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Becky · 07-31-2008, 05:51 PM

Debbie is right on this one as I saw a presentation on this in that 4.4% of high ER+/PR+ women will relapse after year 7. I don't know the dates on Jackie's articles in her posts but... this was one of the things the trial that tested 5 years of Tamoxifen followed by 5 years of Femara was trying (and did) prove.

More aggressive and fast growing cancers recur early and less aggressive and slow growing cancers can recur later. One of my onc's older partners said the latest recurrence (proven because the women's tumor block was still in storage at the Univ of Chicago) was 27 yrs. It recurred in her lung and she never had had any other treatment besides masectomy (because it was so long ago that there was no chemo or tamoxifen). He put her on Tamoxifen and she had a complete remission and died of something else.

As for the Stage 4 part in my earlier post - it was from the ACS (cancer.org) website when I was first diagnosed. Stage 4 at diagnosis and never had treatment of any kind (45% have disease free survival at 5 yrs). That data is now at least 9 yrs old and its probably better and I bet many of those women were Her2 because they would have received Herceptin.

The other of Jackie's articles state 30% recurrence rates but lump local and distant together and have no time constraints (early or late).

Trust me, not everyone recurs and less do than don't. Period

07-31-2008, 05:51 PM	#24
Becky Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Stockton, NJ Posts: 4,179	Debbie is right on this one as I saw a presentation on this in that 4.4% of high ER+/PR+ women will relapse after year 7. I don't know the dates on Jackie's articles in her posts but... this was one of the things the trial that tested 5 years of Tamoxifen followed by 5 years of Femara was trying (and did) prove. More aggressive and fast growing cancers recur early and less aggressive and slow growing cancers can recur later. One of my onc's older partners said the latest recurrence (proven because the women's tumor block was still in storage at the Univ of Chicago) was 27 yrs. It recurred in her lung and she never had had any other treatment besides masectomy (because it was so long ago that there was no chemo or tamoxifen). He put her on Tamoxifen and she had a complete remission and died of something else. As for the Stage 4 part in my earlier post - it was from the ACS (cancer.org) website when I was first diagnosed. Stage 4 at diagnosis and never had treatment of any kind (45% have disease free survival at 5 yrs). That data is now at least 9 yrs old and its probably better and I bet many of those women were Her2 because they would have received Herceptin. The other of Jackie's articles state 30% recurrence rates but lump local and distant together and have no time constraints (early or late). Trust me, not everyone recurs and less do than don't. Period __________________ Kind regards Becky Found lump via BSE Diagnosed 8/04 at age 45 1.9cm tumor, ER+PR-, Her2 3+(rt side) 2 micromets to sentinel node Stage 2A left 3mm DCIS - low grade ER+PR+Her2 neg lumpectomies 9/7/04 4DD AC followed by 4 DD taxol Used Leukine instead of Neulasta 35 rads on right side only 4/05 started Tamoxifen Started Herceptin 4 months after last Taxol due to trial results and 2005 ASCO meeting & recommendations Oophorectomy 8/05 Started Arimidex 9/05 Finished Herceptin (16 months) 9/06 Arimidex Only Prolia every 6 months for osteopenia NED 18 years! Said Christopher Robin to Pooh: "You must remember this: You're braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think"