Dear Miss China

Most of your questions are well-nigh impossible to answer without more
information.  If you are in the dark about these issues, you really need to
speak to your onc or breast care nurse.

But if it's any consolation, you are not alone.  I was diagnosed with bc two
years ago at 40.  I had a lumpectomy and radiotheraphy.  I was told chemo
was optional so I did not do it.

I'm still around and have every intention of being around for many years
yet.

If your cancer is hormone responsive from what I know, you are, to an
extent, lucky as there are a range of treatment options.  I am on Tamoxifen
(there goes today's tab!) for five years and something called Zoladex that
shuts down the oestrogen production in your ovaries.  I am currently in a
premature menopause that may or may not cease in September when I stop the
Zoladex.  The hot flushes or flashes are a drag, the night sweats even worse
but there are much worse things out there, for example, dying from bc in
your 40s.

I work full time and live a full life, my appearance is not much altered.
But my libido...  well, that's another story.

What I'm trying to say is it's no garden of roses but it's quite doable.

All the best and take the best of care of yourself.

María

Welcome to the group no-one wants to join.

Yes the prognosis at stage 2 is quite good, for most people it is a
matter of having treatment, healing and putting it behind you.  That is
not to belittle the fact that this is a life-threatening disease, and
for a minority treatment comes too late to prevent the disease spreading.

You can expect to have surgery, either lumpectomy or mastectomy, if the
former then radiotherapy over several weeks to 'clean up' any residues.
 Your oncologist may recommend chemotherapy, depending on details of
the tumour which may only become apparent once it has been removed.  As
you are in the younger age group (s)he may well be inclined towards
recommending it if only for the reason that you have more life to lose
if things go wrong, than an older patient.

Hormone therapy is the main reason why deaths from breast cancer have
fallen over recent decades.  It roughly halves the risk of the cancer
recurring.  It may in some people have some uncomfortable side effects,
but if these prove unbearable then there medications to alleviate them,
and alternative drugs to turn to.

Traditionally hormone therapy for the pre-menopausal has meant taking
Tamoxifen for five years.  Recent developments are suggesting that there
can be benefits from switching to another drug after this time.

Tamoxifen and its ilk are not strictly "hormone killers", what they do
is to block the estrogen receptors on breast tissue, the hormones
continue to circulate as normal.  The aromatase inhibitors recommended
for post-menopausal women are truly hormone killers in that they block
the production of estrogen around the body, e.g. in fat and muscle.  But
they don't work in the ovaries, so are no use if your ovaries are still
producing estrogen.  These drugs have better effectiveness against
cancer, but tend to have more side effects, and if you are
pre-menopausal, have to be combined with drugs to chemically induce
menopause.

Tim Jackson

Hi Miss China
I too was diagnosed with stage two infiltrating ductal carcinoma in
October 2005. As Maria mentioned there are other factors which affect
the prognosis and they will not be known until after the surgery. I
would think you will have surgery, chemo and possibly radiatherapy as
Tim said.

As to hormone killers, my cancer is ER- so I'm not taking any of them
and to be honest I wish I was/could. I would feel as if I was doing
something.

Good luck
Moz

Hi,
I am also a survivor of stage II bc, diagnosed when I was 35 years old
(almost 23 years ago).  I had a modified radical mastectomy, followed by a
year of CMF chemotherapy and then breast reconstruction.  If I recall
correctly, Tamoxifen came along for general use some time later, so I had no
treatment that affected estrogen.  I was told that my ovaries were destroyed
by the chemo, so maybe the chemo had some effect on estrogen.  I have been
generally healthy and do feel really blessed to be perkin' along this many
years after diagnosis.

I hope you get some information that is reassuring.  A cancer diagnosis is a
real "bummer" but there are many treatments.  I am thinking of you and
wishing you well!

Barb