Stage III Cancer Survivors. Any 10 -20 years survivors?

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TLF
TLF Member Posts: 14
edited December 2017 in Stage III Breast Cancer

I am newly diagnosed and afraid as can be. I just want to hear from those of you who have been there and have kicked this in the butt for 10 -20 + years. Please share.

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  • pabbie
    pabbie Member Posts: 370
    edited September 2009

    Hi-I'm a 10 year surviver/thriver of colo-rectal cancer-stage 3 (Farrah's cancer). And I was dx'd with BC in Feb. 2008-stage 2.

    This second cancer has knocked the wind out of my sails but my boat is still afloat.

    Take care of yourself. (living one day at a time helps me)

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  • DCMom
    DCMom Member Posts: 624
    edited September 2009

    TLF-  GO RIGHT NOW to the Inspiring Stories Forum and click on success stories.  You will find pages of inspiring stories.  It has been up since 2003 pages and pages of survival stories.  It's a great one to read and read!  I plan on posting there myself after 10 years!!!!!   That's 8 1/2 years from now so watch for it and reply to me when YOU see it. 

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  • medommer
    medommer Member Posts: 22
    edited September 2009

    Hi TLF- I'm a 7 1/2 year Stage lll (9+ nodes) survivor.  My sister-in-law was diagnoised at age 35.   She is now 64, and a 29 year survivor.

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  • KerryMac
    KerryMac Member Posts: 3,529
    edited September 2009

    medommer - wow, great to hear your success! thanks for posting it!

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  • KerryMac
    KerryMac Member Posts: 3,529
    edited September 2009

    Ellen - fabulous news!!

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  • TLF
    TLF Member Posts: 14
    edited September 2009

    Thank you everyone for your stories and input. I just received a call from my BS to tell me the resulrs of my pathology report; I have an official appointment on Thursday. The tumor for 1 cm with 5/26 nodes positive. My thoughts are, is that good? Bad? I know that based upon that information I will need chemo plus radiation.  I am just not sure how to react to the news. What questions should I ask?

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  • everyminute
    everyminute Member Posts: 1,805
    edited September 2009

    That was almost exactly my diagnosis over a year ago (last June 5th - so 15 months ago).  I had dose dense AC+T (which means 4 doses of Adriamicin and Cytoxen together every 2 weeks followed by Taxol every 2 weeks).  I then had 5 1/2 weeks of radiation.  Pre chemo I had a bilateral mast with immediate reconstruction. 

    I chose to have a full hysterectomy (less estrogen = better for me!) and am taking tamoxifen currently.  My onc would like me to do 5 yrs of tamox followed by 5 years of femara but we are watching studies to make sure that is a good plan.  Femara has shown to be slightly better in studies BUT that doesnt take into consideration that some people can not metabolize Tamox well.  I was tested and am a extensive metabolizer and I dont take any drugs that interact with it.

    I chose to get 3 opinions when I started out, it made me feel very good to know that all 3 agreed on my best treatment options.  (I would have been happy with two but I was deciding between 2 docs so I ended up with 3!). 

    I wish you well.  Feel free to ask questions here or private message me.

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  • KerryMac
    KerryMac Member Posts: 3,529
    edited September 2009
    TLF - I had 3 rounds of FEC100 and then 3 of Taxotere. I am in Canada, so that is the standard "big gun" chemo here. Then 25 Rads, then we removed my ovaries, and I am on Arimidex for the next 5 (maybe 10?) years. My Onc actually thinks Tamoxifen is just as effective, but was quite firm on suppressing the Ovaries either through shots or surgery (I am highly ER+,100%). So, I imagine your treatment plan will be similar - Chemo, Rads, then Hormonals. It seems quite overwhelming at first, but just keep putting one foot in front of the other and you will get through it!
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  • diana50
    diana50 Member Posts: 2,134
    edited September 2009

    i am not 10 years out but i am 7 and half years.  i see the 10 years coming quickly. lol

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  • Lindaip
    Lindaip Member Posts: 39
    edited September 2009

    I AM ALSO A 7 AND ONE HALF YEAR SURVIVOR.(STAGE III B). MY TUMOR WAS ATTACHED TO THE SKIN AND MY ONE INVOLVED LYMPH NODE WAS 3 CM. I WAS ON ARIMIDEX FOR 5 YEARS AND AM NOW ON A CLINICAL TRIAL WHERE I MIGHT BE GETTING FEMARA OR I MIGHT BE GETTING A PLACEBO

    LINDA

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  • weesa
    weesa Member Posts: 707
    edited October 2009

    I'll be a seven year survivor of stage 3 bc in Nov. of this year. It's been a long harrowing journey with 17 surgeries. (Long story,sometime I will pull it all together and summarize it for you guys.) I feel wonderful. Had dose dense AC then taxotere, radiation, mx. AI's for six years (that was the hardest part.) Even more wonderful--I have a friend who was diagnosed with IBC in Sept. of 2002 and she is totally fine.There are lots of long term stage 3 survivors out there,but I think sometimes they don't feel the pressing need to visit here as much as those warriors who are in the earlier, scarier times.

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  • cakeisgreat
    cakeisgreat Member Posts: 660
    edited October 2009

    My dear friend who has helped me through my bc experience so far was orig DCIS then went to stage III w 12 positive nodes.  That was 13 years ago and still doing great!  (DCIS was 13 yrs, stage III was 10). 

    And my other friend's aunt was stage III also...13 years ago.  Doing great!  had lump/chemo/rads.

    My onc also has a patient who is stage IV.......for 20 years!!!!

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  • AnneW
    AnneW Member Posts: 4,050
    edited October 2009

    My mom was Stage IIIb when diagnosed back in the 60s. She was 39. She had NO chemo back then. Just radical mastectomy and cobalt radiation. She lived 20 years before dying of colon cancer. I chalk it up to willpower, stopping smoking, and the advent of Tamoxifen 10 years into her survival.

    Anne

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  • Pure
    Pure Member Posts: 1,796
    edited October 2009

    I met a girl through facebook who had 6 positive nodes with tumours coming out of the nodes and she is 10 years.

    I met another girl thorugh facebook who is 5 years out and she had advanced breat cancer (spread to her collar bone)  She was hr positive.She did chemo/radiation and hormonals. She said from the minute she got the cancer she decided she was a survivor.

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  • everyminute
    everyminute Member Posts: 1,805
    edited October 2009

    I have a friend who is 9 1/2 years out - stage 3, huge tumor and 5 postive nodes.

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  • janine007
    janine007 Member Posts: 11
    edited October 2009

    Hello!

    I was diagnosed w/ stage 3 in March. Just finished chemo and then a mastectomy. I had the same wonder as you. During the last 7 months, I have met numerous wonderful, courageous women who have lived 10+ years and far, far beyond.

     I met a lady in a retirement home a few weeks back that says she was stage 3 and out 60+ years. She was 95 years old. It's baffling, but she is a light and I really believe her. She gives testimonies at cancer support causes.  

    Good Luck w/ your treatment. Prayer is powerful and I have found it to REALLY WORK....My prayers are with all you women. God Bless You ALL!

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  • lexislove
    lexislove Member Posts: 2,645
    edited October 2009

    There are a lot of Stage 3 woman out 10+ years.....but you won't find them on here! Most woman on these boards are newly diagnosed or going through active treatment, so you see only this side.

    Thank god for the woman who come back after finishing to offer support and answer questions.

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  • Pure
    Pure Member Posts: 1,796
    edited October 2009

    Also, dont look at the stats. The stats calculatator that docs use and produce those lovely graphs dont includeherceptin, don't seperate hr positive and hr negative, don't account for post masectomy radiation, and don't account for the newer drugs like zometa.

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  • Pure
    Pure Member Posts: 1,796
    edited October 2009

    There was a lady on fox news this morning. She was diagnosed at age 31 with stage 3 and lymph node involvement. This year is 10 years for her. And just think 10 years ago I don't think they had some of the drugs we have today nor did they have zometa.

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  • umesh
    umesh Member Posts: 1
    edited December 2010

    I am writing on behalf of my sister who is 43 years old and is diagnosed with Stage 3C breast cancer. She is very disappointed with the entire news and I have no clue how to encourage her to take on this. I am reading some stories here which is helping a bit but it would nice to hear more or to find some links to some good inspirational stories. She starts her Chemo tomorrow and I want to give her something that she can read and get motivated. Cant see her dying before she absolutely looses it medically.

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  • Cat123
    Cat123 Member Posts: 296
    edited December 2010

    It's great to hear the long term survivor stories.  I'm curious....for women who survived 10 to 20 years, would they have used CMF chemo?  Was that the only one available then or were other ones around too? 

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  • Pure
    Pure Member Posts: 1,796
    edited December 2010

    We have whats called 3rd generation chemo. So we definitly have an advantage based on what they would have had.

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  • TectonicShift
    TectonicShift Member Posts: 752
    edited January 2013

    bump for Many

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  • oaktownmom
    oaktownmom Member Posts: 114
    edited February 2012

    I have a friend who is 14 years out from a Stage IIIc, triple negative diagnosis!  She was diagnosed in her late twenties.  She's doing fantastic!

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  • clariceak
    clariceak Member Posts: 752
    edited February 2012

    Remember, bc org hasn't been around for ten years so you will only hear second hand stories.  There are probably many many women who are doing great that will never be acccounted for on this board.

    My aunt had a masectomy in the 1970's and ovarian cancer in the 1980's.  She's in her 80's and going strong.,

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  • CherylinOhio
    CherylinOhio Member Posts: 623
    edited February 2012

    I love hearing these stories as I am having a bad day today.

    Lstreett, good to hear about your friend!!

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  • Kheng
    Kheng Member Posts: 26
    edited September 2013

    Glad to know that you are stage 3 and grade 3!

    We share the same boat!

    Mine is ER+

    Currently on Arimidex

    Are you on Arimidex or Femara?

    ASCO journal had done a research on 5000 patients on Femara

    50% suffer stroke and heart attack while taking Femara!



    Thank you for posting that encourages me!



    Can you share on your diet and lifestyle!

    I abstain from soya beans products as well as barbecue foods , deep fried oily foods!




    Most people around me are negative including my oncologist Ng Chee Hui from Canada but I am very sure that I can survive for another 22 years!



    Praise God for his tender mercy and faithfulness!



    Kheng from Singapore

    DX Aug 2011 MX. DCIS STAGE 3A grade 3 8/18+ nodes ER+

    AC X 2 Paclitaxel 12 weekly Rad 25 weeks of 50 grays! 1 mg Arimidex 500mg lingzhi/yunzhi daily 500mg calcium with vitamin D3 Kordel glucosamine with chondroitin and msm to fight bone and joint pains Ester-C to fight infection

    plus 22 varieties of herbal tea that I brew daily prescribed by TCM professor oncologist in Singapore
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  • lightandwind
    lightandwind Member Posts: 754
    edited December 2012

    Kheng, Can you share the link that said that 50% of people on femara experience stroke or heart attack? I looked for this and could not find any such data.

    The article i read said that 1.1 percent experience stroke and 6 % cardio event.

    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/63499.php

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  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 7,859
    edited December 2012

    Lightandwind, same here. 

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  • waitingtoexhale_26
    waitingtoexhale_26 Member Posts: 15
    edited December 2012

    well when I see my oncologist that could be 1 of the questions I ask him ...I take femara I have taken it since last February 2011 ..

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