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Circulating tumor cells to determine risk of recurrence

Breast Cancer | Last Active: Sep 20 3:40pm | Replies (41)
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@seathink

Chiming in here, as I am sure you are not the only one who wonders this.

Stage 4 is when the cancer is detected away from the original region. As an example, I was Stage 3b because it was in the breast, lymph nodes in armpit, chest wall, and skin.

If they had found it in my blood, lungs, farther lymph nodes, or another organ it would have been Stage 4.

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Replies to "Chiming in here, as I am sure you are not the only one who wonders this...."
windyshores | @windyshores | Jul 28, 2023

@seathink you may have misunderstood. I know what stage 4 means. The problem we have is how it can be detected early, without routine tests or scans.

After we finish treatment, many of us don't even see an oncologist anymore. I message them if I have intense bone pain, for instance, and they just say to see my PCP for an x-ray.

Every instance of stage 4 that I know personally has been found randomly during imaging for something else entirely.

The possibility of blood tests for detection is a major breakthrough.

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windyshores | @windyshores | Sep 20 2:28pm

@seathink you misunderstood my post. I am fully aware of what stage 4 is. What I meant is that after 10 years since diagnosis, as risk continues to rise (with hormonal cancers) my doctors offer no way to diagnose any spread other than symptoms." The main symptom they mention is focal, persistent new pain. I have arthritis with bone spurs (pressing on nerves) and 7 spinal fractures so that criterion is not particularly helpful.

I recently saw an oncology surgeon to evaluate a small lump and asked about this. She said they used to do annual bone scans but recurrence rates have decreased and they stopped. I asked what other approaches were available and she answered about the focal pain.

Every stage 4 I know or have read about on forums, had their metastasis discovered in imaging for another reason. I can't do contrast and my reports say they cannot detect tumors w/out contrast so that is out too.

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