Time to process
Hi All, my intro post. Such a roller coaster of emotions and processing suddenly going from perfectly healthy to not! I had a Diagnosis 22/12/23 IDC with 2.9cm tumor and lymphnode involvement from BreastscreenSA. ER and PR +, Her -. (Xmas is harsh to get such news, both in the slow down of services and in telling nearest and dearest) It has taken a while (necessary tests, scans and byopsies), but looking at treatment beginning Wed 28/2/24 with surgery (partial masectomy, axillary node clearance). Then most likely chemo, radio, hormone therapy. Overactive imagination has been a problem, general stress/anxiety, and not sleeping well. It is settling a bit now, as Ive met surgeon and feel comfortable I am in good hands, met with Breast nurse (and now have a bright pink pillow and lovely accessories pouch for fluid tubes). I am participating in a clinic trial that I meet criteria on that I decided yes to assist. I am going ahead on a planned and booked holiday next week (which several family are also going), the surgeon was supportive on proceding with this as mental health positive. Then it is full steam ahead! I am fortunate to have supportive family, and some great friends, some who have had a bc journey themselves. Was concerned about work for a while, but Ive let the h.r. depts know (two jobs) of upcoming medical, and am scaling back for as long as I need (casual events hospitality - high energy, physical and customer facing, they will still be there when I can manage again!) So I think I am in about the best positive I can be for now! Not keen on whats to come, but ok to get on with what needs to be done! Thanks for reading, and thanks to all those sharing posts and info themselves - it has helped.Ask the Expert: Managing side effects of hormone blocking treatment with Dr Michelle White
Hello everyone! We will be hosting our next Ask the Expert Digital Event on Managing side effects of hormone blocking treatment with Dr Michelle White. Click here to register for the event. Approximately two thirds of all breast cancers are a type called hormone receptor positive. This means they use the hormones oestrogen and/or progesterone to grow. The recommended treatment for people with hormone receptor positive early breast cancer usually includes hormone-blocking therapy, a tablet taken daily for between five and 10 years. For people with metastatic breast cancer, hormone-blocking treatments can provide long term disease control. The side effects of these treatments may be mild and easily managed, but for some people they can significantly impact their quality of life. At this Ask the Expert event, we will hear from medical oncologist Dr Michelle White and BCNA Consumer Representative Kym Berchtenbreiter. Michelle specialises in treating women diagnosed with breast cancer and is the lead investigator for several local research studies and the development and conduct of clinical trials. Kym was diagnosed with early breast cancer in 2009 and will discuss the side effects she experienced from hormone-blocking treatment, her strategies to manage them and her advice for others. This session will address what you need to know about hormone-blocking treatment, including common side effects and how you can manage them, and how to ensure a good balance between quality of life, risk of recurrence and control of disease progression. During this event you will be able to ask Michelle and Kym questions. Please share your questions prior to the event via the question box on the registration page or email events@bcna.org.au. During the event you can submit questions via the discussion box on your screen. If you have any other questions prior to the event, please email events@bcna.org.au. For any technical difficulties on the evening, please contact Redback Studios on 1800 733 416. Event Details Date: Wednesday 29 June 2022 Time: 6.30pm - 7.45pm AEST Where: Online – from your computer, tablet or laptop Your Local Time: WA: 4.30pm NT, SA: 6.00pm QLD, ACT, NSW, TAS, VIC: 6.30pm
Season 2: Podcast Series "What You Don’t Know Until You Do, with Dr Charlotte Tottman"
Charlotte is back with an 'unlimited' season! Season 2 of our popular Upfront About Breast Cancer podcast What You Don’t Know Until You Do with Clinical Psychologist Dr Charlotte Tottman is available now (You have direct access via the bottom of the Online Network homepage) With over 58,000 listens, Season 1 proved to be a valuable resource that shared the reality of what it’s like going through a breast cancer experience. We heard about Dr Charlotte Tottman who established her own private practice in psycho oncology, before being diagnosed with breast cancer herself. Charlotte shared her lived experience with breast cancer, exploring common psychological triggers and responses, while providing tips of what helped her. (Read the popular Online Network discussion for the Season 1 via link Upfront About Breast Cancer – What You Don’t Know Until You Do, with Dr Charlotte Tottman) This new season is 'unlimited' to reflect a broader experience from a clinical perspective, stripping away the common limitations imposed by the discomfort associated with difficult topics, while providing practical strategies to help people at any stage of their breast cancer experience. Start your day with Charlotte and Kellie as they have meaningful conversations about many topics including anxiety, advocating for yourself, causal beliefs, metastatic breast cancer, re-starting life after treatment, behavioural changes, boundary setting, different perspectives, side effects and the inevitable; death and mortality. Listen to What You Don't Know Until You Do: Unlimited via BCNA or wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.bcna.org.au/understanding-breast-cancer/bcna-resources/podcasts/charlotte-tottman-podcast-series/ Note: We recommend that listeners exercise self-care when listening to this podcast, as some may find the content upsetting. BCNA’s Helpline provides a free confidential telephone and email service for people diagnosed with breast cancer, their family and friends. Our experienced team can help with your questions and concerns and direct you to relevant resources and services. Call 1800 500 258 or email helpline@bcna.org.auWebcast: The Role of Radiotherapy in the Treatment of DCIS and Early Breast Cancer
Hello everyone, BCNA are holding a webcast on Thursday 9 December, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm AEDT on The Role of Radiotherapy in the Treatment of DCIS and Early Breast Cancer. Some people diagnosed with breast cancer may be recommended radiotherapy as part of their treatment. Radiotherapy is usually recommended after breast conserving surgery, and sometimes after mastectomy, to reduce the chance of DCIS and early breast cancer returning in the affected breast. Radiotherapy is carefully planned to make sure that you receive the greatest benefit from the treatment and have limited side effects. In this webcast you’ll hear from specialist Radiation Oncologist at the Northern Sydney Cancer Centre, Associate Professor Gillian Lamoury, Oncology Nurse at Genesis Care, Sophie Andrews and BCNA consumer Susan Manks. Susan will share her experience of radiotherapy after being diagnosed in 2019. We will explore the use for radiotherapy including the benefits for the treatment of DCIS and early breast cancer, current and emerging techniques of radiotherapy delivery, the planning process and the factors that influence delivery, side effects and ways to manage them, follow up care and the costs associated with treatment. To register, please follow this link, https://kapara.rdbk.com.au/landers/f19ef8.html ; Event Details: When: Thursday, December 9, 2021 What Time: 07:00 PM AEDT - 08:00 PM AEDT Local Times: - WA: 04:00 PM - NT: 05:30 PM - SA: 06:30 PM - QLD: 06:00 PM - ACT, NSW, TAS, VIC: 07:00 PM
New here...my story so far
Hello, I’m new the group and haven’t shared my story yet. It’s taken me a little while to be able to read some of your stories and not have ‘freak out’ moments. Thank you to all of you for sharing your stories. It is important to see the full gamut of what is happening and what is to come. In my initial moments I was overwhelmed reading here because I was so scared every time I read and got caught up in thinking if it would happen to me too. So I selfishly took myself away from reading and gave myself time. I was diagnosed with EBC (early breast cancer) in August after a Breastscreen appointment that picked it up. I have a fibroademona that was detected and checked when I was in my 20-30s so I fully expected that would come up in scans. In fact, I had noted a lump in my breast and had managed to convince myself that it was just the fibroadenoma that had grown. It’s amazing how we can easily convince ourselves isn’t it? Not quite delusion, not quite outright denial but I did have a few things going on at the time. I lost my job of over 20 years, Covid shut down the world and just when I was finding balance and working again I fell down some stairs and broke my leg. So for two years, I let other things take priority over having my Breastscreen checkup. I’m one of those cautionary tales and I’ve had to give myself grace and not blame myself too much over it and think on the ‘what ifs’. If I keep on the ‘what if’ I will just go crazy and overwhelmed emotionally and I have to get on with it. Decisions have to be made and now knowing what I know, I can’t wait any longer. Here is where I tell you all that this isn’t my first time with cancer. In 2010 I had surgery and radiation for a liposarcoma in my arm. I was finally cleared and cancer free by 2018/9. So I’ve had a few years of not thinking about it except when I see my scars. To say that I am scared is a huge understatement but I’m a planner and practical person mostly so I cope by finding solutions. I don’t know what the stats are on survival rates for my situation, it’s one of the questions I haven’t asked yet. Partly because I’ve gone into solution mode and partly because I am just that bit too scared I guess. My EBC journey so far has been all about finding a surgeon which I was lucky enough to be able to do from my specialist physiotherapist. I’d been seeing that physiotherapist for my arm and knew she also worked with many women with breast cancer. She referred me to my cancer surgeon. The decision to have surgery was an easy one after the sarcoma I knew it was necessary. Having the choice of breast saving surgery and reconstruction is a blessing. I chose to have my other breast symmetrised at the same time. To my thinking, if I was going for surgery I preferred to do it all at the same time. My surgery was 8 October so I am now 2 weeks post surgery this week and healing amazingly well. I’m grateful that my body heals so well. I am also grateful that I was able to read up on tips on the BCNA site. I chose to go private so that I could choose my surgeons, both of whom are excellent in their fields and have been wonderful. So what are my numbers? My EBC lump was 37mm Grade 3 invasive carcinoma, ER and PR 75% 3+ positive, HER2 negative with clear surgery margins. However, 2 of 3 lymph nodes showed metastasis with largest tumor deposit 22mm. That is the current concern and so I’m due to have a PET body scan this week and consultation with a radiologist and oncologist. My surgeon tells me that she wanted more information before deciding my radiation protocol and further treatment. I know I will also have hormone suppression treatment but am not there yet. I am thankful that the research on breast cancers is so extensive that treatment protocols are updated often. My surgeon tells me that previous protocol for lymph node involvement would have meant instant removal of all lymph nodes. Whilst I am grateful I may not lose all of my lymph nodes and that I may have options, a part of me is also really sad and scared knowing that the reason there is so much improvement in treatment is because there are so many women that have had to go through this before me. That’s me, my story so far. I was brief though wordy. I will continue to read and share where I can, you may have noticed that I struggle with sleeping 😊 Sad to be here, grateful to have your support.
small steps forward
Hi everyone, just a little hello as I’m joining you on this journey and now feel brave enough to say hello. I was diagnosed June 28th, following a random self check, two weeks before a planned 5 week trip overseas; and since then I have commenced the journey of small steps through appointments and surgery, cancelling (postponing) the holiday, and I’m now 4 weeks post op - lumpectomy and lymph node removal/biopsies, I have a diagnosis of left IDC. no lymph node involvement, but dcis around the tumour found and also removed. It was a shallow tumour so whilst just enough clearance obtained near the skin, not as much as they’d like. So I’m about to start radiotherapy (in two weeks) with a little extra thrown in for good measure to ensure the skin is treated and be certain there’s no spread there. To say I’m anxious about this is an understatement!!! I also met the medical oncologist today too ( I’m 52 and well into perimenopause) and to commence tamoxifen post radiotherapy too. What a whirlwind/rollercoaster! I’m so very grateful it’s been found early and is being treated, sad that’s it’s happened and angry that life changes so quickly. But currently my fears are the radiotherapy side effects, particularly with the ‘extra’, and then the ongoing meds. I know treatment is optional, but I want to reduce risk of recurrence so will definitely go ahead with it, no question in my mind. But words of wisdom re how to do it ‘well’ or just knowing I’m not alone in my thoughts would be welcomed. Progressing with one small step after another, next step is mapping. Wishing you all well xAsk the Expert: Triple Negative Early Breast Cancer with Dr Nick Zdenkowski
Good afternoon everyone, On the 17th of February, we will be hosting an interactive digital event on triple negative, please see details below. Triple negative breast cancer accounts for approximately 15 per cent of all breast cancers and refers to a type of breast cancer that does not have any of the three receptors commonly found in breast cancer cells – the oestrogen, progestogen and HER2 receptors. Although triple negative breast cancer does not respond to hormone-blocking therapy or medicines that target HER2 protein receptors, chemotherapy is often used to successfully treat this form of breast cancer, with active research taking place to improve treatments to better target triple negative breast cancer. We will hear from Medical Oncologist Nick Zdenkowski who has a special interest in the care of patients with breast cancer and offers the latest medical oncology treatments. Additionally, we will also hear from BCNA consumer representative Emma Warnecke. This Ask the Expert session will address what triple negative is including the different subtypes, the current treatments available and the outcomes including risk of recurrence, genetic testing and implications and the clinical research trials and how to access them. This 60-minute Zoom event is primarily interactive and after a short presentation, viewers will be able to ask questions to both Nick and Emma. Please share your questions prior to the event via the question box on the registration page, email events@bcna.org.au or during the evening via the discussion box on your screen. If you wish to attend this event anonymously, please review the steps below: All cameras will be automatically turned off when you enter the event Questions can be asked prior to and during the event via the chat or audio function. If you wish to remain anonymous, we recommend using the chat function only If you wish for your name not to be shown during the event (via the chat, attendee list and camera name), please click here. This link will show you how to join the Zoom meeting anonymously If you’re unable to alter your name prior to the Zoom event, please click here. This link will show you how you can update your name on the night of the event If you’re unable to edit your name via both the links above, please reach out to a BCNA staff member via the chat function on the night of the event and we can edit it for you manually Any questions regarding your attendance, please email events@bcna.org.au for further assistance. Register for the webcast here. Event Details Date: Thursday 17 February 2022 Time: 6.00pm - 7.00pm AEDT Where: Online – from your computer, tablet, or laptop Your Local Time: WA: 3.00pm NT: 4.30pm SA: 5.30pm QLD: 5.00pm ACT, NSW, TAS, VIC: 6.00pm
