Insight On Breast Cancer Not Treated For A Year

Hello there.. anyone that has some insight on prognosis  into my story - please pass it on.

My sister found a lump in her left breast - on the side towards the armpit about a year ago.  She refused to get it looked at, I'm sure this was out of fear.  At that time it was about the size of a marble.  It is now about the size of a walnut.  She has gone to the doctor.. has had the mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy done.  The have confirmed that it is malignant.  She is scheduled for a mastectomy on Dec 27th.  I understand that every diagnosis is unique,  but realistically... is there ANY chance that this has NOT spread elsewhere.  They won't have answers until after surgery.. but somebody must have some insight into this.  Please and Thank you.

J 

Hi!

I had a lumpectomy of my invasive ductal carcinoma on oct 2,2007.  My surgeon did a sentinel node biopsy prior to the surgery to detect whether the cancer has spread.  The prep for the procedure started early in the morning where they had to insert a wire that would latch on to the tumor and then they would inject a blue die, the die traveljed to the nearest node.  After detecting the nearest node to the tumor the surgeon removed the node to test it instantaneously for malignancy.  In my situation the tumor was very small and the node result was negative, meaning it had not travelled anywhere but the grade of my cancer is not good, it is very high grade.  I have just started chemo recently.  I am told, it is not the size or  whether it has spread -- it is the grade of the tumor which is important.  I am going to have another biopsy tomorrow.

 I have accepted the situation and am dealing with it as any normal illness with a difference.  I hope your sister's tumor is not high grade and is 'node negative'.  A friend of mine had a node positive tumor and she is doing all right so far.  She never stopped working. There are somany treatments and so much research is going on that mortality rate has gone down.  Please help your sister keep her spirit up. It is very important and consult someone re cancer diet as soon as possible.

With my thoughts and prayers for your sister, I wish her well.

Rina

Of course there is hope!! Please concentrate on helping your sister with whatever practical things you can. Don't worry about "if only she had gone sooner".

I had a mastectomy 5 years ago. The tumor was walnut size and  had spread into 4 nodes. I had 3 months of chemotherapy and have been on Femara for the last 5 years. It is not a perfect drug, but I have learned to work around the side effects. I had a bone scan before the mastectomy to check for any spreading to the bones. There was none! 

Every case is different, but as you can see from my case, do not look on the dark side. There is plenty of hope!!

I hope she has a doctor she has confidence in. I saw my oncologist every 3 months for several years. At first I hated going so often, keeping the cancer on my mind, but a friend pointed out that what it really was was a great reassurance every 3 months that everything was ok. I now go twice a year. I have blood tests and have had an additional bone scan. So far all remains clear.  I'm here enjoying my life and thankful for every day!!

I pray that all goes well with your sister's surgery and that you can relax and help her take this whole process a day-at-a-time!!

Teresa

Not every symptom is a sign the cancer has spread or is even related to cancer!

 Perhaps your sister is just under too much stress from all that is going on.

 If you are worried about how to treat the dizziness, call her Dr. There are medications, some even available over the counter.

When I asked my Dr. about some symptoms, he replied "Not everything is related to your cancer. Remember non-cancer patients have symptoms of things too." I think it was his way of saying, relax. Every ache, pain and twinge is not necessarily a symptom of cancer.

These next few days before her mastectomy will be tense. The waiting is the hardest. She wants it over and the cancer out of her body! Be sure she eats properly and gets a good nights sleep, if possible. Being tense and tired isn't going to help.

As I said before just help her out and both of you take a deep breath and try to relax. Worrying isn't going to do anything but stress you both out.

Teresa

The doctors state I had my breast cancer for 2 - 3 years, before I discovered it in June of this year.  I didn't do self-exams; I hadn't seen a OB/GYN for 10+ years.  I just happened to do a self-exam one day and sure enough.... I found a lump in my left breast.  Had I taken the time to do monthly self-exams I surely would have found the lump years ago.

All testing to date shows the cancer not to have spread to my lymph nodes, bones, or other organs.  A recent tumor marker test revealed a score of 11 (I was told anything below 40 is considered 'normal').

I take Armidex now (the cancer was labeled stage 1:  1.4 cenimeters, node negative, ER+/PR+, no signs of spread).

I was sick before the diagnosis (I began to feel terrible two years ago, oddly enough), but after the diagnosis I became so ill I could barely get out of bed.  I lost my appetite.  As a result I wasn't eating properly and near fainting everytime I stood up.  It took me weeks to come to grips with my diagnosis.  During the waiting period for surgery and further testing I felt certain my entire body was filled with cancer.

Cancer really messes with a person's head.  It is probably the most feared of all diseases.  Your sister is going to feel scared, stressed, and depressed, until she has had sufficient time to adjust; I don't think it would be normal if she wasn't feeling physically and mentally strained right now.

Hang in there and be strong.  Try to help your sister find ways to gain a sense of personal power.  I chose nutrition, exercise, hypnosis, and prayer for my weapons of choice.  I did extensive research about nutrition and completely rearranged my diet. My diet is mainly comprised of fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and complex carbs now.  I visited a hypnotherapist to help me boost my immune system. I used meditation tapes to help me relax. I reached out to my spiritual guides and Deity for compassion and help. I also began an exercise program.  I still have bad days, but for the most part I feel better now knowing I'm doing something to aid my health. This has been very important to me in overcoming some of the fear of the disease.

You and your sister are in my thoughts and prayers.

Blessings and Healing to You Both,

Moon Masque