Anxiety about getting cancer again

Hi my name is Loraine,

I was diagnosed with Her 2+ BC last Oct. So far I have had 8 rounds of pre-op chemo, a lumpectomy and a lymph node clearance in May, and I have just finished 15 days of radiotherapy. I have started my 14 rounds of TDM1 preventative chemo. At the end of my my recent radiotherapy treatment my radiotherapy consultant gave me some information sheets on the possible bisphosphonate and hormone treatments that my oncologist may be prescribing soon.  Since reading these sheets I have become obsessed with the idea that cancer is likely to return. Firstly and importantly I must say that I am extremely grateful that I am being offered such thorough treatment, but secondly my thoughts turn to = why I am going through such potentially grueling treatment for 5+ years, if it won’t be coming back, so surely it’s likely that it will come back, in one form or another? Since the start of my journey I have refused to “google” any statistics etc, in order to keep myself sane, but now I think it’s time for me to find out some facts and figures. I spend most of my waking hours thinking about what the likelihood is of me getting cancer again. I think I’m going mad! I also want to know how long all this after op treatment last for? Is it only effective while you’re receiving it, or does it continue to prevent the return of cancer afterwards, with particular regard to the bisphosphonate and hormone treatment?

Hi @LoraineP  

It sounds like you’re going through a stressful time. It is a very common experience to feel like one wants to know more and to experience anxiety like you describe. 

We normally advise against Googling one’s symptoms, or statistics etc, because what comes up in searches isn’t always medically accurate.

If you’d like some peace of mind, you may wish to speak to our team of breast care nurses who will always be happy to talk things through at your pace. You can reach our team on freephone 0808 800 6000 (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm; Sat 9am-1pm), or if you prefer, you can leave a message for them on one of these boards.

Sending our warmest wishes

Bernard