How to Determine the Five-Year Point

desertgirl947
desertgirl947 Member Posts: 653 Member
in Breast Cancer #1

Question:  How does one determine that he/she has reached that five-year point all cancer survivors aspire to?  Is it when treatment begins or is it when it ends (aside from the hormonal therapy)?

I am somewhere around reaching Year 1, I know.

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BTW:  The nasty accident of a tractor-trailer and mini-van that killed seven (including four young children) in central New York last evening happened not too far from here.  I saw it made national news.  We had that to be aware of at school today PLUS having, yesterday, a mother of four children in our school killed when her husband hit her with the truck.  (Police aren't quite sure yet what exactly happened, aside from the fact that the parents were arguing and the mother opened the door of the moving truck to jump out, the truck swerved and hit her.  The four kids saw this all happen.)  I know two of those kids.  So, it has been some kind of end of the week here in rather quiet and rural central New York.

Comments

  • cinnamonsmile
    cinnamonsmile Member Posts: 1,187 Member
    #2
    I do it by what day I was NED

    I do it by what day I was NED after treatment. My BMX was 1/11/11 and I was NED, so I start from 1/11/11.

  • jessiesmom1
    jessiesmom1 Member Posts: 915 Member
    #3
    How to Count

    I recently went to the oncologist and asked her this very same question. She said to count from when treatment has been completed. For me that is Aug. 2010 - the day of my last round of chemotherapy. As you can tell I am coming up on 3 years! Smile

    IRENE

  • desertgirl947
    desertgirl947 Member Posts: 653 Member
    #4
    Thanks!

    Your input is a help.

    So, I should go by my last day I had radiation, which was at the end of September.  I had surgery, then chemo, then radiation. 

  • jessiesmom1
    jessiesmom1 Member Posts: 915 Member
    #5
    desertgirl947 said:

    Thanks!

    Your input is a help.

    So, I should go by my last day I had radiation, which was at the end of September.  I had surgery, then chemo, then radiation. 

    How to Count - Part 2

    According to the counting method used by my doctor, it looks like you should begin counting on your last day of radiation. I had surgery followed by 16 rounds of chemo. No radiation. Glad I could be of some help.

    IRENE

  • cinnamonsmile
    cinnamonsmile Member Posts: 1,187 Member
    #6
    double post

    double post

  • June Bugs
    June Bugs Member Posts: 167
    #7
    desertgirl947 said:

    Thanks!

    Your input is a help.

    So, I should go by my last day I had radiation, which was at the end of September.  I had surgery, then chemo, then radiation. 

    Should I go then by now,

    Should I go then by now, since I just finished rads and I had my lumpectomy before radiaition?  Or wait until I have my next mammo and ultrasound? 

  • jessiesmom1
    jessiesmom1 Member Posts: 915 Member
    #8
    June Bugs said:

    Should I go then by now,

    Should I go then by now, since I just finished rads and I had my lumpectomy before radiaition?  Or wait until I have my next mammo and ultrasound? 

    Counting Questions

    Of course this is just my opinion, but it seems to me that a mammogram and ultrasound are not treatment. They are diagnostic/screening tools. So using that line of reasoning, counting for you should begin when you finished rads. That was the last type of treatment that you received. Sounds like you have just finished treatment - congratulations.

    IRENE

  • taylor manny
    taylor manny Member Posts: 113
    #9
    jessiesmom1 said:

    How to Count - Part 2

    According to the counting method used by my doctor, it looks like you should begin counting on your last day of radiation. I had surgery followed by 16 rounds of chemo. No radiation. Glad I could be of some help.

    IRENE

    It will just be great to get

    It will just be great to get to that 5 year point!  I was told 10 years :(

  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #10
    where about IN NYS? I am near

    where about IN NYS? I am near Poughkeepsie.

    Denise...

     

     

  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #11
    I am not sure if this is

    I am not sure if this is correct..BUT I am using my Last day of Radiation which was JUNE 28, 08 (coming up for me really soon) Aug will be the 5 yrs on tamoxifen-not sure IF I will stay on it longer then five years.

     

    Denise

  • desertgirl947
    desertgirl947 Member Posts: 653 Member
    #12
    disneyfan2008 said:

    where about IN NYS? I am near

    where about IN NYS? I am near Poughkeepsie.

    Denise...

     

     

    I live in central NYS,

    I live in central NYS, between BGM and SYR.

  • desertgirl947
    desertgirl947 Member Posts: 653 Member
    #13
    disneyfan2008 said:

    I am not sure if this is

    I am not sure if this is correct..BUT I am using my Last day of Radiation which was JUNE 28, 08 (coming up for me really soon) Aug will be the 5 yrs on tamoxifen-not sure IF I will stay on it longer then five years.

     

    Denise

    I was just to my oncologist

    I was just to my oncologist on Monday for my three-month check.  Previous times he mentioned my being on a five-year plan, starting with tamoxifen but switching to something else about midway through.  This time I said that based on what he is reading in research -- he teaches in the medical program at Upstate (SYR) -- he is thinking of extending me beyond the five years to either seven or ten because of the increased benefit there appears to be.  I started on tamoxifen last August.

    I had surgery February 21, 2012.  I finished chemo July 16.  I finished rads September 26.  I know that date because my rad people gave me a certificate of completion.  (That place was great:  waiting area was large, Keurig coffee machine, tv, gas fireplace, 1000 piece puzzle; given a $25 gas card.)

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