Grade 3 folks, please help!

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RMC19
RMC19 Member Posts: 27
edited June 2021 in Mixed Type Breast Cancer

Completely going down a rabbit hole - I was grade 3 mixed. Finished all active treatments (just doing Zometa) and keep being told by folks (not Doctors) that I am high risk as a Grade 3 (Stage 2B clinical stage). I was so positive after finishing treatment, but all I keep hearing (most recently at Mem Day parties) that basically that it is highest risks and is going to come back. Anyone in my situation doing well after active treatment? Haven't slept in 2 nights. I did ACT 3rd gen and Rads x 28. Now on Arimidex. So scared right now and have absolutely no one to talk to about this.

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  • Trishyla
    Trishyla Member Posts: 1,005
    edited June 2021

    I'm still here nearly five years after diagnosis. Not only did I have a triple negative, grade 3 tumor, I also had six ( Six!!) hormone positive tumors that were grade 2. As my breast surgeon put it, I seem to be a cancer factory. Did five months of IV chemo, bilateral mastectomy and then five more months of the oral chemo Xeloda. No radiation or AIs, by my choice.

    I still have moments of depression, anxiety and the very occasional bout of absolute panic. But mostly I'm okay. I'm trying hard to just live my life and not let the cancer take anything else away from me.

    Ignore the doomsayers. Unless they've walked in your shoes, they have no credibility whatsover. If you're really concerned, talk to your oncologist.

    Take care.

    Trish

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited June 2021

    I was Grade 3 and did chemo before surgery. The chemo wiped out all the active cancer in my breast and compromised lymph node. My oncologist wasn't that surprised; chemo works best on Grade 3 cancer, which is dividing quickly. Here I am, almost seven years later and still cancer-free!

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  • moth
    moth Member Posts: 4,800
    edited June 2021

    Since you were hormone positive are you continuing with hormonal therapy? Tamoxifen or AI should be part of your treatment for a minimum of 5 years.

    Grade and Stage give us indications of how aggressively to treat but the reality is that we don't know who will and who won't recur - we just know large population stats. Individuals can always fall in the wrong side of the curve. There's really no point in stressing about it because it won't change things. Odds are in your favour - esp if you continue hormonal treatment.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2021

    Did they get stage and grade confused? Sheesh - who are these people to rain on your parade? And if they are basing their opinion on something that happened to a friend or a third cousin or whatever, everyone's cancer is different. Everyone's. Mine isn't yours isn't Trishyla's isn't Moth's.

    Don't let people and their uninformed opinions live rent free in your head. While there are no guarantees in life, and even fewer guarantees about cancer, there is no point in surviving to live under a cloud of extreme anxiety about recurrence, especially not a cloud caused by other people. All anyone can really guarantee is that IF, a big IF, you recur you will deal with it, just like you dealt with it the first time.

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  • RMC19
    RMC19 Member Posts: 27
    edited June 2021

    Thank you so much! I really needed to hear this today - so tired of folks looking and talking to me like I am on the way out.

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  • RMC19
    RMC19 Member Posts: 27
    edited June 2021

    Thank you! This helped - I have no one to talk to and everyone here is so nice b/c they "get it". thank you, thank you, thank you!

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  • RMC19
    RMC19 Member Posts: 27
    edited June 2021

    Yes, I am on an AI (Arimidex/Anastrozole) for at least 5 - more likely 10+ per my 2nd opinion MO. I've just never had anyone focus so heavily on the grade 3 (except during CT b/c that was their reason to use it - b/c it works so well for fast dividing cells. Thank you so much!

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  • RMC19
    RMC19 Member Posts: 27
    edited June 2021

    Thank you! Really needed a fresh perspective today! I like the "don't let them live rent free" part - gonna keep repeating that one :) Thank you!

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  • Rambros
    Rambros Member Posts: 78
    edited June 2021

    My stats pretty similar to yours - 3.5 cm, positive node, grade 3, did ACT and 28 rads after a mastectomy and I’m doing well over 6 years out. I’ve taken tamoxifen for 6 months, 5 years of letrozole and now almost 6 months of anastrozole. Planning to get to 10 years of AI’s.

    Sounds like you’ve done and are doing all you can, so try to just live your life like it’s behind you for good. Take care

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  • 2019whatayear
    2019whatayear Member Posts: 767
    edited June 2021

    Man what a buzz kill. Who were these annoying people? I'm very annoyed on your behalf. I'm sorry you were just trying to enjoy a lovely day and it got wrecked and now you are worried.

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  • Julweed
    Julweed Member Posts: 3
    edited June 2021

    I’m recently diagnosed, first time on here. grade 3 mixed IDC, ILC, DCIS, LCIS. Sentinel node negative. I declined chemo and my radiation has been delayed 3 times due to slow healing from surgery. I’m over 9 weeks from surgery now and wondering if it’s even worth doing radiation at this point. Was told I needed to do rad ASAP, esp if declining chemo but they keep pushing it out like it’s no big deal. The next phase will be the meds which also scare me and I’m looking into herbal alternatives. Starting to distrust the medical advic

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited June 2021

    Julweed, we're sorry you find yourself here, but glad you found us!

    If you are looking into herbal alternatives and want to learn more on that, you might want to check out a forum we have for those contemplating alternative approaches to treatment. There is also a complementary treatment forum, here: Complementary Treatment/Holistic Treatment. Just a reminder that complementary medicine is USED WITH standard treatment, and alternative medicine is USED INSTEAD OF conventional medicine. You can talk and learn from other member's experiences here in the discussion boards, but we encourage you to talk with your doctors about it before making such important decision about treatment.

    Hope this helps. Wishing you well and hope to hear from you again soon,

    The Mods


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