I'm 76 Anyone else in their 70's

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Cathytoo
Cathytoo Member Posts: 667
edited May 2016 in IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)

Just diagnosed Stage 1 Grade 3.  I see a lot of posts from younger women.  Anyone here diagnosed in their mid-70's.  Don't know if my age is to my advantage or not.  I have no other health problems...at all.

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  • windingshores
    windingshores Member Posts: 704
    edited December 2015

    I am almost 65, not 70's. The more important thing is that, as you say, you have no other health problems. That will help a lot. Hoping for good test results for you and an easy course.

    By the way I am grade 3 and have very low Oncotype Dx. If you are ER+ make sure to get that test. The testing company told me that 30% of grade 3's have low Oncotype scores. This could save you from chemo.

    I have read that breast cancers tend to be slower-growing for older women but I don't know much about it, assume it depends....


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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited December 2015

    Cathytoo,

    There are lots of wonderful, supportive women here over 70! Check out the Older Than 60 With Breast Cancer forum.

    We hope this helps!

    --The Mods

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  • tgtg
    tgtg Member Posts: 266
    edited December 2015

    Cathytoo--You've got me beat by just 5 years (I was diagnosed at 71), but otherwise we're alike--perfectly healthy, active, and fit. Take heart, though--being in good shape should get you through treatment with relative ease, and allow you (with your surgeon's blessing, of course) to return to activity sooner you expect. Two days after surgery, I found walking the treadmill at a brisk pace (and walking outside too) a real stress-reliever, and realized too that the endorphins released by the exercise eliminated the minimal discomfort after surgery.

    As for your fear of lesser treatment, that should not be a factor unless your doctors are total neanderthals who haven't figured out that 70 is the new 50. If he (or less likely, she) does try to short you on treatment, go find replacements for them fast!

    At 74, I am just as active as before diagnosis, and rarely think about the disease except briefly when it is time for a mammo or doctor visit, and those inconveniences I see as my first line of defense (detection) against a possible recurrence or new cancer and as ways of being reassured that I am fine. Life, especially at our age, is too short anyway (statisticians predict that women should survive to 86, right?) to be spent obsessing about what might happen after treatment.

    Good luck as you move through treatment--you'll do fine! Think positive--after all, you dodged the b.c. bullet for so many years until now! Trudi

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  • Cathytoo
    Cathytoo Member Posts: 667
    edited December 2015

    Thanks so much for your response.  We might be neighbors.  I also live in the Philly suburbs.  To be truthful, I was doing great after getting preliminary path reports of DCIS Stage 0.  That has been bumped up after slides were sent to Fox Chase.  Now, it's a mixed mass.  DSIC throughout but very slight mix of Stage III invasive cells.  That news scared me to death.  On Monday the surgeon is going back in to get better margins and to do sentinel nodes, which were not done at the time of the lumpectomy.  Hormone info not in yet.  The wait is scary.  But, I'm hoping for the best as far as me handling treatment.  I really don't want to do chemo.  I feel so good now...don't want to reverse this.

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  • tgtg
    tgtg Member Posts: 266
    edited December 2015

    Cathytoo--I'm in Devon, where are you? The change in diagnosis can happen to anyone; my biopsy found only DCIS, nothing invasive, but the surgical pathology found there had been some invasion. Did the breast surgeon tell you why s/he didn't take at least the sentinel node? It's too bad you have to have more surgery now, but knowing for sure what is going on is better than guessing about it. T.

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  • cimgraph
    cimgraph Member Posts: 12
    edited May 2016

    Hi ladies of the 70's age group! I am 70; will be 71 in August. This Leo just had my lumpectomy 4 weeks ago. Dx with invasive ductal carcinoma. Found on routine mammogram, lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy and recovering nicely. Biopsy as invasive ductal carcinoma grade 1. Pathology came back as Tubular, which I understand is less common type. Clear margins 0 of 2 nodes were clear also.

    Have met with oncologist who said yes or no on endocrine therapy - my decision. After researching studies, it appears this is not necessary with tubular. Also met with radiation oncologist who suggested the 13 week plus one treatments since I decided not to do endocrin treatment and I may be a candidate for prone position type treatments. I am setting up my mapping appointment for the radio therapy. I aggravated over this decision about the endocrin treatments, but trust his telling me there is no wrong decision in my case.

    I have returned to my part time job and hope to work through treatments, and confidant I will be able. Happy I found this forum for us young at heart bc patients! Told my husband this morning I plan to stay around a long time!

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