Cancer is spreading... I'm petrified!

[nickip1]

Hi, this is my first post. I am 26 years old & 2 years ago I was dx with metastatic BC. The cancer had spread to my spine & my liver. I had chemotherapy in July 2000 (6 sessions) & was put on Tamoxifen & Bone Phos. I moved counties a few months later & the new hospital told me that my liver looked clear. I had radiotherapy last year, & a lumpectomy in September 2001.

Now I have moved house again & just been told that the Tamoxifen has stopped working & been told that there ARE cancer cells in my liver, & now a couple of ribs & something "dodgy looking" in my pelvis. I have now been put on Arimidex instead. I am so scared because I keep reading that Stage IV cancer is incurable & there is a 5 year life expectancy. I was dx 2 years ago, does that really mean that I don't have long left?

I got married last month & this should be the happiest time of my life, but I spend my time feeling so down because I can't get the horrible thoughts out of my head. I get pain in my back & my hips, but nothing major.

Can anyone please offer any positive information, or details of new treatments? I just need to know the truth, & I don't feel that my doctors want to tell me everything.

Thank you.

[pokieak]

Sorry about the wrong address. It is bcans.org. That should work.

[seven7]

I can not get the address you gave to come up. bscans.org
The screen comes up that reads "This page can not be displayed."

Do you you think you have left a letter out?  I sure would like to read it.  Seven

[pokieak]

THERE IS A GREAT SUPPORT GROUP AT bscans.org. They will welcome you with open arms and support.  Take care

[CCF-RN,MSN-JS]

Dear nickip1, Arimidex is another method of decreasing the body's circulating estrogen and hopefully to keep the cancer in check.  In the United States it was recently approved as first line hormonal treatment of metastatic breast cancer.  While it is correct that at this time we do not know of a cure for breast cancer that has metastasized, we do have treatments.  The goal of treatment is to try to keep the cancer under control, and prevent side effects of the cancer from occurring.  Each step of the way discussions need to continue as to goals of treatment and it's effects on quality of life.  No one can say for sure how much of a life span a person has, much depends on individual response to treatments, and how the cancer behaves.