Grade and size of tumour makes a big difference. However I read somewhere that recurrence is a steady 1% a year for ER positive tumours. I took that to mean that year1 after diagnosis 1% would get some kind of recurrence (not sure whether this includes recurrence of original cancer, a new primary or secondaries).
So when I got diagnosed with a new primary in 2022, first diagnosis in 2003, 19 years later I decided I had a 19% chance of recurrence of some kind. That means roughly a fifth of people with ER+ would be rediagnosed.
I’m still not clear about it as I had DCIS as well (focal they said in 2003) and the kind of breast cancer I got diagnosed with in 2022 was a different grade (Grade 2 this time, Grade 1 first time) and kind of ductal cancer (Glycogen-rich clear cell in 2003, No special type (NOS) in 2022) so I did get breast cancer again in 2022. I also had a history of atypical hyperplasia which means abnormal cell division in large numbers in one of my left breast ducts which is associated with later breast cancer.
If a woman develops breast cancer it usually happens after 60. I was first diagnosed at 48. Between 40 and 49 the risk is 2 in 100 women or 2%. Aged 50-59 it’s 4 in a 100 women or 4%. It goes up again between 60-69 to 8 in a 100 women. 8%.
So the risk doubles roughly every ten years and is a disease mainly developing in older age.
When I found my lump in 2003 I conveniently ignored all the statistics. I decided it was a fibroadenoma, i.e. a benign lump, confirmed by seven fine needle aspirations that found nothing. Because of my age, I decided to have the lump out anyway, as I was worried about it and wanted it out.
The numbers of women diagnosed in total in the UK has increased since 2003 from 30,000 a year to more like 46,000 a year so I think either there are more women in these age groups now, or the definition of breast cancer has widened to include DCIS and atypical hyperplasia.
Around the same number of women are dying of breast cancer each year as did so in 2003 and before that, as the actual number it been around 12,500 women for a long time.
So most people diagnosed with breast cancer appear not to die of it.
I truly hope you don’t have a recurrence and that you survive it, but there are unfortunately no guarantees. I am now fully reconciled to the fact that I am going to die of something and that if breast cancer doesn’t get me, something else will, possibly a side effect of treatment or possibly another cancer, but more probably Alzheimers and/or heart disease. The average life expectancy for a UK woman is now about 86. I am now 68 so have maybe 18 years left.
Seagulls
after treatment i was doing well and then in September this dark cloud came over me. Thank God i was aware something wasn’t right so went to my GP increased happy pills lol and back with my therapist Sam who i have checked in from time time and its amazing how talking helps lift your spirit. Do what you have to do, and its quite natural what you are feeling because we have all been there, going there don’t be afraid to reach out it’s healthy lots of prayers and hugs your way:butterfly: