Hi everyone I’m new in here.
i was diagnosed in January with grade 2 er+ Her2- breast cancer. My surgery was delayed due to covid and was put on letrizole and zoladex. It was an awful time mentally as I worried each day the longer I waited without surgery my cancer would spread . In May I got sciatica in right buttock/leg (had it a few years back) . The pain went away quickly but was left with numbness right to my toes . My gp/consultant at the time said it was unlikely to be related to breast cancer and an X-ray was clear (I don’t have a bone scan)
fast forward to today , I had a mastectomy and reconstruction early August , pathology showed lymph nodes clear, tumour 2.7cm. I don’t need chemotherapy. I seemed to be in the grey area with regards radiotherapy but have elected to have it as I want to make sure Ive done all I can to prevent recurrence. The Onco test they carried out showed recurrence risk at 9 years as 6%
despite the encouraging position I find myself in , I am worried sick that it had already spread by the time of my mastectomy due to the delay and the fact I still have numbness in my right leg with now right leg pain, occasionally lower back stiffness
would the pathology report show chances of spread via bloodstream?
ive not been able to pluck up the courage to ask or tell anyone and it’s impacting on me being able to feel encouraged with my results .
maybe I’m experiencing Letrozole side effects (I get night sweats and headaches sometimes)
any advice/reassurance welcome and thanks for reading x
Hi
I’m so sorry you’ve had to join us - and with such anxieties. My cancer was very different (heavily node-positive, chemo etc) but I thought it might help to say that our oncologists know what they’re doing. Every breast cancer case needs a different treatment plan.
Many patients were given hormone therapy in the early days of the pandemic. Had your form of breast cancer indicated possible spread, they would have adopted a different plan. They wouldn’t have used the treatment for you if they hadn’t believed it would work for you. Your clear lymph nodes from your surgery are another good indicator. You also have a promising onco-test result. Your team would not have failed to mention any signs or risks of spread and they wouldn’t have missed any signs.
BUT one thing I do know is that it is very common for many of us to attribute our aches and pains (and sciatica is a big one) to cancer and to worry about it spreading. I’m very proud of how I’ve dealt with these fears but, with my second yearly mammogram due very soon, little surges of what-if fears are seeping out. No-one is immune. We all learn to deal with it.
I think it would be a good idea to ring one of the nurses at the number above and talk through your fears. They are not silly, they won’t be dismissed as frivolous - and the nurse will advise you on the best way forward. I’ve used them three times and they are wonderfully reassuring. I think ultimately you will need to contact your team to have your fears well and truly allayed. You won’t be the first person they have to reassure. Of course you are frightened of learning something unpleasant (highly unlikely) but isn’t it better than living with this constant anxiety?
I hope you find peace of mind soon, Jan x
Hey there.
Cancer is such a terrifying thing, and I think most of us have very very normal fears about it spreading - you are not alone! However, my experience has been that the medical staff are even more paranoid than us mere mortals, and would definitely have your back. It does sound far more likely that this is a combination of the sciatica symptoms, plus hormone changes, plus a not unexpected dose of the ‘what ifs’.
Best advice… if you have a breast care nurse assigned, give them a ring and talk some of this through. I think they’ll be able to put your mind at rest.
Thank you both for your kind and helpful replies . I’m going to phone the Brest nurses tomorrow . I need to stop the constant worry and either be reassured or get the tests and the only way that can happen is to speak up
just writing it here was a help so I appreciate you taking the time to respond
Take care
xxx