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Any early (less than 5yrs) local recurrence of early stage IDC?
I was recently diagnosed, at 70 yrs, with a local recurrence (also hormone dependent) of my BC (2.5 yrs ago: ER+, PR+, Her -; 2cm with 2 smaller nodes) (IDC) that first occurred 2.5 yrs ago, had lumpectomy back then followed by radiation for 3 wks. I did not take the AI due to feared SEs (already borderline osteo). My Oncotype was considered low ('10') and I've been told by the oncotype people that the score is in relation to distant recurrence. For this recurrence in same spot (and into skin layers) I just underwent a mastectomy 1 week ago and axillary dissection.
I don't come across many instances on this site of local recurrences similar to mine and in my timeframe. Is this really unusual? (After my radiotherapy, I was told chances were only 5% of recurrence.) And is there a relation with distant recurrences later on?
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Me too
Of course all the scientific language is new to me but I’m beginning to understand it more as I read studies etc. I am not a medical professional but this is what I have gathered… please continue to check with your physicians for accuracy.
My understanding is that “ distant “ refers to a metastatic cancer of the tumor removed ( secondary to and related to the original cancer showing up elsewhere in the body).
A new cancer in a second breast would be a new “primary cancer” . My breast surgeon told me that a primary cancer does NOT jump to a second healthy breast.
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2 ReactionsI agree to continue to check with your physician!
I would be very careful to not take everything we read on this forum, or google as truth… we are not doctors!
Please everyone, speak to your medical team!!
♥️
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2 ReactionsAs I understand it, the ONCOTYPE is an analysis of the DNA of the tumor ( not of me ). It refers to the aggressiveness of the cancer. If it’s not aggressive, by their measures, then chemotherapy won’t recognize it… chemo targets rapidly reproduction of cells. It is guide for the possibility of chemotherapy treatment which targets systemic or “distant” risk. A low (25 and under for menopausal women) suggests no chemo and suggests a low recurrence rate for 9 years if in conjunction with AI for 5-10 years.
ONCOTYPE does NOT imply any statement about the need ( or not) for radiation. Radiation primarily targets and addresses the risk of local/regional recurrence .
This is how I understand these concepts. I am a BC survivor trying to understand the very complicated world we find ourselves living in . I am not a health practitioner. If I have stated something inaccurately please correct me.
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1 Reaction@cashemire how are you doing and feeling?
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1 ReactionHello polianad22,
Thanks for asking...now 4 months after mastectomy and axillary dissection, there is less pins and needles nerve pain and better left arm mobility. But I am very wary of starting the Arimidex due to recent worse bone density scan (further into osteoporosis in spine). I still don't have any info as to whether a local recurrence predisposes a distant occurrence or whether these are two quite different events. All the best to you.
I still don't understand why do we need hormonal treatment after the mastectomy. Breast cancer is the only cancer driven by estrogen and progesterone. Correct?
It's because breast cancer cells might have escaped to elsewhere in the body, metastasized...
and is more problematic when that happens.
I know that. How does the hormonal treatment help the metastatic cancer?
so the med can work to prevent it when cells are hormone dependent, anywhere in body
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