Hi,

this isn't a silly question. There are many types of cancer and for all the different types there are different treatment types some need surgery to remove it, some have chemotherapy and some have radiotherapy. Some have a combination of these. If you think of it in terms of illnesses some will need you to have antibiotics, some might need you to rest and take paracetamol and others need you to fast in order for it to be flushed through your body quickly like a stomach upset. The type of cancer you had needed surgery and that's was the treatment you needed for your type of cancer and that's great because it means they got the problem straight away and you didn't need any more treatment. 

I hope you can understand this a little better now?

good luck

Hi Aldre,

Welcome to the forum. No question is stupid.

Most of us on this site are cancer survivors, not doctors, so it is not possible for me to answer your question.

People have different ways of dealing with a cancer diagnosis. Some people just stick their heads in the sand and don't want to know anything about what they have or what the prognosis is, while others want to know every tiny detail. Both have their merits provided that you continue with your regular checks.

With your outlook it certainly saves a lot of unneccessary worry. You say that your cancer was an aggressive form so I guess that you have been lucky. Do you still attend an Onchology clinic for your checks or do you have them done by the GP?

I have had two primary cancers in the same breast. Mine is also a rare type that is supposed to be less aggressive than others. I attended all of my appointments, but found the second lump almost a year to the day after the first one. I had a lumpectomy for the fiirst tumour. If I hadn't continued to check myself regularly I would never have found the second lump. I had a double mastectomy second time around. My last operation was in 2011 and as well as having hormone therapy, I continue to check myself.

I didn't have radiotherapy or chemo either. I think that it is great if you can continue to live worry free, but feel that you might be more prudent to be a little less 'gung ho' about it. Onchology clinics are more likely to find any regrowth or lymphatic involvment, as they work with this disease all the time. It is easy for a GP to miss the vital signs of change.

I presume that you also check your testicles from time to time? You know your body best of all and will probably be the first to notice any change in that area.

I hope that you continue to have good health and have no need to worry about cancer, but don't give up on the common sense approach of keeping up with tests'

Kind regards,

Jolamine

hi, 

thank you for taking time to reply to my post, i am sory to hear about your re accurance but hope they have got it all now. I am just hitting ten years since op and has taken me til now to pluck up courage to ask question. I had op then had checks but never talked to anyone about any of it so has always plagued my mind, i did have a scare two years later but all was ok in the end. 

I spent all my mental time and effort supporting my partner through it as she was very emotional and it allowed me to focus on her and dismiss anything i was thinking and be more ignorant to it all. Just hearing your story makes me think how serious you have had it and mine was nothing in comparison. I cant generally talk about these things as its deemed by some as attention seeking.

I do hope you are in the clear now and can look forward, thank you again

Hi Aldre,

As the others have said, that wasn't a silly question at all. 

It isn't unusual for people to go into denial about cancer, it is just one way our minds cope with bad news and help us survive. It definitely isn't limited to people on the autistic spectrum.  

You've had cancer, survived it and it was far worse than having a cold. Be proud of this achievement. Like you, I have been pretty detached and unemotional about having cancer. Not sure why, but so many of us react that way maybe it's an English thing as much as anything.

Best wishes

Dave