............
    Wishing you all the best
    Helen
  • jazzy1
    jazzy1 Member Posts: 1,379
    HellieC said:

    Hi
    Most docs seem to agree that the first 3 years are the most likely time for recurrence. So you just need to hang on for another 6 months or so before you take that great sigh of relief!

    Of course, there will always be "outliers", like me, who mess up the statistics! I recurred 7 years after my hysterectomy (although no cancer was found during the hyst - just atypical hyperplasia). I then had pelvic radiation and was cancer free again for 2.5 years before it re-recurred. Have now had 6 cycles of carbo/taxol and I'm dancing with NED! But this is very, very, very unusual!

    So six months and counting...............
    Wishing you all the best
    Helen

    I'm 3 months short of a 2 year out from treatments. The last appt with my oncol he reminded me the longer we're cancer free the lesser chance of recurrence. But...I've seen people 5 years out and see this devil come back in a different location, such as the lungs.

    Wish we all had a crystal ball to see our futures, as surely today we'd look at our daily lives so differently. Statistics aren't the answer either as I've had friends who were diagnosed with cancer and told they had 1-3 years to live. Heck today they are 6 years since diagnosis and living a "normal" life with NED.

    I really try to keep my mind positive and know this devil can pop its ugly head whenever it wants, no matter what our docs tell us.

    Enjoy your 2 year mark and each and everyday you're living...life is beautiful if we see it that way!!!!

    Best to you always,
    Jan
  • Rewriter
    Rewriter Member Posts: 493 Member
    jazzy1 said:

    I'm 3 months short of a 2 year out from treatments. The last appt with my oncol he reminded me the longer we're cancer free the lesser chance of recurrence. But...I've seen people 5 years out and see this devil come back in a different location, such as the lungs.

    Wish we all had a crystal ball to see our futures, as surely today we'd look at our daily lives so differently. Statistics aren't the answer either as I've had friends who were diagnosed with cancer and told they had 1-3 years to live. Heck today they are 6 years since diagnosis and living a "normal" life with NED.

    I really try to keep my mind positive and know this devil can pop its ugly head whenever it wants, no matter what our docs tell us.

    Enjoy your 2 year mark and each and everyday you're living...life is beautiful if we see it that way!!!!

    Best to you always,
    Jan

    Almost 2.5 years NED
    I ended my chemo and brachytherapy treatment for UPSC in December 2008 and have been NED ever since. My gyne-oncologist told me that with UPSC--not sure if the same is true for Type I endometrial cancer--the two-year mark is when the risk of recurrence becomes minuscule.

    Yes, anything can happen; but that is true of most areas of our lives. It's reassuring to me to know that "MOST" recurrences happen in the first two years. This particular statistic helps me to keep a positive outlook, which is extremely important to my healing process.

    Jill