Hi my dear friend fought breast cancer 7 years ago and has just been told that it has returned.
Biopsy was taken from two enlarged nodes in her neck and it confirms it’s breast cancer.
Three other areas have shown up along her collar bone on CT scan (though she can’t feel anything).
Bone scan to follow shortly. She is HER2 3+ ER4 (although the HER part has to be reconfirmed - not sure why?).
I don’t understand the pathology and would welcome any explanation.
Her brain, lungs and liver are clear. What I wanted to understand, is it typical to have this presentation of secondary cancer, or should I be preparing for it to appear in her bone scan? Everything I have read talks about mets in brain, lungs, liver and bones, but doesn’t mention it only appearing in lymph nodes.
I want to be prepared so that I can support her properly and any help or advice would be really welcome.
I really didn’t think I would have to post on her asking for advice again…it’s such a shock and so, so upsetting.
Bless her how frightening! Bless you too for being a great friend.
I know you will get lots of replies and advice in here soon . I don’t know anything about secondries but it is good it hasn’t shown up in all the places you mention. fingers crossed it’s been caught early enough to benefit from treatment. Did she have a serious diagnosis 7 years ago?
Try not to worry … easier said than done I know! Please keep us poste don how she gets on,
i would prepare for it being in the bones as breast cancer can be found any where in the body if she is lucky it could be just at this time in the lymph nodes only. i have not heard of her2 3+ or E4 i am her2-(neg) and E+(pos) and have it in my chest wall and T6 on spine but not any were else at present this is my 5th year since it reoccured. and it can re occour at any time, mine took 15 years i have a friend who had gone 30 years before it came back, and it did not come back in same breast. My cousins came back after 5 years but came back in the pelvis so you can see it is unpredictable to were it may come back so i say prepare for the worse and fingers crossed it is no worse than they have already found
Hi, I just wanted to share my 20 years of breast cancer, beginning with a 1995 diagnosis, mastectomy, chemo and radio, fast forward to 2009 with a local recurrence, surgery, chemo and radio, then more recurrences in 2011 and 2013, when it was found to have spread to a lymph node in the chest wall, suddenly went from being cured to control only.
I still only have the recurrence in the axilla (armpit) and the hilar lymph node, I have been on oral chemo for over 2 years. It has now stopped working so I’m waiting for an Onc appointment on 18th.
I hope that your friend has no further mets but it shows that everyone is different. There are some good treatments for HER + BC too now. She has a lovely friend supporting her xx
An update. My friends bone scan was clear! Which is the first piece of good news she has had.
chemo starts Monday. CT scan after two rounds to check tumour response then herceptin will be added. After that a third drug (can’t remember the name) will be added - she has to pay herself as NICE turned her down. Waiting to hear what the actual criteria for acceptance for use of drug is -£40,000 a year!!! Postcode lottery???
tumour in her neck is huge - 7 weeks on from initially finding it. Additional tumours under her arm too.
looks like it is “contained” for now which is a relief.
6 months of chemo ahead and maybe followed by rads. Long road, but really hoping she then has a very long period of good health to go on with her life as normal.