STAGE-3C

One node or 13 nodes it really doesnt matter. The cancer is out of the gate, so to speak. You see women that have lesser diagnosis that are stage IV. It's all a crap shoot. My cousin is stage 3, no node involvement, NED for 28 yrs. My Aunt, stage 3 w/13 nodes, NED 20 yrs and counting. Incidently, all three of us have different types of cancer.

I don't think my doctor treats me any differently because of Stage IIIc.  All he will say is that it means that it has to be treated aggressively, which it has been.  He has dodged the question of my odds of recurrence or being alive in five years.  I know what those are from the Internet, but I was cautioned by the social worker in radiation oncology to use one of the calculators that takes into account the benefits of the various treatments I've had/am having, and it is higher than what I first read (50%).  I don't know where you are being treated, Many, but I have read in other forums here that in Canada, they won't extend recon to the Stage III'ers initially which I found upsetting.  But here in DC, I feel that I am being treated as a patient who is expected to respond to treatment positively and not as a short-timer.

oaktownmom- I'm probably in that place because I never research the odds and never discussed it with my Drs. I just decided it's a pain in my rear that has to go away, because I have plans. I refuse to think otherwise. I'll face the other reality if I have to later.  I hope that make sense.

I have to agree with the 50% statistic.............Either I am going to make it....... or I am not........heads or tails, 50-50, no one really knows, but I am going for double or nothing

I had read the 50/50 stat somewhere, but my onc says that is nonsense. He figures I have a 70-80% chance of still being here in 5 years. My docs can't make up their minds if I am C or B, so I normally stick to B just because.

Mary625, my surgeon did not want me to have recon right away. He wants me to wait two years. It is partly that because of the aggressive treatment, he feels that the risk of complications with the recon is too great. However, it is also because he wants the area "clear" for the next two years to make it easier to monitor for recurrence. All my docs seem to think the first two years are the really crucial ones. 

Either way, my take is that it doesn't really matter all that much what the stats say. My chances will not improve on iota by stressing over survical stats and if I happen to fall in the part of the spectrum that survives a long time, the rest is irrelevant. If I end up dying sooner, it is dumb to waste my time stressing, so either way it seems better use of time and energy to focus on more pleasant stuff.

Hi Many and all sisters.

I was freaked about my nodal involvment. I choose to believe that they did their job and absored the bad stuff before it got out further. I also think it is a crap shoot, some people get it back some don't.  My friend told me about a lady she met last fall who had 28 pos node 10 years ago and save for a little LE she is NED. There are many gals out there with similar stories, I hope to be here in 5 years telling mine. I was obsessed with mets and reoccurence last year. Now I chose to forgot about BC. I will worry IF I need to. I went back to college, bought a horse, everyone loves my short pixie post chemo hair!! LOL...  My onc has been nothing but positive, I love him!! He always tells me "I don't sugar coat anything, I want you to know what I think and what is going on".  He has assured me he thinks I will be ok, but he does not have a crystal ball, he says I am doing everything I can do prevent R/O and that is all I can do. Go out and live life he says.  That is what I am choosing to do.  I have a new outlook.  I am doing more, I booked a flight to Oklahoma to go out and see a friend for a few days in July. I am making plans to show my horse and hoping to get to Punta Cana in Sept.  We can do this ladies!! Keep Fighting, Always!!

50/50 is not your odds.. That is stupid... Think about our newer tx like Zometa and exercise. There is so much data supporting exercise and eating right, doing zometa tx, etc... I have similar stats to you and I was told 75 to 80 with zometa. on top of that I exercise and eat really healthy.

You can do this..You CAN believe you will be ok!  I am multi focal, 4cm tumour, lots of nodes and pregnant at time of diagnosis. Next month is 3 years and I am actually moving to Maui to live my life.

Dream big-live bigger and believe you will be ok!

I don't think 50:50 is accurate either.

I've had multiple opinions (granted, I'm IIIa, not IIIc). 

What I was told was that based on my stage alone, without treatment, they expect just over 50% to have recurrences.  With chemo, that rate drops by 1/3.  With tamoxifen and radiation, it drops further but they don't know the numbers for sure.  I was told by another onc that it was around 75-80% cure rates.  THat's what I choose to live by, and that's pretty fair odds all things considered.   People get diagnosed with much worse disease all the time.   

"stats" are the compilation of all - not individual to each of us. Basically I am very healthy - no major health issues but the 'stats include all - many with major health issues. Personally, my 'stats' are either 0% or 100% as I see it. I either do not develope more CA (100%) or I don't (0%) - some part of me can not partially develope it. Yes - according to the 'stats' only between 25% and 40% of us who are DX'd IBC will make it to 5 yrs out - but as I said before that includes all and is not me/myself/I.



For me, it was the type (IBC) not the stage (IIIc), that made my Drs more 'concerned'.

Hi Graceembraced.  I loved your post and your encouragement.  I too have had a very strong faith in God since I was diagnosed.  It is what it is and I have remained optimistic throughout.  I have discovered so much strength I didn't know I had, found some new understanding friends, have a desire to help others.  The last year of treatments has flown by (2 more Herceptins left) and the doctors and nurses I have had in oncology and radiation have been amazing.  Good things are happening.  You ladies are all so strong and I hope we can inspire each other. 

So the whole 50/50 thing is based on statistics from patients followed starting 5-10 years ago.  That was before the newer modes of chemo.  With the better types of chemo like DD and Hercepten and combining the different drug combos the statistics are not very current.  My oncs both regional and MDA won't give me prognostic statistics and I don't want them.   I am 28 with something like 11-13 nodes some malignant at removal before chemo and some chest nodes that couldn't be removed.  At my re-excission surgery 2 weeks ago my pathology just came back with no sign of malignancy anywhere.  They took at a significant amount of residual tissue and armit tissue.  ( I orginally had a UMX).  Thats what you need to focus on.  WHat your tumor is doing.  Did it respond well to chemo.  Are you exercising and cutting back on junk foods.  Are you reducing your ER levels if you need to....  Try not to focus on statistics that didn't use your chemo combination because it probablty didn't exist.  Ask for a CTC test if they do them in your area.  MDA just released a study showing thats probably a more reliable test than the CA tests.  Big hugs ladies! 

Circulating Tumor Cells

Hello ladies,



I was diagnosed with stage IIIC locally advanced breast cancer with lots of positive nodes and here I am,6 years and 3 monts later,still cancer free and doing very well.So,statistics suck big time!

I was treated in Canada and I can tell I had very good health care,doctors, and I had DIEP reconstruction and very happy with it.

Blessings to all,Marina

So how where do you get the markers?