Biopsy Results

Hi, I’m Shelley and am struggling with my recent biopsy results. I’m going to try and shrink my breast cancer journey so I can fit it all in here - last January I was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer which had spread to my lymphnodes and vertebrae. I had 7 cycles of chemo and 15 sessions of radiotherapy and was put on tamoxifen and goserelin injections. January of this year I was given the good news that my scans were clear and I was in remission, however my mid-year scans last month showed nodules on my lungs on my CT so I was sent for a biopsy and was told the results yesterday, that the lymphnodes alongside my airway inbetween my lungs have cancerous cells and I also have a tiny nodule on my left lung. I am about to start chemo again in tablet form, Palbociclib, alongside a new hormone suppressive tablet that begins with L which I can’t remember the name. I start taking them on Monday. My initial thoughts and feelings didn’t really hit me until I got home yesterday and honestly? I feel angry. And lost. I thought maybe they had got my scans mixed up with someone else because this can’t be happening right now, I feel great, I don’t feel sick, I have no symptoms. I went through the harshest treatment last year with chemo almost killing me, but I got through it. Then the beginning of this year up until yesterday, I worked really hard on myself; building myself back up again from scratch. Meditating, praying, putting on weight, eating right, rebuilding my strength to begin to work-out again, looking after my hair helping it to grow back… I was finally starting to recognize myself in the mirror again. I looked like Me. And I worked so hard. So I’m angry and I’m confused and I’m afraid - I tried chemo and radiotherapy, I tried working on myself and taking care of my mindset, I’m even trying to get back to work… I have tried my best but it doesn’t feel good enough. Inbetween January to July this year cancerous cells have showed up, what’s to say this new medication will work? I don’t know what to believe in anymore. I feel like I am prolonging the inevitable. I don’t want to die, but I can’t have my hopes built up again for them to be stripped away.

Is there anyone who has felt this way? I have my Mother and two Sisters, but there is nothing they can say or do to change my situation. I don’t have anyone I can really talk to who truly understands.

Hi all of us are in the same boat and have felt the same when diagnosed especially if like me I never had breast cancer previously or like you have been through so much already. But after 2.5 yrs I am still here have good and bad days, get angry that I might not see my kids grow old or enjoy retirement but I am working , living and enjoying myself . I can only hope some sort of long term solution is round the corner but this forum helps . Love wendy x

Hallo sLee, I am sorry that you are finding yourself in a dark place, you have had some intense treatment for secondary breast cancer so I’m not surprised that you feel it has been vain. SBC is a new ball game compared to primary. It has a habit of staying around hence why it is deemed incurable…BUT there really are lots of treatments to try for ER+ breast cancer and you are lucky to have been offered Palbociclib as this is only approved as a first line metastatic treatment on NHS. It is not a chemo really but a targeted treatment, I was lucky enough to have it on a trial and it worked for over 3 years for me.

You will probably have regression and progression of your cancer, all depending on what works for you. I have had secondary breast cancer for over 6 years after several local recurrences going back 10 years. In that time I have never had any pain or illness from my cancer, only in the treatments!! There are many, so take heart xx