@wendy55 - I am in awe of you and your medical team - you are one strong cookie xx. All the best to you and your continuing treatment. Your Onc should be knighted!! ;)
Thanks for that Mez - you can download it & enlarge it & still read it ok.
That is absolutely disgusting that a Mets diagnosis isn't considered a 'new cancer' as it makes 'counting current cases' obsolete - specially if the recurrence is 10 years or more after original diagnosis/treatment, as in some cases with BC, Mets can be diagnosed even 24 years after, as has happened with 2 of my friends locally. Currently they are going OK - as is another buddy in Qld diagnosed with BC Mets 3 years ago.
Whilst many don't use the 'cured' word - being NED for that period of time would definitely have many BC patients believing that they 'were done with it' ... so a new diagnosis as Mets would be absolutely gut wrenching. To not be 'recognised' as having it - is unbelievable.
For the Gov Health System to be NOT counting it and then patients being refused access to Breast Cancer Nurses & other essential Cancer resources ... is disgusting & is a real kick in the guts! Especially when those with Mets NEED to have access to the support of a Breast Care Nurse, exercise & diet information to be able to work with their team on having as meaningful a life as they can, for as long as they can, given their condition & ability to do it.
The 'current' figures (of ANY cancer) are obviously totally unreliable at this point in time if they aren't 'counting' Mets patients from an earlier diagnosis! I know that there are many Mets Colon Cancer patients who present as Stage 4 straight up (once again, it happened to 2 of my friends locally - sadly, both of whom passed within 18 months of Mets diagnosis...) But I guess as theirs was their 'first diagnosis' - maybe their cases WERE recognised in the figures?
How on earth do the Gov forecast realistic costs that will be needed into the future - to identify ongoing health budgets, if they pretend there are none?
It is Absolutely - 'head in the sand' type of stupidity.
