secondaries! how did you know?

am nearly 4 years post diagnosis, surgery, chemo and rads and 12 months of Herceptin. Was grade3, Her2 pos, 4nodes+

Was told I had very aggressive cancer and am really happy that I seem to be ok so far, but just wondered how anyone found out that they has a recurrence.

Have been having yearly mammograms, though still unable to tolerate on affected breast as too painful at one end of scar line. Not that I am bothered as it was my 1st mammogram that let me down, was given the all clear when calcifications were apparently on that 1st mammogram

That just leaves me to do regular breast checks, but how will I know what symptoms to look for if it reoccurs somewhere else in my body

I am at the age now where I am experiencing the odd aches and pain which come with age. I have always ignored pain and carried on with stuff tending not to dwell on it, I am just worried that I may ignore something that is relevant

Hi Cerysan

Like you I was told I had a very aggressive cancer. I was dx 19 years ago but as her2/herceptin wasnt know about then I just had chemo to fight it with plus the usual surgeries & rads. I had a couple of new primaries and a recurrence. I would say just be aware of your body as I am sure you are. If you have unusual pain, or notice anything unfamiliar that goes on for more than a couple of weeks then speak to your bcn or onc about it. In most cases for me I would say the pain was unfamiliar. I had bone mets dx 7 years ago and it was severe sciatica that first alerted me to something being wrong.

Others I am sure will be along to add their experiences.

Dawn
xx

Hi Cerysan
My primary bc was non aggressive, Grade 1-2, no nodes and no reason to think it would reoccur! However on my final, ‘sign-off the 5 years’ mammo a local recurrence showed up. This was bad enough with me expecting a mastectomy etc but a scan then showed I had bone mets. I had noticed a dull ache on my hip but only when I was running so assumed it was a muscle ache. Having said that, I’m glad the mammo did show up the new tumour - I certainly hadn’t felt it despite being very breast aware - as I don’t expect my bone mets would have been found for ages and therefore treatment would have been delayed. Please don’t live you life expecting BC to come back into it (I hope it doesn’t) but, as Dawn says, just be aware of your body and note anything that persists.
Nicky

I agree that you know your own body and must persist to let medical people know.I went for a few months trying to tell docs it was a different pain,rather than back pain from sciatica(2 ops)then after another doc recommended a bone scan found that it was secondary and had gone to my bones,lower back and hips.It has since spread to pelvis but chemo is working.We must keep asking questions.Best wishes to all that are going through any type of cancer and God give us the strength to carry on fighting.
Maureenx

Thank you all for your replies, will listen to what my body tells me from now on and maybe take just a little more notice of it than I usually do