Scared of having breast cancer

hello, I am 33 and have just been diagnosed with HER2 positive grade2 invasive ductal carcinoma 18mm tumor and told I’m early stages...I have had a pet/ct scan and an mri scan to which both results came back clear and it just showed the tumor that is in my breast, I have no lymph node involvement...I am just so scared that I won’t make it through the fight..my anxiety is so bad and I over analysis  every head ache I get or leg pain and pain for that matter, I start thinking I have it in my brain, my bones everywhere! 

Im due to start chemo therapy, EC chemotherapy, herceptin, perjeta and hormone blocking tablets...has anyone else been diagnosed like me and do you have any positive advice you could send my way?

  • Hi Clairbear,

    My breast cancer is different to yours (6cm, stage 3, grade 2, oestrogen and progesterone positive) but what we have in common with this fight is more than what our differences are.

    I get that you're scared, it's hard not to be.  However, the survival rates for stage 1, even stage 2, breast cancer are exceptionally high.  Indeed, if you were to take 100 women and work out statistically how many would likely be dead in 5 years' time from various other causes (accidents, other illness etc.) you'd get around the same figure as the 5-year survival rates for stage 1 breast cancer (over 99%).  The survival rates I looked up include all ages of patient, where you also have the advantage, in terms of survival, of being young (tolerating treatment better etc.)

    To spread from your breast to elsewhere the cells need to travel through your lymphatic system and as you've shown no lymph node involvement logic dictates that this hasn't happened.  Sadly anxiety makes it difficult to rely on cold, hard facts, but it is important to remind yourself of them as they will sink into your brain over time.

    My positive advice is that your 5-year survival rate is as good as that of all the apparently healthy people out there.

    Just as an aside, the fact that I state 5-year survival rates does not mean you would die after this time, just that the studies stopped taking data from their subjects at the 5-year mark.

    Try not to let the anxiety ruin this time for you, a life lived in fear is a life half-lived!

    LJx

  • Hi Clairebear 

    I was diagnosed Feb similar to you but slightly more severe. I"m  here and Still standing.

    My diagnosis (known as Dx). Learnt lots new terms during my journey

    Is also Her2+  but Grade 3 with 26mm invasive ductal carcinoma as well as 33mm ductal carcinoma insitu  and ER+4 so a similar pathway to you. Yet only prescribed herceptin not perjeta. My active  treatment pathway finishe's in May . So lots of advise.

    Now at radiotherapy stage starting endocrine therapy (hormone blocker ).1st Dec.

    The phone helpline at BreastCancerCare is really good.

    You don't mention #surgery? ?.

    Advise: I opted for weekly chemo if I had my time again iwld do 3 weekly.

    Advise: I opted cold cap it was worth it except I made lots mistakes happy to share 

    yes I was very scared still am but you get used to it.

    Life becomes different. It's been a tough journey for me my mum died, no children, my partner and brother's abadoned me. Lucky one good friend supported  me but not having had breast cancer herself she doesn't get it and now she's understandably bit bored with my situ

    So of you have a Maggies or McMillan Centre go to them  

    Any of us could die tmrw the difference is we have a greater chance but my viewpoint is in 5 years they will have made even more medicAl advances.

    It's a total roller coaster you are on as it's a path we haven't been on before so everything is new and daunting

    My hospital the departments are  fragmented hope your hospital isn't by that I mean I see different Consultants for different aspects

    During chemo I was offered a port or pic line to make the cannula easier to go as was getting very bruisef

    . Didn't want the port as didn't want a scar opted for a pic line  and voila got 5 blood clots as due to weekly cheno wasn't very active so important to he active even now due to fatigue I am not very active 

    . If you can do without either that wld my advise  be better but I opted for pic line as my veins got messed up 

    If you want we can speak on phone 

    Listen to music if you can 

    Take each day as it comes. 

    Sending you a virtual hug 


  • Hi Clairbear,

    Welcome to our forum, although I'm sorry that you've had to find us here.

    You have had some excellent advice from the replies that you've already had. As an old hand at this, I thought that I would let you know that I am still here 8 years after having my first bout of cancer. I had a lumpectomy then, followed by Tamoxifen. A year later I had a second bout and had a double mastectomy, followed by Letrozole and, I'm still by no means ready to depart this mortal coil.

    It is good news that you have no lymph node involvment and that you are HER2+. At grade 2, you have caught it fairly early. Your PET scan and MRI are both clear. You honestly couldn't ask for much more!

    I know that this is a scary time. There are so many unknowns and your mind goes into overdrive, convincing yourselve that things are as bad as they can be. Fortunately, this is seldom the case.

    I was terrified when I was first diagnosed, as I lost both of my parents to cancer, but that was 21 years ago. Things have improved markedly since then. The surgery, treatment and after care that I have had bear no resemblance whatever to that which my mum experienced. This is all thanks to the people at Cancer Research and elsewhere, who are constantly striving to make improvements for us.

    Most people find that they feel less afraid when they have had a proper diagnosis and start to fight this awful disease. I hope that you will too. You have a hard time ahead of you with your chemo, but, once you get that behind you, you should feel a lot better.

    Wishing you the strength to get through this. We're all here any time you want to talk.

    Kind regards,

    Jolamine xx