Hello JG10, and thank you for your post,

I am sorry to learn that you had breast cancer a few years ago and that you had a difficult time with side effects from the treatment, but it is good since treatment there have been no further signs of cancer.

When planning treatment, Doctors will look at several things, such as the type of cancer, the stage of the cancer (its size and how far it has spread), and how well a person is generally (whether they have other health conditions), and they will weigh the benefits of treatment against the side effects.

In your situation, it sounds like the doctors were concerned that the risk of you coming into the hospital daily with COVID outweighed any possible benefits. The main thing is that the breast cancer was removed, and although you were unable to complete the hormone therapy, you still managed to take it for a few years, which will have reduced the risk of the cancer returning.

The highest risk of the cancer coming back is usually within the first 1-3 years after treatment, and each year after that, with no signs of the cancer, the risk is reduced.

It is difficult living with the uncertainty of whether or not a cancer may come back, and no one can say with any certainty what a person's outcome may be, but it is good news that there has been no signs of your cancer coming back 5 years on after treatment.

As Jolamine has mentioned, the main thing is to be breast aware, and if you feel any abnormalities that are causing you concern, be safe and get checked by your GP.

I hope this helps in some way. Please feel free to get back to us. If you would like to speak with one of our nurses on the helpline, give us a call we are available between 9am and 5 pm Monday to Friday and the freephone number to call is 0808 800 4040.

Jemma

Thank you so much for your reply and reassurance it was such a difficult time when diagnosed as was not allowed visitors or family and even with my husband I think he was in a state of disbelief as myself but as you’ve said I’m through and did take tablets in the first important years. So once again thank you both think I’ve just had a little wave of uncertainty and it’s been so helpful being able to correspond

regards

Thank you so much for your reply and reassurance it was such a difficult time when diagnosed as was not allowed visitors or family and even with my husband I think he was in a state of disbelief as myself but as you’ve said I’m through and did take tablets in the first important years. So once again thank you both think I’ve just had a little wave of uncertainty and it’s been so helpful being able to correspond

regards