when are you considered cancer free

Hi Denise,
Everyone will have their own opinions and none of them are wrong, but in my opinion nobody is ever "cancer free" remission or NED yes but never guaranteed the beast is completely gone. With that said I celebrate my Cancerversary on the date of my surgery, the day my cancer was removed from my body.

Hugs,
Lorrie

I'm wondering the same
I'm wondering the same thing! It says on my chart "In remission" and I've had my first "survivorship" dr. visit. I'm trying to wrap my head around saying "I had breast cancer". I don't necessarily feel right saying "had" yet but I'm working on it. I think we're all trying to put it in our rearview mirror and it getting farther anf farther away. I'm thinking that that is how I want to look at it.

Karen

Christmas Girl said:

Some types of cancer...
... can, indeed, be actually cured. Breast cancer, unfortunately, is not one of them. Remission or "no evidence of disease" (NED) is the best we can get with today's current medical technology.

Some years, I mark the anniversary of original diagnosis (July '03). Other years, the date of my first surgery (Aug. '03). And sometimes, the date of my last invasive treatment - first round (March '04). Not quite sure yet what to do with all those DX #2 dates... Maybe I'll just ignore 'em. Yeah, probably. Am kinda confused about it. If DX #2 had been a recurrence/mets - would probably feel like an extension of #1. But, it was a completely different type of BC. Hmmm...

Kind regards, Susan

The Confusion abounds ;-)
Susan I totally agree, I have three cancer anniversary dates although two of them are very close (within 6 months of each other) they are considered the same cancer that spread. Then of course I have the cancer that happened 5 years ago that my onco said was a gentler kinder cancer, LOL as if there is such a thing. So onco says I have two NED dates, one I am 13 years NED from then the gentler one I am 5 years out from.

RE

I asked my onc
the same question and he said that I should start counting as of the day of my last surgery. He also said that I will never be "cured" but can remain in remission. So I consider 8-19-10 as my cancercversary.
Hugs,
JoAnn

joannstar said:

I asked my onc
the same question and he said that I should start counting as of the day of my last surgery. He also said that I will never be "cured" but can remain in remission. So I consider 8-19-10 as my cancercversary.
Hugs,
JoAnn

I also feel
I also feel we are never cancer free.We were dx, it is in remisson but that gene is in our body somewhere else. And also the breast cancer can come back. Several times my doctor told me it is important to take the tamoxfin.You are in remmision with breast cancer BUT you can get cancer somewhere else.I remember those words.

For the date dx it was 8-19-09.I found out I had breast cancer this date.

Then 9-2-09 lumpectomy surgery and 9-29-09 surgery with clear margins. Both of those surgeries 2 benign breast tumors were found. I think about all these dates.Even the day the mammogram caught it 7-2-09.Dates that I remember so well.

Lynn Smith

Christmas Girl said:

Some types of cancer...
... can, indeed, be actually cured. Breast cancer, unfortunately, is not one of them. Remission or "no evidence of disease" (NED) is the best we can get with today's current medical technology.

Some years, I mark the anniversary of original diagnosis (July '03). Other years, the date of my first surgery (Aug. '03). And sometimes, the date of my last invasive treatment - first round (March '04). Not quite sure yet what to do with all those DX #2 dates... Maybe I'll just ignore 'em. Yeah, probably. Am kinda confused about it. If DX #2 had been a recurrence/mets - would probably feel like an extension of #1. But, it was a completely different type of BC. Hmmm...

Kind regards, Susan

As far as I know, no one is
As far as I know, no one is cured from cancer. I don't know if any doctor would ever use that exact word.

I think we are just in remission or stable or NED, and, I will take that!


Debby

Margeaux said:

Cancer free?
Denise:
Oncologist keeps stressing its NED, No Evidence of Disease. He counts from the date of the last active treatment, which for me was Herceptin on Nov. 17, 2010....and counting and counting.
M.

I've never been told that I
I've never been told that I am cancer free, just that I am in remission. I don't know that those words "cancer free" are ever used, are they?

Rague said:

None of my Drs have ever
None of my Drs have ever used the very misleading term 'cancer free'. At this time there is no cure for BC so once it's raised it's ugly head in the body, No Evidence of Disease is the best we can hope for. Especially if nodes were involved. If someone asks how am I doing - I simply say 'Great' because I am.

I don't use the term 'cancerversary' as I see no reason to celebrate cancer. I prefer to use terms like "I was DX on date,", "Surgery was on date..", "Last rad was on date." I also do not say that I 'had' BC, I say "I'm IBC" because I am.

Just my opinions based on what my Drs have told me.

Susan

Cancer free
My 80yr old father says that if you live long enough everyone will be diagnosed with some form of cancer, so does that mean that maybe laying dorment we all are born with it anyhow???? I am one of those people that celebrates life as much as healthfully possible, but rarely acknowledge an anniversary. I have no idea why, I just don't. I think largely for insurance reasons the NED...no EVIDENCE of disease term is used beacause that says that it could be there but they just don't see it. I am a little over 1yr post treatment for Anal cancer and the day they said NED on that is the day they diagnosed my Breast cancer....I guess God knows I don't do anniversaries!! I do like to dance and was even a dance major in college so don't mind the term dancing with NED....there will be spins, turns, leaps and some fancy footwork but all in all a good thing. I pray we all spend many many happy years on that dance floor! As always,all in my prayers.