Breast cancer survivors please?

Question

My sister in law had a second operation today for breast cancer.A month ago when she had her first one they did a partial masectomy,and they took out three lymph nodes.Today they were talking all the lymph nodes out.She has been told that she needs radio/ chemo therapy.What is the outlook please.?

Answer 1

In September 2004, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, it too had spread to my lymph nodes. I had to have my lymph nodes removed and to do the chemo/radiation. Three years later, and i feel better than I have before, and I have been given a clean bill of health, but it is very important that she goes to all her scheduled doctors appointment, and it is a beautiful thing to know that she has a caring sister in law such as yourself.

Answer 2

Breast cancer is staged using a system that looks at the size of the tumor, the number of affected lymph nodes, and whether metastases are present. The doctors also look at the tumor for other characteristics, including grade, hormone receptors, and oncogenes.

It is possible to take all of this information and to look at what the chance of a recurrence is (see the web site), but the important thing is that those are just numbers, rather than individual people.

The treatment that she is being offered sounds like a lot, but because of how breast cancer behaves, it's actually standard.

Going through the surgery will be tough on your sister in law. Chemotherapy is tough, as is radiation therapy, however, many women have been down this path. After she gets through with this, depending on the type of cancer, she will most likely be put on a drug that will inhibit further growth.

But the real message I want to give you and your sister in law is one of hope. We have better treatments than ever before and women with breast cancer are living much longer.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I can't tell you what the outlook is for your sister-in-law, I couldn't even if I knew more details of her particular cancer, but I can tell you my own experience.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer almost four years ago. The tumour was 2.5 cm, grade 3 stage 3; after surgery 13 lymph nodes were found to be afffected. The cancer has spread to some or all of your s-i-l's lymph nodes , this is why they are being removed and why chemo and radiotherapy are being recommended.

I had chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy, and despite my poor prognosis I am currently fit and well with no evidence of disease (NED) found at my recent routine check-up.

My best wishes to your sister-in-law; you or she are welcome to email me if I can be of any further help.

Answer 4

My sis had a radical mastectomy in both breasts....she is fine now (no breasts however) she did not need chemo or radiation. My mom had a lump a few years back and had radiation and is fine. My sister's lymph nodes (as to date) are just fine. My uncle (yes, UNCLE) had breast cancer and it's all gone now....they just took it out, he had chemo and all is well. My dad also has cancerous malignant spots on the top of his head (can't get him to put on sunscreen!!) and just goes to the dermotoligist once/year and they just scrape the cancerous cells off. I'm telling you all of this because they are ALL survivers and are living just fine. I think your sis-in-law will be right. I will say an extra prayer for her tonight. Good luck my friend.

Answer 5

hi! i had breast cancer 5years and 8 months ago when i was 41 years old. i had stage 1 with no involvement of the nodes. surgeon did a mastectomy with sentinel node biopsy. did 4 rounds of chemo every 3 weeks. started with 6 months follow-ups and now down to yearly follow-ups. hopefully i will be released soon to just go for regular check-ups. i understand that it is a
difficult time for your family right now but with the strides that they are making in the cure for breast cancer i have a lot of faith that your sister in law will do just fine.being pro-active with the recommended treatment, having faith and a positive outlook and most especially having the love and support of family and friends will really be a big help to her right now. all my best wishes and prayers to your sister in law and your family at this time.

Answer 6

I am a male, but I have seen patients having recurrance of breast cancer. As rightly told by the doctors she has to undergo Chemotherapy cycles and radiation once again and since they have taken out the lymph nodes there may be good chance of surviving. Had you given some more information regarding stage of disease, age of the patient and age of the disease, it would have been possible to tell you something more. Here please read the following from http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/guide/checking-for-recurrence

The type of treatment for local breast cancer recurrences depends on your initial treatment. If you had a lumpectomy, local recurrence is usually treated with mastectomy. If the initial treatment was mastectomy, recurrence near the mastectomy site is treated by removing the tumor whenever possible, usually followed by radiation therapy.

In either case, hormone therapy and/or chemotherapy may be used after surgery and/or radiation therapy. If breast cancer is found in the other breast, it may be a new tumor unrelated to the first breast cancer. Treatment would include a lumpectomy or mastectomy and possibly radiation and/or systemic therapy (chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy).

Women with distant recurrence involving organs such as the bones, lungs, brain or other organs are treated with systemic therapy. Radiation therapy or surgery may also be recommended to relieve certain symptoms.

Immunotherapy with trastuzumab (Herceptin) alone or with chemotherapy may be recommended for women whose cancer cells have high levels of the HER2/neu protein. Immunotherapy is generally started after hormonal or chemotherapy are no longer effective.

Please carry on with the treatments and I wish her a speedy recovery-

Answer 7

i was diagnosed grade 3 breast cancer 2004 had mascetomy auxillary clearance (all lymph nodes removed) as 8 were infected chemo and radio and the out look is good for me I'm three years into it so the out look looks good for your sister

Answer 8

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