Is it true? 70% cured just by surgery, stage 1?

msShelly

I was told by doctor that 70 percent of stage 1 women are cured by surgery or surgery+radiation alone? is this true?

if this is true, what are the rest of percentages? 

what percentage of women helped by chemo?

what percentage of women helped by hormone?

i am very scared about breast cancer, but if this is really true then that is a good amount of women getting help by surgery alone. i hope the chemo and hormone help the rest. i know some women still relapse after stage 1 but im trying to find some hope.

on a side note makes me sad that 70% of women with stage 1 have to live the rest of their life in fear of relapse when they were cured by surgery alone wish they could have treatment more tailored so they could tell each of us which treatments we really need and which will help so it is easier to live our lives without so much fear. cant believe we still don't know how to tell this.

dlb823

Shelly, I think 70% is probably pretty accurate.  Most Stage I bc is cured with surgery, or surgery + RT if the surgery is a lumpectomy. 

As far as what percentage of women are helped by chemo or hormonal drugs, have you seen this website:  http://cancer.lifemath.net/  ?  You can plug in your stats and see how your outcome might have changed with chemo or an anti-hormonal drug.

One thing to keep in mind with this sort of program though, is that women who are 10  and more years out from their dx & tx were treated prior to the introduction of the Oncotype-Dx test, Herceptin, and even some of the newer chemo drugs & regimens.  So IMO, these stats should continue to improve for us.

Hope this helps, and welcome to BCO.    Deanna

Susie123

Shelly, I'm stage 1 & my breast surgeon told me it's probable that I will never have to deal with this again, that I am one of the lucky ones. To the second part of your post about living in fear, even though the Dr told me that, I do think about what if. The trick is to not let the fear consume you. I'm now three years out and am able to do the 6 month onco visits without that what if it comes back fear. I think time softens it a bit, as time passes we are able to put most of that fear behind us. There comes a point that you realize that you can't let it rob you of living today and to live the life you want because you are now very aware of the fact life is finite. Learn to convert that fear into drive.

mlinthicum

Susie123, Did you do radiation, and are you taking hormone therapy?

msShelly

deana, thank you! yes, what a great website. i do seem to get a lot of conflicting info though because i have heard 13% overall recur among stages 1,2 and 3 recur. then i have heard 1 in 3 recur (which totally seems like a lot to me), but not sure if all of these are distant recurrence. its all very hard to understand. but then told by doctor, 30 percent not cured with surgery alone. then there are the survival stats which say 88 percent alive in 5 years for stage 1. 82 % 10 years. so im assuming something like 75 % 15 years, 70 percent 20 years. so to me it seems more like 30 percent recur which is awfully high to me. and then do we even know what happens after 20 years? i don't know if that even makes sense. it just seems daunting. does the fear ever go away or the risk of relapse ever get smaller and i know we are in a different age of medicine, but it still seems like too many. 

susie. 3 years out sounds amazing to me. i want to believe i am one of the lucky ones and was told very much like you by my doctor but the fear is definitely there.... i was hoping with time it will get better and i have been doing my best not to let fear overwhelm me.

Crescent5

70% sounds low in my opinion.

rozem

i htink 70% cured by surgery alone for stage one does sound low - thought it was higher.  Remember within stage one those of us who are her2, triple neg, grade 3 have higher reccurance rates, thereby driving down the average for those who are her2 neg, grade 1 etc

FilterLady

Shelly,

When I was first diagnosed I really thought I would be fearful with each doctor visit after my lumpectomy and radiation treatments, but suprisingly was not. 

I agree with the other ladies, you cannot let fear consume over.  I still think about a recurrence from time to time but not nearly as much.  I'm almost 18 months out from diagnosis and over a year from end of my rads.  I do take femara and will continue for at least 4 more years.

I just saw my surgeon today for a check up and he released me!  I love it....now I still see my medical oncologist every 4 months as well as my radiation oncologist every 5 months.  I also get my yearly mammograms and every 6 months I get a mammo of my left breast. 

It feels wonderful not to have the constant worry about my breast cancer (or any other cancer)....I've learned to live life to the fullest and thanks to breast cancer.....I know how strong I am.  I will handle any recurrance the same way I handled this.....with my family and friends support and the strength that God gave me.

God bless you,

LaDonna

mlinthicum

My RO told me after I said that I wasn't considering rads that even if he did rad to my left breast I stlll had a 30% chance of it showing up in my right, so he said as it stands now you are 30/30. I don't know whether that took into account that I'm on Arimidex or not. I just had my 3rd rad treatment six months after surgery. He asked me if I was still taking Arimedex and I said yes and he said that was keeping me covered while I was making my decision. With rads I was told 5 to 7% recurrance. Met a lady the other day while getting rads and she had a left mx 6 years ago and took Arimedex for 5 years and she said 6months later she was diagnosed again same breast and she was waiting her turn. I am so tired already after 3. I don't know if it is the medication or combination of both.

ktab96

It really depends on they type of breast cancer you have.  In 2011 I was dianosed and treated for Stage 1 IDC.  I had a lumpectomy with SAVI Radiation.  I am now on Femara (estrogen suppressant) for 5 years.  My Onco score was 18 with a reoccurance rate of 12%.  Since I am on Femara my reoccurace rate was dropped to 9%.

edwards750

ms shelly - completely understandable to take to heart what our drs tell us but the fact is they dont really not for sure and all they can give us are stats and odds. Heck they dont even know why some women get bc and others who are high risk, dont. There was a lady on this forum who had an Oncotype score of 8 and the bc came back - distance recurrence but back. I dont take anything for granted but we have to have hope otherwise what is the point. My BS told me my cancer was wimpy but I think that is a buzz word he used for his patients with early stage bc. This same bs was surprised when a micromet showed up in the SN so even with all he thought he knew he was even blindsided by the Path report. The good news for me was my ONC ordered the Oncotype test and my score came back 11 with a report that said I have a non aggressive cancer. So I am now Stage 2, Grade 1. I had a lumpectomy and 33 Rads treatments. The next appt I have with my BS is May and if all goes well I go back to the Womens Health Center for my mammograms. A friend who is a nurse at St. Jude and also had bc is 5 years out and didnt take any meds post surgery. She could not tolerate Arimidex or Tamoxifen and chose not to try anything else. So far, so good. Her dr told her 2 years out was a good sign it probably wouldnt come back. Mine was 2 years last month. Very nervous about the next appt. Maybe my constant fear will subside a bit after that appt. All we can do really is keep the faith and live each day not focusing on our bc..somehow. Diane