Stage 2 Breast Cancer Reccurence

[Laura10]

I was diagnosed with Stage 2 A breast cancer in June of this year (in my left breast).  There was no node involvement and the cancer had not spread to any surrounding tissues.  The tumor was 2 cm x 4 cm.  It was HER2 positive and Estrogen/Progesterone positive. I elected for a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction.  I just finished chemotherapy with Taxotere and Carboplatin (a total of 6 doses, 3 weeks apart).  I am also on Herceptin for the next year and will be starting a 5-year course Tamoxifin next week.  

My question is one I am sure you often hear, but can you please help?  I am so nervous about recurrence.  What do you think my general chances of the cancer recurring elsewhere in my body are?  Again, I am so nervous, I appreciate any help.

[Irishgal2]

I forgot to say that you have a very good prognosis and a reduced risk of non reoccurrence from the information you provided.  Sometimes it really does get me down the fact that I had breast cancer and relatively young too.  I try not to show my worry to much to my family but I know that they can see through it.  I have a very good friend that I speak my concerns to and this is a great help.  I try not to mention it to my husband too much as he just worries all the time, which I can totally understand.  Please God both of us will be lucky and never hear or see cancer again and we live to be a ripe old age.  The best of luck to you.  

[Irishgal2]

Unfortuantely it is the question on every cancer patients lips.  We all want a guarantee that it will not return. I will tell you what I have been told.

I was Stage 1 cancer i.e. 2cm tumour ER and PR positive and Her2 negative.  I was told that if I took no further treatment by chances of reoccurred was less than 85% in 5 years.  With Chemo I gained another 5 percent, radiotherapy gave me a futher 3 percent and hormone therapy will give me a further 2% = 95%.  Ok so it is not 100% but it is a good as it gets and with yearly mammograms and reqular check ups we have a better chance than most women.  From your question you are getting all the best treatment available and the Herceptin is very important for Her2 positive cancer.  I have accepted that there will always be a cloud over me re the cancer, but as the years go by and I remain in remission I know the cloud will lift a little bit.  I also have 2 young children so I have decided that I am going to live my life to the full and if the cancer returns I will handle it.  I am not prepared for it to take over my life and my family.  I am diagnoised in March this year so the quicker you accept the cloud and make the decision to live your life no matter what, you will feel a lot better.