Really upset myself by googling yesterday I’m a year from treatment but terrified of recurrence having had aggressive grade three in two nodes. I read an article although it was old basically saying ladies with low grade tumour are often over treated and those with aggressive often given false hope of a long term cure. It basically said aggressive cancer will always return and chemo only buys time and oncologist knows this but don’t say… Awake nearly all night now have headache sorry to be negative it’s so scary anyone with Grade three with positive news
Well, I don’t know what you read Typical me…but it sounds like it wasnt a main stream article/organisation? I know stage and grade affect probabilities of recurrence, but I also know that treatments are improving year on year and treatment of bc in general is good. I also had grade 3 and I based my knowledge at the time from the fact that NHS predict gave me ‘probabilities of non-recurrence’, which had all my data entered. Be very careful what you read, as you are more than likely (in probability terms) to be one of the ones who spends the rest of your life worrying, and spend so much valuable energy and time doing so that it makes things miserable.
Here’s a good page about ‘survival’…
cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/breast-cancer/survival
I know it sounds easy for me to say it, as I also have days of fear and ‘what if it happens again’, but you know what…it’s outside my control, and might never happen… xx
Hi TM,
That damn google again. It doesn’t take much to see something that can set the anxiety monster roaring again, so sorry you saw this.
Whatever it is, it’s a point of view & there are loads of points of view out there, many of which are not really very helpful, or in any way specific to you.
Recurrance is something we all have to live with, mine was grade 2 with no nodes & there are others here with a ‘lesser’ diagnosis than mine who got secondary bc, likewise, there are others doing well with higher grade bc & node involvement.
The survival stats do suggest that we are far, far more likely to be ok into the long term & these were based on survival stats from 10-20 years ago, so the latest treatments would not even be represented yet.
As you say, it was an Old article, so best put to one side & ignored I think, maybe write it down, tear it up & throw it in the bin.
Do take care,
ann x
Yep, that Charys is a much loved Grade 3 friend of mine, of fewer years than me, but her “Its outside of my control, and it may never happen again” says it all that I feel, 10 years beyond. Plus Ann’s attitude to - chuck it in the bin. None of us knows, whatever grade, so don’t spend the rest of your life in fear. It takes time, but you will eventually. And think positively for your kids sake, not negatively fearing for them, either. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve all had and still have (not so much me now) wobbles, but it does get much easier, I can personally assure you. Try not to fear it, but deal with the if when, or if, it ever happens. If that makes sense.
Delly xxxx