When does the "anniversary" count begin?

Lou10

This may be a silly question, but when people talk about reaching the 5-year mark, or even the one-year mark, what are they using as the starting point? For example:

1. Does it start with the date of diagnosis?

2. Or, is this assumed to be a "cancer-free" period and therefore it starts after all treatments are completed? Except adjuvant hormonal treatment?

3. Or, is it the date of surgery, on the assumption the cancer was removed then and adjuvant treatments are "insurance"? Just to add a twist, what if cancer was found in the nodes during SNB but the rest of the nodes were radiated instead of having a second (ALND) surgery to remove then? Would it start after the radiation?

Thanks!

Rocket

No question is silly when it comes to BC. I asked my MO this question, and she stated that it usually is the anniversary of completion of treatments (with the exception of the AIs or Tamoxifen). I have heard many differing opinions on the anniversary however. So, I think it varies depending on whom you talk with. Sorry I can't be more definitive. I celebrate all my anniversaries from dx, chemo, rads, and stopping the wearing of my wig. I put the dates on my calendar and celebrate them each year. This January will be the third anniversary of my dx. I wish you well.

voraciousreader

When they collect data for statistical purposes, they look at date of diagnosis to determine a beginning point and then they look at overall survival that includes mortality from everything. More importantly,  when gauging how aggressive a disease is or if a therapy works, one looks at disease free survival which is determined from the moment active treatment finishes until there is or isn't a relapse.  So if I were calculating your anniversary, it would begin with the date you finished treatment, whether it be surgery or adjuvant chemo.  Good luck!

Lou10

Thanks Rocket and voraciousreader. I guess it'll depend on who's asking and for what purpose.

For me, the turning point was not the end of active treatment (which is what I had expected), because I still felt so awful. I did have pre-existing health problems but this was way worse ... wasn't sure how much was from residual SEs of chemo and rads and SEs of tamoxifen. I recently went off Tamoxifen and it took a "layer" off virtually all my symptoms. For the first time I felt I might be able to get a life. So maybe that's my personal anniversary, although I really like the "topless" anniversary.  

BikerLee

My doc said date of last treatment - for me, that's topless day....  

I had a complete pathological response, but I don't know exactly when I was NED.  It seems it may have been November 2011... by imaging, anyway.  but who can exactly say. 

SO, as much as I wish I were more than seven months out... I'm just seven months out.

I also count from 29July2011, though... That was the day I learned that my tumor was cancer.

So, I guess I have two anniversaries that I pay attention to.

The Feb 2012 is ... much ... happier.

NEDly yours,

Lee 

Gai

Agree there are no silly questions and I think it is interesting that everyone views it differently.  

When I think about this, for me, it is the day I was diagnosed.  I use this date as it was the day my life changed forever and everything that happened after that was as a result of being diagnosed.  It also gave me something positive to focus on rather than something negative, survival rather than diagnosis, and a mark of just how far I had come.  

So on the 14th November it will be my 12 years anniversary.  

Gai

jwilco

I was diagnosed in August.  But my UMX was one year ago today, October 11, 2011.  So I'm using that date.  My other treatment is taking tamoxifen which I started in November.

Lou10

Lost track of this topic ... Happy belated or upcoming anniversary to each of you!

Realize I haven't celebrated an anniversary yet, perhaps because I haven't really felt cancer-free. Earlier in the year I had investigations of my breasts (concerns needing follow-up), bladder (fine), uterus (benign polyp), colon (benign, pre-cancerous type of polyp), brain (mild evidence of prior injury), and neck (multi-level degenerative disc disease). Then in August, I had my first breast MRI that didn't require follow-up and I remember thinking, NOW I must celebrate my next anniversary.

But now I'm being investigated for a pain in my shoulder (probably nothing ominous but of course the issue of mets raises its ugly head). As I write this I'm thinking I should forget about celebrating being "cancer-free" (because who really knows) and celebrate being alive! 

wrsmith2x

Lou10, 

What type of shoulder pain are you having?  I started having shoulder pain in the last few days and will of course watch it for a couple of weeks before bothering my doctor with it.  I see him in December and will be due for a bone scan in January.

Just wondered if you could specify your shoulder pain.  Thanks.

Lou10

wrsmith2x, 

My pain is in the shoulder blade area, sort of towards the centre of my back. It's generally not a sharp pain, more like an achy, burning pain. I have discomfort in that area if I take a deep breath or sneeze, etc.

The pain started in early September, about the time I had a massage, and I kept expecting it to resolve. In fact, on a couple of occasions I thought it had resolved, but was wrong. It seems to be worse at night.

In mid-October I went to see my doctor, who thought it might be a pulled rhomboid muscle and said it should improve in a few weeks with rest. She sent me for an x-ray, which was fine (but they aren't very sensitive in picking up ominous things). It hasn't improved with rest, so I'm not sure what we'll try next. They don't do routine follow-up scans here, but I "may" get one since I have symptoms. I'm not sure what type of scan would be best as I sometimes wonder if my lung is affected -- that sometimes presents as shoulder pain. On the other hand, it's probably just muscular or arthritic degeneration ...

Hope your pain goes away soon and doesn't cause you to worry.