Secondary Cancer ???

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Wilma
Wilma Member Posts: 9 ✭
edited November 2013 in General discussion

Hello 

Some might say just don't think about it ... But as an Early Stage Breast Cancer Patient I often wonder and am curious as to WHY Secondary Cancers occur when chemo and further treatments are given to erradicate any chances of cancer reaccuring !!!!

Just not fair that we go through a battle to do all the treatment then to have cancer come back in some people and not others  ... Am just frightened this may happen to me . Wonder if there are any things we can be doing to stop this happening . Chinese Medicine is one thing I have heard of but am not  too sure ??

Just a little afraid and thinking ahead !!  I have  Her 2 Positive Breast Cancer stage 3 with no spread to organs other than 5 lympths which were removed during my mastectomy ....Am having chemo and rads plus herceptin then done by end of next year . My breast surgeon is positive by saying that there is no bush fire in there but I just can't help feel scared at times .

Please Explain !!

Thanks 

Wilma XXX

 

 

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  • Deanne
    Deanne Member Posts: 2,163 ✭
    edited March 2015
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    Even with all the treatment there is no 100% guarantee that we will never get a recurrence, secondary or new cancer. They do not know enough about what causes the cancer to grow in the first place I suppose.

    However, most people who receive treatment do go on to live cancer-free lives. Certainly without the treatment we would all have the cancer progress until we died of it. Not an option.

    Alternative treatments do not have the statistics to back them up. If there was something out there that worked better than traditional medicine, it would be all over the media, and we would all be doing it.

    In saying that though, I do believe there are things we can do to help ourselves improve the chances of not getting the cancer back. It makes sense to me to live a healthier life. I eat healthier, have cut out alcohol, exercise everyday and use meditation to reduce stress and it's effects on my life. I avoid chemicals and use natural products on my skin and hair (what there is of it).

    I also had cancer in 5 lymph nodes which means that together with a 3cm tumor, my cancer was Stage 3. My oncologist explained it this way: without any treatment 100% of people with my cancer diagnosis would die within 5 years. With surgery and radiation 33% would not have a recurrence within 10 years. With chemo it improves to 53% and with hormone therapy it goes up to 81% for me. Together with improvements to my lifestyle I feel reassured that I have very little chance of having a recurrence.

    I choose to use the thought of recurrence as motivation to do what I can to stay healthy rather than let it worry or depress me. Put it this way, I do have moments where I worry about it coming back but I challenge those thoughts with the reality that I have done everything currently possible to stop that happening. I choose to be proud of what I have endured ( mastectomy, 18 weeks chemo, 25 radiotherapys and now hormone treatment for the next 10 years) and feel happy that I have a very good chance of never having cancer again. Not only that but I have a new appreciation of life and how we need to look after ourselves.

    Hope these thoughts help. Deanne xx
  • Deanne
    Deanne Member Posts: 2,163 ✭
    edited March 2015
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    Even with all the treatment there is no 100% guarantee that we will never get a recurrence, secondary or new cancer. They do not know enough about what causes the cancer to grow in the first place I suppose.

    However, most people who receive treatment do go on to live cancer-free lives. Certainly without the treatment we would all have the cancer progress until we died of it. Not an option.

    Alternative treatments do not have the statistics to back them up. If there was something out there that worked better than traditional medicine, it would be all over the media, and we would all be doing it.

    In saying that though, I do believe there are things we can do to help ourselves improve the chances of not getting the cancer back. It makes sense to me to live a healthier life. I eat healthier, have cut out alcohol, exercise everyday and use meditation to reduce stress and it's effects on my life. I avoid chemicals and use natural products on my skin and hair (what there is of it).

    I also had cancer in 5 lymph nodes which means that together with a 3cm tumor, my cancer was Stage 3. My oncologist explained it this way: without any treatment 100% of people with my cancer diagnosis would die within 5 years. With surgery and radiation 33% would not have a recurrence within 10 years. With chemo it improves to 53% and with hormone therapy it goes up to 81% for me. Together with improvements to my lifestyle I feel reassured that I have very little chance of having a recurrence.

    I choose to use the thought of recurrence as motivation to do what I can to stay healthy rather than let it worry or depress me. Put it this way, I do have moments where I worry about it coming back but I challenge those thoughts with the reality that I have done everything currently possible to stop that happening. I choose to be proud of what I have endured ( mastectomy, 18 weeks chemo, 25 radiotherapys and now hormone treatment for the next 10 years) and feel happy that I have a very good chance of never having cancer again. Not only that but I have a new appreciation of life and how we need to look after ourselves.

    Hope these thoughts help. Deanne xx
  • Robyn W
    Robyn W Member Posts: 1,932 ✭
    edited March 2015
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    That is so well written Deanne.I agree with every bit of it and do the same.xoxRobyn
  • Robyn W
    Robyn W Member Posts: 1,932 ✭
    edited March 2015
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    That is so well written Deanne.I agree with every bit of it and do the same.xoxRobyn
  • Wilma
    Wilma Member Posts: 9 ✭
    edited March 2015
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    Thanks Deanne 

    You are amazing ... All new to me and with each day I will get better at accepting and being at peace that I have done all that I can to fight this !! I am proud of myself and will live each day as it comes .

    Thanks for your advicde as you are a true fighter ....

    Love 

    Wilma XX

  • Wilma
    Wilma Member Posts: 9 ✭
    edited March 2015
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    Thanks Deb,

    Am sending you lots of hugs and strength your way ... I feel that sometimes these scared feeling we feel are incontrollable but I know in time it will get better !!  We are not alone and this is what makes each day better .

    Best Wishes as you are a champion 

    Hugs 

    Wilma XX

  • mgndam1603
    mgndam1603 Member Posts: 753 ✭
    edited March 2015
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    I am coming up to my 1 year anniversary this month and believe me the last year has been a real learning curve for me.

    I had surgery, chemo more surgery then radiation and am now on hormone suppresents and having my ovaries and tubes removed this Friday. So believe me its been quite a ride, I have just returned to work after 7 months sick leave.

    I have come to terms with the fact there are no guarentee's, whilst going through my breast treatments they found cancer in my kidney, I was so scared I wondered why does cancer like me so much. You could drive yourself crazy and still not get answers, so as Deanne put it you do what you can and live every day as best you can.

    Its scary, but Iblieve me we all have that fear, its normal once you have been through what we all have.

    Take care

    Donna

     

  • Sun
    Sun Member Posts: 64
    edited March 2015
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    I thought as I approached my 5th anniversary of ebc I'd licked it. Sadly, not so. In October 2012 it came back in my liver and spine. First time round I was diagnosed I had DCIS but there was involvement in a few lymph nodes. I was 51 when I was diagnosed with ebc. My mother died of breast cancer at 64 and my grandmother was 73. I kept myself reasonably healthy, exercised and ate well. I did have a fantastic career and there was stress involved at times but it was not unmanageable. First time around I was undergoing a messy split with my long term partner and was left as a single parent. In early 2011 I met a wonderful man who had lost his wife to breast cancer. We are still together despite my secondaries. You don't know if cancer will come back. You can torment yourself thinking about it. The best strategy is to do everything in your power to live healthily and well, love those around you and live each day fully and without regret as no of us know how long we have on this earth.
  • Celbird
    Celbird Member Posts: 680 ✭
    edited March 2015
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    Sadly, between 20-30% of those diagnosed and treated for EBC will go on to have a diagnosis of secondary breast cancer :( Unfortunately, I am one of those people. I had aggressive treatment for EBC in 2008 after I discovered a tiny lump. I had the removal of lymph nodes (3 were affected by bc), but the bc returned in 2011 in my lungs and then spread quickly to my bones. This was despite me living a very healthy life..no alcohol, no coffee, daily exercise, organice hair products, meditation, radical overhaul of my diet and no use of chemicals in my home.

    I agree we mustn't live in fear, but at the same time please be vigilant about your health. Insist on follow up scans, especially if you feel something isnt right xx

  • Hazel M
    Hazel M Member Posts: 708 ✭
    edited March 2015
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    Hey Wilma, i understand what you mean. Why some people and not others? I have been wanting some sort of assurance that my treatment will work and this will be the end of it. Deanne is right, there is not going to be a 100% guarantee. But i'm going to try to accept what i can't change and live each day the best way i can. Take care,

    Hazel xxx 

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