scared

Myself - 2.5 year survivor - 57 years old

Mom - 10 years - now 80 years old

Great Aunt -34 years - just had her 99 year birthday Christmas day

Great Aunt 40 years - lived to be 96

Cousin - 16 - now 47 years old 

Cousin 12 years - now 62 years old

sweetvickid said:

This might be a better one

I have a friend who was stage 4, found lesions on her brain.  That was about 6 years ago.

I had a lumpectomy and 3 lymph nodes removed in June 2012. I had 33 rads treatment and now I am on an anti hormone pill for 5 years. I just had my first MRI done since my surgery and thank God no cancer was found. I know it is not the same as your, but there is a lot of people who know what you are going through, and are here to support you

Surgery and radiation 2008-surgery same side last month...for something suspiscious and HAPPY to say it was scar tissue.

Friend LIKE a mom to me survived for over 20 yrs....

Denise

sweetvickid said:

Hope this helps

Myself - 2.5 year survivor - 57 years old

Mom - 10 years - now 80 years old

Great Aunt -34 years - just had her 99 year birthday Christmas day

Great Aunt 40 years - lived to be 96

Cousin - 16 - now 47 years old 

Cousin 12 years - now 62 years old

Please know there is a way to prevent  breast cancer. Your current female relatives should be aware of this too.

There are 3 medications that can decrease chances of breast cancer 50 to 70%.

Tamoxiphen is the only one approved for premenapausal women. Chances are your physician is not going to tell you. It's side effects are unnecessarily exagerated. Most scared side effects of possible endometrial cancer and blood cloths are less than 1 in a thousand . After age 50 it is slightly higher.

after menapause there are two better choices raloxiphen and Arimidex. Both highly effective.

So why is not your physician does not recommend this chemoprophylaxis. That is the million dollar question. I think because no one is teaching them how much these treatments are effective. they are too scared of the side effects as it is out of their comfort zone.

Recently National England health system decided to recommend chemoprophylaxis for high risk patients with tamoxiphen. I am attaching the news:

PLEASE INQUIRE ABOUT IT. IF EVERY HIGH RISK WOMEN CAN USE THIS THERE WILL BE 30000less breast cancer patients per year.

I do not know how much my cancer has spread yet but met several women with advanced disease that are alive after 5 years

I was hoping Linda would reply to your post.  She is the only one that I can think of here that has brain involvement.  There may be a few others who are or have taken Abraxane.

There are other places on the internet that deal with only stage IV that you might have a better chance of finding some stories.

They are http://www.bcmets.org  or     http://www.inspire.com/groups/advanced-breast-cancer/new/active/

I do wish you luck and so sorry for what you have endured.

Doris

Lynn Smith said:

Stage 0

Stage 0 lumpectomy tumor 1/2 centimeter. Just tamoxifn for 5 years.No chemo or radiation.3 1/2 year survivor

Mother was 21 and lived to be 81

Sister was dx dx last July Double mascetomy.4 rounds of chemo and doctor said she's cured.

Niece is a 7 year survivor.Double masectomy 

Friend is a 18 year survivor Stage 3

As we read everyday people are living many years after dx of Breast Cancer.Every year something else is found to help beat it. Every year we're survivors is another year something else will be found to conquer this beast.  

Wishing you the best through your treatment.

Lynn Smith

Dear Lynn,

Your sister's doctor who told her she was cured after a double mastectomy is a fool.  There is not cure for breast cancer at the moment.  He should never have made such a stupid statement.  Doesn't matter what stage one is, no one including a doctor can predict if the cancer will or will not come back.  For 70% of women it doesn't and they life a normal life.  For 30% of these women who are not diagnose at the get go as stage IV, the cancer returns and since there is no cure, ....  The statement that came out of the following book states it better than I, 

The book:  "Her2" by Robert Bazell -  Page 19,  Chapter 2

...With it’s return the disease assumes a new status, becoming what doctors euphemistically term “treatable but not curable”.  The battle may drag on for years, but the cancer always wins....

They do not find new drugs every year for breast cancer.  Last year was the first time since the early part of this century that a drug was added to the hormonal therapies drug with Afinitor.  They also added a new drug Perjeta for Her2 and that is the first since Herceptin came out in the late nineties.  I haven't kepted up with chemotherapies since my own cancer is slow growing and hormonal therapy drugs are the only ones I use.  However, I do know that new chemotherapy drugs for breast cancer are not added every year.

I don't believe in painting a "rosy" picture about breast cancer, it is a very deadly disease.  If a cure is ever to be found we need to look at the facts and state the reality of the disease.

Doris

cinnamonsmile said:

My aunt had breast cancer I'd

My aunt had breast cancer I'd say between 13-15 years ago. She had a lumpectomy, rads, and chemo. I don't know if she was her2 positive or exactly what type of cancer. She is still alive and going strong.

Yes I did think for a doctor saying that she was cured was a bit fast.And besides it had only been maybe 4 months since she found out(her dx). I'm in remission is how I feel.Although I do know and can't forget I have the cancer gene.It's been with me all my life since a strong family history.It just came out when I was 62. Feel the same way about my niece and sister.And of course my mom who was dx over 70 some years ago. She was the first.  She been gone almost 12 years. 60 year survivor. i'm so proud to say my mom lived that long.Just before she passed and was dx with Alzhiemers(sp)  we were able to talk about her long life with the disease and what a miracle she was. I had enough time to let her know how long she survived before she got to the point where she would never know. She was also proud of herself.  

Doctors and not even we can predict how long we will live or if and when it will ever come back. Just today I got my annual(first annural since dx in 2009).I am in remission. Quite  a few pics taken but it was detailed. I was worried why all those pics and what  were they trying to find.Took more pics this time than any of my mammos but what matters I'm in remission.

Lynn Smith  

Lynn Smith said:

Sirod

Yes I did think for a doctor saying that she was cured was a bit fast.And besides it had only been maybe 4 months since she found out(her dx). I'm in remission is how I feel.Although I do know and can't forget I have the cancer gene.It's been with me all my life since a strong family history.It just came out when I was 62. Feel the same way about my niece and sister.And of course my mom who was dx over 70 some years ago. She was the first.  She been gone almost 12 years. 60 year survivor. i'm so proud to say my mom lived that long.Just before she passed and was dx with Alzhiemers(sp)  we were able to talk about her long life with the disease and what a miracle she was. I had enough time to let her know how long she survived before she got to the point where she would never know. She was also proud of herself.  

Doctors and not even we can predict how long we will live or if and when it will ever come back. Just today I got my annual(first annural since dx in 2009).I am in remission. Quite  a few pics taken but it was detailed. I was worried why all those pics and what  were they trying to find.Took more pics this time than any of my mammos but what matters I'm in remission.

Lynn Smith  

Have you and your family been tested for the genetic BRCA1 & BRCA2?

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/BRCA

Hi Dana - I was dx at 32 in 2011. Took chemo, rads, and now on tamoxifen. Harvested eggs too, right after surgery! So far I am doing well, thank God.

I know a story that I often like to share. My friend's mom was dx with bc back in 1995. She got it back in her liver 6 years ago. Doctors told her she only had 3% chance of survival, very low. She went ahead with chemo anyway, for one year. She has been cancer free for 6 years now and going strong!

Also, another friend of my boyfriend's family was DX in the 1970's. She is still going strong!

There are a lot of good stories out there. Please BELIEVE and have faith that yours will be one of those stories. You are NOT alone. Please stay strong and positive, no matter how dark the path may seem to be.

Sending you all my love and hugs.

P.S. I am planning on having my first child one day!!!