Hello AnnInJapan and a warm welcome to our friendly forum!

I hope you will meet others here who are in the same boat having been diagnosed with several cancers at the same time. As you are based in Japan and they may have different treatment approaches there, I would suggest you get in touch with a Japanese cancer organization and perhaps give them a call and ask them what they think about your particular situation and the order in which they will perform the surgeries. The National Cancer Center in Japan might be able to help you (though the page seems to be in Japanese so I hope your Japanese is better than mine!). I did find a resource that is available in English though and it's the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research and you can find out details on how to contact them here.

It must be so exhausting for you to be waiting for these multiple results at the same time. I hope it will give you comfort to talk to others on this forum who have had a similar diagnosis. If you do a search on the forum using the 'search' function on the blue banner at the top and enter keywords such as invasive ductal carcinoma or thyroid cancer, you will be able to find other threads which might be relevant to you and reply to any that are of interest to you. One example is [@MissMoo]‍ who was also recently diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma of the left breast and you can read her story here and reply to her if you wish.

I hope this helps a little and that you find a lot of support here on this forum from others who may live so many miles away but who are in a similar boat.

Best wishes,

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

How are you doing AnninJapan?  I hope that you have had positive news. xxx

Hi AnninJapan,

I have been following your unfortunate journey and just wondered where you are with it now? Have you had any results from the tests for your adrenals? or have you had your breast surgery yet?

Thinking of you and hoping that you are making some progress.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Thank you for checking in on me! Not much further news at the moment. I actually flew home to the UK for Christmas and flying back to Japan this weekend. Having another CT scan on 10th to check adrenals and another FNA on thyroid on 15th. Then in for mastectomy on 22nd Jan, staying in for 1 week. 

Thyroid specialist is leaning towards removing half of my thyroid as soon as I have recovered from mastectomy, so I’ll probably be back in hospital for surgery in March. 

Adrenal mass is thought to be benign but needs a few days of supression testing which they will do just before my breast op. Possible Cushings or Cohns syndrome suspected.

So I’m currently taking it easy, enjoying time over the holidays with family and making the most of the escape from reality for a while! Will be fully(ish) recharged and ready to take it all on! 

Will keep you posted on how things go. 

Happy New Year!

HI Ann,

I am glad that you have managed home to spend some time with your family in the UK  before your surgery begins. I hope that all goes well with your tests on 10th and 15th and that your breast surgery goes well on 22nd January.

I have had 2 bouts of breast cancer in the past 9 years. I had a lumpectomy first time around and, a year later, I had a double mastectomy.  I had less bother with the mastectomies than I had with the lumpectomy.

I hope that you have a safe journey back to Japan and wish you well for all that lies ahead of you in 2019.

I look forward to reading your updates and am always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Ann,

I am very new to this world, here because I am concerned about my best friend overseas who has been readmitted to hospital with vasculitis just a few days after having her thyroid removed and a double mastectomy (cancer came back after 12 years).

Firstly, I really and truly hope your surgeries last year went well and that you have had a full recovery and lead a fulfilling worry-free life surrounded by love and laughter. Secondly, if you feel comfortable to share, I would be so grateful for any nuggets of wisdom you have collected on your journey that may help someone else going through a similar process. 

With warm wishes and a big thank you for reading this, 

Taz