Hi all ,
I’m new here. Last September I was diagnosed with stage 1 hormone positive breast cancer . Very quickly I had a lumpectomy with clear margins , no spread to lymph nodes . Therefore I’m now on tamoxifen and had 5 sessions of radiotherapy. Anyway I am now back at work and just trying to get on with my life . However last week my best friends mum has been diagnosed with what is looking like secondary cancer in her lung. This is devastating for my best friend. After hearing this I’ve been anxious ever since . I know every case is different but I would really love some reassurance from others who have been through this . When I asked my oncologist about chance of reoccurrence, he told me it was low. So then I get annoyed at myself , knowing that’s I’m far better off than others and I should be grateful. Just looking for advice , stories etc that I’m likely to be ok for now .Thanks for reading xxx
Hi @caz1981 well done on getting through active treatment and back to normality. It’s what we all want, isn’t it? Alas, for many of us, though normality now includes that little thing in the back of our minds that never allows us to forget about recurrence. There’s nothing that any of us can do to get a guarantee that it won’t happen, although for a very large majority of women, it won’t and this uncertainty feeds our anxiety. Recurrence depends on your histology, age, adherence to treatments and just blind bad luck but if your oncologist tells you that there’s only a small chance of spread then that’s something to hang on to. Have you thought about doing the Moving Forward course that Breast Cancer Now offers? It’s online so easier to fit in with your other commitments. It covers this and other topics that we face when active treatment stops. Details are on the main Breast Cancer Now website. Some times people who have lived cancer free for many years come back to the forum to give us positivity that it can be done but the vast majority just leave it all in the past. Try the course, it will help.
Thanks so much for replying. I did actually do the moving forward course in February . I think I’ve just forgot a lot of the strategies and need to revisit . I will take time out to read through the course material again xx thanks x
Hi @caz1981,
First of all welcome to the forum, I hope you find it a helpful and reassuring place 
It’s totally normal that your friend’s mum’s diagnosis would bring up a lot of emotions for you when you’ve so recently been through what you have. As @Tigress has mentioned our Moving Forward course deals with a lot of the anxieties you have, although I can see that you have already attended this course. Please remember that ‘moving forward’ itself is not a linear process and even though you may have taken the course already that doesn’t mean you can’t still experience these emotions. Our nurses are always on hand if you ever need to speak to someone or talk this through, you can reach them on 0808 800 6000.
Alice
Thanks for your reply, and thanks for reminding recovery / feelings are not linear
There are always references to breast cancer in women’s magazines, tv, and on radio. Breast cancer is the most common cancer for women to get so this isn’t surprising but it does jolt you. I get taken back to my first diagnosis. Mine was grade 1 with no lymph node involvement and a tumour less than 1 cm but I did have a bit of DCIS. This is cancer cells that are in a breast duct but have not broken through the duct so technically isn’t cancer. I had to deal with feeling healthy with a small painless lump to being told I needed surgery in two weeks which happened to be the week before Christmas Day.
Not the best Christmas present. At the time I was 48 but I was petrified as I was single and everyone thought I hadn’t got cancer as my biopsies were clear.
I had radiotherapy and breast conservation surgery which left me looking misshapen but I refused tamoxifen as it would have made only a marginal difference.
19 years later a lot older but no wiser I got a different version of breast cancer in the same breast. I was really really annoyed as I knew treatment is mastectomy if you have had radiotherapy as this can only be given once.
I am glad the cancer has gone but it still upsets me that surgery is still the most effective treatment for early breast cancer and it hurts! Maybe mastectomy less painful as the operation takes out nerves which would transmit pain. Meaning areas of the chest are numb.
So I have learnt a lot but I still feel anxious from time to time. The word cancer is so likely to frighten everyone as who on earth would want to have any kind of this baffling and ancient disease?