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CoolBreeze · 03-01-2012, 06:21 PM

As they learn more and more about the biology of cancer, they have learned different methods of calculating recurrence and relapse. The TNM system is older but treatment is still based on it, with modifications for new biological discoveries, such as herceptin for HER2+.

I know when I was first diagnosed at Stage II, I spent a lot of time thinking about this but when you are around cancer enough, you learn there is no rhyme or reason to it. You will see people stage IIa become Stage IV (like me), even people with DCIS become Stage IV which is such a rarity but happens. You will see people IIIc live for 30 years, and sometimes even a Stage IV person gets many years.

I realized that it's just impossible to know what is going to happen to you in the future and learning to accept that is part of the process of moving on in life. If there is a lesson to cancer, I think that is it: Learning to let go of things that you can't control.

What I did was make a decision that I would stop worrying and thinking about it when my treatment was over. I was going to get back into life and not be a victim of cancer. It was a very deliberate move on my part, but I didn't want to be one of those woman who spend years living in fear, and scanning for each pain, and in cancer support groups years after their treatment ended.

I decided to accept the unknowable and live as if I was healthy and cancer was behind me.

I got four months only before I was discovered to have mets, but they were a great four months.

And, the steps I took to learn that all you have is today and to not focus on what might happen in the future has made dealing with Stage IV cancer a bit easier.

I hope you get 40 years, and I hope when your treatment is over, you will put this behind you and live those 40 years to the fullest.

03-01-2012, 06:21 PM	#7
CoolBreeze Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 562	Re: TNM staging not accurate? As they learn more and more about the biology of cancer, they have learned different methods of calculating recurrence and relapse. The TNM system is older but treatment is still based on it, with modifications for new biological discoveries, such as herceptin for HER2+. I know when I was first diagnosed at Stage II, I spent a lot of time thinking about this but when you are around cancer enough, you learn there is no rhyme or reason to it. You will see people stage IIa become Stage IV (like me), even people with DCIS become Stage IV which is such a rarity but happens. You will see people IIIc live for 30 years, and sometimes even a Stage IV person gets many years. I realized that it's just impossible to know what is going to happen to you in the future and learning to accept that is part of the process of moving on in life. If there is a lesson to cancer, I think that is it: Learning to let go of things that you can't control. What I did was make a decision that I would stop worrying and thinking about it when my treatment was over. I was going to get back into life and not be a victim of cancer. It was a very deliberate move on my part, but I didn't want to be one of those woman who spend years living in fear, and scanning for each pain, and in cancer support groups years after their treatment ended. I decided to accept the unknowable and live as if I was healthy and cancer was behind me. I got four months only before I was discovered to have mets, but they were a great four months. And, the steps I took to learn that all you have is today and to not focus on what might happen in the future has made dealing with Stage IV cancer a bit easier. I hope you get 40 years, and I hope when your treatment is over, you will put this behind you and live those 40 years to the fullest. __________________ http://butdoctorihatepink.com 08/17/09 Dx'd. Multifocal/multicentric IDC, largest 3.4 cm, associated ADH, LCIS, DCIS HER2+ ER+/PR- Grade 3, Node Negative 10/20/2009: Right mastectomy, reconstruction with TE 12/02/2009: Six rounds TCH, switched to Taxol halfway through due to neuropathy 03/31/2010: Finished chemo 05/01/2010: Began tamoxifen, the worst drug ever 11/18/2010: Reconstruction completed 12/02/2010: Finished herceptin 05/21/2011: Liver Mets. Quit Tamoxifen 06/22/2011: Navelbine/Zometa/Herceptin 10/03/2011: Liver Resection, left lobe. Microwave ablation, right lobe - going for cure! 11/26/2011: C-Diff Superbug Infection, "worst case doctor had seen in 20 years" 03/28/2012: Progression in ablated section of the liver - no more cure. Started Abraxane, continue herceptin/zometa 10/10/2012: Progression continues, started Halaven, along with herceptin and zometa. 01/15/2013: Progression continues, started Gemzar and Perjeta, an unusual combo, continuing with herceptin and zometa 03/13/2013: Quit Gemzar, body just won't handle it. Staying on herceptin, zometa and perjeta. 04/03/2013: CT shows 50% regression in tumor, so am starting back on Gemzar with dose reduction, staying with perjeta/herceptin/zometa. Can't argue with success! 05/09/2013: Discussing SBRT with Radiology due to inability of bone marrow to recover from chemo. 06/07/2013: Fiducial placement for SBRT 07/03/2013: Chemo discontinued, on Perjeta, Herceptin and Zometa alone 07/25/2013: SBRT (gamma knife) begins 08/01/2013: SBRT completed 08/15/2013: STABLE! continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin, Zometa 06/18/2014: *** NED!!!!*** continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin, Zometa 01/29/2014: Still NED. continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin. Zometa lowered to every 3 months instead of monthly. 11/08/2015: Progression throughout abdomen and lungs. Started TDM-1, aka Kadcyla. Other meds discontinued. Remission was nice while it lasted. 5/27/18: Stable. Kadcyla put me right back in the barn. I have two teeny spots on my lungs that are metabolically inactive, and liver is clean. I’m beating this MFer. I was 51 when this started and had two kids, 22 and 12. Now I’m 60. My oldest got married and trying to start s family. My youngesg graduates from Caltech this June. My stepdaughter gave me grandkids. Life is fantastic.