FYI: article I JUST came across-thoughts?

simoneg, It's true that there is a whole lot we don't know about cancer and how it metastasizes, but I did not find the article helpful. Different types of tumors (negative and positive ER/PR and HER2, Luminal A and Luminal B subsets) behave very differently. And patients' bodies react to cancer differently; some are given a poor prognosis and beat the odds. An article such as this is so general as to be useless. Yes, there are some patients who have tumors that spread cells during early stages even though the patient seems to have a "good", low grade cancer. But the statistics so far say that for the majority of stage 1 and 2 patients (and the majority have highly ER/PR+, HER2- cancer and no known genetic cancer factors), surgery alone can be a cure, and use of the Oncotype DX and MammaPrint test can help to alert patients who are at greater risk for metastasis. Those who are ER/PR- and/or HER2+ know from the onset that metastasis is more likely because of the aggressiveness of the tumors (I have HER2+). So for me, anyway, this article is not helpful, and causes needless worry for the majority of early stage people who will be okay. It also indicates that this very early spread is rare--I believe 2-3% was quoted.

As to loneliness, I think that a cancer diagnosis is something that makes us feel very vulnerable. We worry; if we are sick and unable to take care of ourselves, who will help us? If you are a person who prefers solitude, what you may be feeling is concern about your autonomy more than actual "loneliness", but that is a call only you can make. If you are unhappy about being alone, you may want to think about joining a support group, or ramping up an existing relationship with a friend or colleague so you can feel more connected. And these boards are great; there are many people who do have lots of other people in their lives, but who also feel lonely because they have lost connection to friends/relatives due to the very various reactions people have to our cancer diagnosis, or who simply want to connect to others who are traveling the same scary road. You are not alone.