I've had a 6.5cm grade 3 tumor removed from my right breast, also all 11 nodes from the right lymph auxiliary were removed & had cancer. I had a bilateral mastectomy, the left breast & the 3 nodes from the left auxiliary were clear. Though the first words the doctor said to me were 'it's not a good prognosis', they also mentioned that the cancer may have already spread & it was just that the ct scan couldn't 'pick it up' yet. That makes me angry because I asked for a pet scan {which is what my gp recommended} but the breast surgeon didn't want me to have that, saying 'you'll 'be hot' {meaning the radiation} for a couple of hours & really shouldn't be in public. I went through the public system & feel perhaps bilateral isn't the norm, I think the only reason the doctor agreed with & supported my decision for a bilateral was 1. It was obvious I wouldn't agree to a unilateral & 2. My family history of cancer. My grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer, but was elderly & suffering from advanced emphysema & dementia, so it was decided not to treat it or undergo any further tests. My grandmother had RH- blood, a rare blood type that doesn't mix well with other blood types, all her new born's were blue babies; she would never have had a live child if it were not for medical intervention. My mother & aunt underwent complete blood transfusions at birth & survived. My mother had, cervical, brain, bowel, breast, lung, liver & bone cancer. My brother had lung & brain cancer. And now there's me, the 3rd consecutive generation to develop breast cancer & the 4th member of my family to develop cancer. I wonder whether the doctors, who probably gave themselves a good old pat on the back for being miracle workers for saving those babies; thought of the generations of suffering they were creating? I have a daughter & 5 grandchildren - now they all know they have a far greater percentage chance of developing cancer. Really why I've gotten on here is to try & expel some anger, anger that I've only been feeling since I started the 2nd box of letrozole {don't know if I've spelt that right} Considering that I decided not to undergo the treatment my oncologist recommended, which was the maximum - 12 months chemo followed by 12 months radiation . . . why put me on these pills? I think it's obvious that quality is far more important to me than quantity. I think the greatest risk to the human race is the human race, in particular the frighteningly rapid rate at which our population is increasing. What the use of a cure for cancer if our planet can no longer sustain life?
Anyhow, that's enough, sorry if I've offended anyone.
