Results of MRI yesterday. It's 2.7cm. Having surgery in 2 weeks with skin flap from under arm/back followed by radiotherapy. Was fine about it all until nurse let slip that it's the less responsive to chemo type and that it's more likely to have gone to lymph nodes because of the position. So now I'm back to being terrified again. I also get a bit freaked out by the sympathy from the professionals and wonder if there's anything else they're not telling me. What a mess. I don't know how I'm going to get through this.

Hi there

I am sorry to hear you are having surgery in a couple of weeks time. It is very natural to be feeling worried and nervous about what will happen next but try and take it one day at a time.

I hope you have family and friends to support you through this time. Do let them help you out in any way you feel you need as and when as I am sure they will want to be there for you, if they can.

The doctors and nurses involved in your care will be telling you everything they know so please don't feel you are being kept in the dark and ask them anything you want to as well.

Keep chatting away on here to all these lovely people who have been or are going through something similar as well.

Please do ask us nurses any questions as well and you are always welcome to call the nurses on 0808 800 4040, Mon-Fri 9-5 if need be.

All the best

Naomi

Hi Claire Bee,

I agree with our nurse Naomi. Your care team will be telling you everything that they know. They don't hold anything back. I am sure that you feel nervous about surgery at the moment. I found the thought of surgery very daunting. Since then I have survived a lumpectomy followed by Tamoxifen for a year, then a double mastectomy the following year, followed by Letrozole for 6½ years. That was all 12 years ago and, I am still living a busy and fulfilling life.

Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hello again. I've had the results from my surgery and it's not great. Cancer found in lymph node so having CT and bone scan followed by chemotherapy. There I was thinking I'd get away with the just the surgery and radiotherapy. So now I am more scared than ever that it will have metastasised. But is it correct that if it has metastasised that it's then incurable? If so, why? I just don't know how to cope with all this. Thank you.

Hi there and thanks for posting

I'm sorry to hear about your results and appreciate this must be scary time for you but try not to over think too much for now.

Cancer is rather complicated and every cancer is unique in the way it presents or behaves and there is no 'one size fits all' approach when it comes to treating a cancer.

At this point in time the doctors have found some cancer cells in the lymph nodes so they are needing to carry out some further scans to build a bigger picture about what may or may not be going on to help guide the best treatment. Having cancer cells found in the lymph nodes doesn't automatically mean that the cancer has spread or metastasised elsewhere, so take a deep breath and one step at a time.

Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment which means it runs through the blood system and seeks to destroy all the cells in the body (even the microscopic cancer cells that cannot be picked up on scans).

When cancer does spread to other organs it is regarded as advanced disease that is very difficult to get rid of completely so sadly cannot be cured. However with the developments of so many treatments when people do find themselves in this position often treatments can be given that are able to control the cancer and any symptoms people have for often many years.

Be kind to yourself and don't let your mind run away with itself before it needs to. I hope you have the support of some close family and friends around you to support you through this time. Do ask them for help when you need it and do talk through how this is making you feel so they can be there for you at this time and in the days ahead.

I hope you have more information soon but do also talk to your breast care nurse and specialist doctor when you are able so they can explain what all this means for you and what to expect next.

Get back if you need to, the other forum users will I am sure want to be there with you through your journey and if you have any more specific questions for the nurses, let us know. We also have our helpline on 0808 800 4040 Monday -Friday if you ever want to talk things over the phone.

Wishing you all the very best

Take care

Naomi

Hi Claire

Sorry to jump on your thread. I hope you are doing ok - going through cancer treatment is a scary time. I wanted to reach out and say I know exactly how you are feeling as I'm in a similar position. High grade DCIS diagnosed in December, lumpectomy in February and results showed no clear margins and IDC grade 1 and 2. I'm booked in for a mastectomy with implant recon at the end of this month. I was falling apart last week due to lack of sleep but now have some meds from the doctor which have helped.

Some days I think this is the beginning of the end of my life and other days I feel more positive. However, keeping really busy does help me. And not crying in front of my kids! I can see Spring blooming and wonder if I will see next Spring. If they find the cancer has spread into my nodes during the op, I don't think I can bear to have chemo.

But this forum is a great place to sound off so please know that you are not alone and people here understand how you feel.

Wishing you all the best.

x

Hi ClareBee,

Thank you for the update. I am so sorry to hear that it's not better news. You will know more once you have the CT and bone scans. Have you got a date for these yet? It is impossible to deal with the bigger picture until you know exactly what you are dealing with, so don't even try. Take things one day at a time for the moment. You can face all of this head on once you know where you are.

Please keep in touch.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx