Early stage breast cancer

Hi Keet, glad to hear that your lump has been successfully removed and that the cancer had not spread to your lymph nodes - that is already a very positive step forward :-) Your treatment will depend on your pathology results and it is good to be prepared with lots of questions for your specialists (I always took a written list and my hubby!) so I could remember what I wanted to ask and he could also absorb or what was being said. I found the My Journey Kit from BCNA really useful for research before my appointments as it also helps you to think about the type of questions you might need to ask. It's also great that you are here on this site as there are many women who have travelled a similar path and are happy to tell you about their experiences.

l was diagnosed with stage 2, grade 2 hormone positive & HER2 positive breast cancer, with 1 lymph node involvement back in 2012 at the age of 48yrs. After having an initial lumpectomy which didn't obtain clear margins I needed to have a mastectomy. Several weeks after my mastectomy I started my treatment plan which included; 6 chemo sessions (taxotere & carboplatin) over 5 months, 25 radiation therapy sessions (5 weeks) and 12 months of Herceptin (immune therapy for the HER2+), which was given at the same time and in the same way as the chemo. Keep in mind that this treatment plan was based on my pathology, so yours may well differ. In relation to HER2 + cancers, although they were more difficult to treat in the past, we are lucky that we now have access to targeted therapies such as Herceptin which have been successful in improving survival rates and lowering the risk of recurrence.

I am now 2 years on from the end of that treatment (still on hormone tablets) and feel well and have just returned recently from a long awaited overseas trip. The best advice that others gave me was to try not to think about all that you may go through, but focus on dealing with each step / day as it comes. Best wishes, Jane xx