Breast cancer follow up appointments?
Posted on Apr 29, 2009 under breast cancer |If my breast cancer is going to be incurable if it returns again for the second time, even if i do go to all of my follow up appointments, then don't you think that it would be useless for me to continue go to all of my follow-up appointments then in that case?
I ask this question because i had triple negative breast cancer and my doctor has informed me that if the cancer returns again that there is not going to be anything she can do for me. She says that i will die if it returns again. She says that coming to my follow up appointments won't really help much to catch the cancer if it does return again. But she says that it may help a little. I've decided since she has said this to not go to anymore of my follow-up appointments anymore.
When the cancer does return again (which i know it will) i will not be taking chemo or radiation again because i can clearly see that it does not work. If it did then 90% of people would not have recurrences.
Knittinmama what did you do send me that link to scare me even more than what i am already scared?
April 29th, 2009 at 8:30 am
Instead of going to those appointments…time to join a support group and that would do you more good. You will be shown to either live or die with dignity.
April 29th, 2009 at 8:30 am
I think I would get a second opinion. If and when your cancer returns there may be new treatments available that may prolong your life, if not cure the cancer.
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/health/stories/2008/06/17/Triple_Negative_Breast_Cancer.html
Clinical studies are ongoing to learn more about other therapies in the treatment of Triple Negative Breast Cancer.
April 29th, 2009 at 8:30 am
I too think you should get a second opinion and for a couple reasons. I've had breast cancer on 3 occasions - not recurrences but individual events with a different receptor status in each one. Each time the treatment was different. If I hadn't been having follow-up appts. the second and third occurrences would not have been discovered until they were further advanced. Having BC 3 times is unusual, but 2 times is far from uncommon.
Second, medicine is not static and what is state of the art treatment today may not be next year. You cannot count on your doctor to remember you, the triple neg., if some new drug is developed that makes a marked improvement in your treatment should there be a recurrence. My second BC was HER+, a diagnosis that historically was associated with a higher mortality rate. The drug Herceptin has changed that and now being HER+ is almost regarded as an advantage.
I know BC is scary, I sure was scared on the first round. If my doctors had talked to me like your has, I would probably have felt as you do. Follow-up appointments are not fun, they are always stressful and often unpleasant. But for me they have been worth it.
At least get a second opinion.
April 29th, 2009 at 8:30 am
Please think about this. Science today is producing miracles, and who is to know that between now and the time when a cancer MIGHT return, someone hasn't found a better cure or treatment?
I had polio as a kid - three months later Dr. Salk produced his vaccine, and now millions are living who before would have died or been disabled. Since I had cancer, I am sure that someone somewhere is going to come up with more and better ways of treating this disease, so please don't despair.
After I finished treatment, I set up Having Fun After Cancer - http://www.after-cancer.com, showing lots of ways that we can have lovely treatments etc. And every day I get information on how cancer treatment is moving on - so if I had breast cancer today I know my treatment would be very different, and better - and that's in the course of four years.
Good luck and hope this helps.
Verite R
April 29th, 2009 at 8:30 am
A woman's risk of getting cancer again within five years of her initial diagnosis (breast or another form) are higher with a triple negative cancer. But if she's cancer free for seven to 10 years, and beyond, her risk for recurrence is less than with other breast cancers.
That's from the link Knittin sent you. Why would that scare you more? If my dr ever said something like that to me, I'd have another dr. When I've questioned my docs, they've NEVER been discouraging in their answers.
Is this question about you or do you have a friend that also has this very rare form of bc?? http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AnVui7hn7A8tizK66ZKTfwbty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090222142627AADiM2g
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