I'm afraid of a reoccurence

Denise0704

Hi Everyone,

I was diagnosed with Stage IIB, Grade 3 cells, PR+ ER+ HER- Invasive Ductal Carcinoma in May 2016. I had 2 rounds of chemotherapy followed by a lumpectomy and radiation. There was a small tumor in my right breast and a 2mm tumor in my lymph node. My tumor in my breast shrunk 90% after chemo and no trace of tumor in my lymph nodes after chemo. I wouldn't worry as much if my cells weren't Grade 3. Is Grade 3 the most aggressive form of breast cancer? Is it common to have grade 3 cells? Does anyone have Grade 1 cells. I've only come across Grade 2 and Grade 3 cells so far. Does anyone have a success story with Grade 3 cells they could share. I have a friend who had Stage 1 breast cancer while I was doing my chemo therapy. She is now dealing with a reoccurrence in her liver. How can it go from Stage 1 to Stage 4 in less than a year?

mustlovepoodles

I don't think anyone can answer your questions definitively. Breast cancer is a different entity in each person. My tumor was 1.9cm, so just under stage 2, and grade 3. It was also PR-, which is considered to be more aggressive. So, I had 4 rounds of chemo without too much difficulty. I take Femara daily, with no side effects. Honestly, my breast cancer experience was intense for the first year (2015-2016), but after that it's been pretty anticlimactic. Do I think about having breast cancer sometimes? Yes. Sometimes. I don't dwell on it every day. I'm not one to perseverate on the what ifs in life. I figure my risk is either 0% or 100%. If cancer recurs, it's 100%. But if it doesn't, my risk is 0%. At least, that's how I think of it. I refuse to mourn something that hasn't happened yet and MAY NEVER happen. That's just a waste of precious life and I ain't got time for that!

Sjacobs146

For the first two years after my diagnosis, I thought about it a lot. Over time, I think about recurrence less and less. The reasons why BC recurs in some women, but not in others is not well understood

Spookiesmom

I was Stage 3, Grade 3. Was told by MO I was high risk for reoccurrence because of my weight. 6 years ago. Have I lost the weight? No.

Do I think about it all the time? No. Worry? No.

If it comes back, I’ll deal with it. As Poodles said, I ain’t got time for that.