Treatment FAQ

how long does a breast cancer last after treatment

by Hardy Tillman Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
image

Around 95 out of every 100 women (around 95%) survive their cancer for 1 year or more after diagnosis. Around 85 out of every 100 women (around 85%) will survive their cancer for 5 years or more after diagnosis. Around 75 out of every 100 women (around 75%) will survive their cancer for 10 years or more after diagnosis.

What is the natural cure for breast cancer?

Which natural treatments can help people with breast cancer?

  • Acupuncture. Acupuncture may relieve nausea and vomiting following chemotherapy. ...
  • Massage therapy. Massage therapy is the process of manually stimulating the tissues in the skin and muscles. ...
  • Tai chi and qi gong. ...
  • Biofeedback. ...
  • Reiki. ...
  • Diet. ...
  • Supplements. ...
  • Cannabis. ...
  • Holistic therapies. ...
  • Medical treatment for breast cancer. ...

More items...

What is the life expectancy after breast cancer?

Breast Cancer Survival Rates. The overall 5-year relative survival rate for breast cancer is 90%. This means 90 out of 100 women are alive 5 years after theyve been diagnosed with breast cancer. The 10-year breast cancer relative survival rate is 84% . The invasive 15-year breast cancer relative survival rate is 80% .

How to cure breast cancer naturally?

© 2022 MJH Life Sciences ™ and CURE - Oncology & Cancer News for Patients & Caregivers. All rights reserved. As a caregiver to my daughter with breast cancer, I had to get creative in finding ways to help her keep food down after treatments made her nauseous.

What is the percentage of survival for breast cancer?

Survival statistics and HRs for breast cancer-specific mortality for all study participants combined are presented in Supplementary Table 3. Statistically significant differences in breast cancer-specific mortality were observed according to race ...

image

Do you ever fully recover from breast cancer?

Most people fully recover with treatment. Talk with your doctor if you develop any new symptoms after radiation therapy or if the side effects are not going away.

Can breast cancer be cured forever?

There's currently no cure for metastatic breast cancer, but new treatments have improved survival rates in recent years. Researchers have gained a better understanding of the molecular and genetic characteristics of breast cancer.

How often does breast cancer return after treatment?

How common is breast cancer recurrence? Most local recurrences of breast cancer occur within five years of a lumpectomy. You can lower your risk by getting radiation therapy afterward. You have a 3% to 15% chance of breast cancer recurrence within 10 years with this combined treatment.

Can life return to normal after breast cancer?

You may expect your life to go back to the way it was before, but instead of returning to your old normal, you may have to adjust to a new one. With today's advanced treatment and early detection, breast cancer survivors can live a long and full life after breast cancer treatment.

What are signs that cancer has returned?

Warning signs of a distant recurrence tend to involve a different body part from the original cancer site. For example, if cancer recurs in the lungs, you might experience coughing and difficulty breathing, while a recurrence of cancer in the brain can cause seizures and headaches.

How do you know if cancer has returned?

Tests such as imaging scans, lab tests, and biopsies can help your doctor figure out if your cancer has recurred. A recurrence isn't the same thing as a second cancer. That's a new cancer that develops in another type of cell. Special tests can show your doctor if your disease is recurrent or a new kind.

What type of breast cancer is most likely to recur?

Research suggests that estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer is more likely to come back more than five years after diagnosis. In this study, the researchers looked at the risk of late breast cancer recurrence, meaning the breast cancer came back 10 or more years after diagnosis.

Can you live 20 years after breast cancer?

Many people with localized or regional breast cancer survive for 20 years or longer after receiving a diagnosis and treatment. It is rare for someone with distant breast cancer to live for 20 years. However, scientists are continuing to improve treatments for distant breast cancer.

Can you be cancer free after breast cancer?

Women who've had breast cancer can still get other cancers. Although most breast cancer survivors don't get cancer again, they are at higher risk for getting some types of cancer. The most common second cancer in breast cancer survivors is another breast cancer. (This is different from the first cancer coming back.)

What happens after breast cancer is cured?

Breast cancer and its treatments can cause changes to your body and the way you look. For example, after surgery you'll be left with a scar or scars. You may have lost your hair if you had chemotherapy. Many people also put on weight during or after treatment.

How long can you delay breast cancer?

Delaying for a lengthy period of time can be dangerous, with studies finding that those who delay over six months are twice as likely to die from the disease. This is important to keep in mind for those who have breast lumps they are "observing" without a clear diagnosis. Any breast lump needs to be explained.

How soon after a diagnosis can you have surgery?

For women who are young (defined as 15 to 39), a 2013 study in JAMA Surgery suggested that young women should have surgery no more than six weeks after diagnosis and preferably earlier. This study of close to 9,000 women found 5-year survival rates as follows: 4 

Can a mastectomie be done for breast cancer?

Newer procedures such as nipple-sparing/skin-sparing mastectomies are a great option for some women, but not all surgeons do these procedures. For young women with breast cancer, time to see a fertility specialist to talk about fertility preservation.

How long does breast cancer treatment last?

Almost any cancer treatment can have side effects. Some might only last for a few days or weeks, but others might last a long time.

How long after cancer treatment do side effects show?

Some side effects might not even show up until years after you have finished treatment. Visits with your doctor are a good time for you to ask questions and talk about any changes or problems you notice or concerns you have. However, if you have additional concerns about your cancer, you do not have to wait until your next scheduled visit.

Why do you need a pelvic exam after breast cancer surgery?

Pelvic exams: If you are taking either of the hormone drugs tamoxifen or toremifene and still have your uterus, you should have pelvic exams every year because these drugs can increase your risk of uterine cancer.

Why aren't breast cancer tests included in follow up?

Other tests: Other tests such as blood tests and imaging tests (like bone scans and chest x-rays) are not a standard part of follow-up because they haven’t been shown to help a woman who's been treated for breast cancer live longer.

What happens if cancer comes back?

If cancer does return, your treatment options will depend on where it comes back, what treatments you've had before, and your current health and preferences. For more information on how recurrent cancer is treated, see Treatment of Recurrent Breast Cancer .

What does a doctor look for in a woman with cancer?

If the cancer recurrence is confirmed, your doctor may also look for circulating tumor cells in the blood, or measure levels of blood tumor markers such as CA-15-3, CA 27-29, or CEA. The blood levels of tumor markers go up in some women if their cancer recurs or has spread to other parts of the body.

Is breast cancer a risk factor for cervical cancer?

In fact, women who have had breast cancer are at higher risk for certain other cancers. Because of this, it’s important to follow the American Cancer Society guidelines for the early detection of cancer, such as those for colorectal cancer and cervical cancer.

How long does breast cancer treatment last?

After a marathon of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment that may last six months to a year, you can hardly wait to get back to a normal life again.

What does it mean to return to your normal after breast cancer?

Here's how to return to your "new normal.". Life after breast cancer means returning to some familiar things and also making some new choices. The song says "It ain't over 'til it's over," but when you've had breast cancer, you discover that it's not even over when it's over.

What are the challenges women face after breast cancer treatment?

Two of the biggest hurdles women with breast cancer face post-treatment are fatigue resulting from chemotherapy and/or the accumulated effects of other treatments, and a phenomenon some women have dubbed "chemobrain" -- mental changes such as memory deficits and the inability to focus.

How does breast cancer affect your life?

From your relationships with your family and your spouse to eating habits and exercise, breast cancer will change your life in ways that last well after treatment ends.

Is breast cancer a marathon?

It can feel like an endless process.". Breast cancer survivorship, Weiss observes, is a marathon, not a sprint. That means learning to handle the symptoms that stick around after treatment ends, says Sloan-Kettering's McCabe, by using those adaptive strategies you learned while on chemotherapy or recovering from surgery.

Can breast cancer survivors survive?

Women with breast cancer, like other people with a cancer diagnosis, are now surviving for so much longer, and in such large numbers, that some hospitals are opening entire departments devoted to survivorship The National Cancer Institute has also launched a special research area dedicated to studying what it means to survive cancer. Â.

Ask the experts

My mother is fairly young (early 50s), and she was just diagnosed with breast cancer. I'm trying to figure out what I should expect going forward. How long can breast cancer patients live?

Doctor's response

Survival rates are a way for health care professionals to discuss the prognosis and outlook of a cancer diagnosis with their patients. The number most frequently discussed is five-year survival. It is the percentage of patients who live at least five years after they are diagnosed with cancer.

How much pain did breast cancer patients have before surgery?

The results showed that: 24% of the women had pain problems before surgery, including pain from fibromyalgia and low back pain. This means that about 66% of the women had mild to severe pain 1 year after breast cancer surgery. The researchers found that certain factors were linked to continuing pain after surgery:

How many women had lumpectomy after breast cancer surgery?

To see if any specific factors were linked to continuing pain after surgery, the researchers looked at the medical records of 860 women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer who had surgery to remove the cancer: 54% of the women took hormonal therapy before surgery. 62% of the women had lumpectomy. 38% of the women had mastectomy.

What are the factors that contribute to pain after breast cancer surgery?

The researchers found that certain factors were linked to continuing pain after surgery: preoperative pain problems . preoperative pain in the area where breast cancer surgery would take place. preoperative depression. axillary lymph node dissection. radiation therapy after surgery. chemotherapy after surgery.

Why does chemotherapy hurt after breast surgery?

There are a number of reasons why someone might have continuing pain after surgery, including unavoidable tissue and nerve damage when the cancer and any lymph nodes are removed.

How many women took hormone therapy before surgery?

54% of the women took hormonal therapy before surgery. 48% of the women had axillary lymph node dissection. 73% of the women had radiation therapy after surgery. 68% of the women took hormonal therapy after surgery; about half the women took tamoxifen and about half took an aromatase inhibitor.

How many women are older than 50 after surgery?

75% of the women were older than 50. about 7% of the women were suffering from depression. A year after surgery, the researchers sent the women a survey on pain, asking about pain both before and 1 year after surgery, as well as its severity. The results showed that:

Can breast cancer cause swelling in the arm?

Lymphedema, a swelling of the arm, hand, or chest wall caused by a build-up of lymph fluid in those tissues after breast cancer surgery, also can be painful. But you don't have to suffer. With proper treatment, most people can get relief from most, if not all, of their pain.

Checking for cancer recurrence and growth

The National Cancer Institute (NCI)’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database classifies breast cancer into three stages:

Managing treatment side effects

Breast cancer treatments can cause a variety of side effects. Some side effects may be short-lived and resolve on their own. Others may require treatment to manage.

Overall survival rates

The NCI reports the following relative survival rates for breast cancer:

Individual outlook

Doctors cannot know for certain how long a particular individual with breast cancer will live. However, they might estimate the person’s outlook based not only on cancer stage but also on the following factors, according to the NCI:

How long do side effects last after chemo?

After you finish chemotherapy, you may have some remaining side effects. While most will go away soon after your last dose, others can last for weeks or months. Some of these side effects are listed below. For more information on each side effect, talk with your healthcare provider.

How long does it take to feel like you're back after chemo?

Try to avoid having goals for yourself that are too high. This can add to your stress level and frustration. Most people say it takes 6 to 12 months after they finish chemotherapy before they truly feel like themselves again.

How often do you see your chemo provider after chemo?

For months, you’ve seen your healthcare providers very often. They could answer your questions and support you at each visit. Now that you’ve finished chemotherapy, you won’t see them as often, but you’ll likely continue to have questions and concerns.

How long does it take for a chemo numbness to go away?

It may get worse after you have your last chemotherapy treatment. Most people notice that their neuropathy gets better 2 to 4 months after chemotherapy, but it can take up to 1 year to fully go away.

How long does it take for nausea to go away after chemo?

You may experience nausea (feeling like you might throw up) and vomiting (throwing up) after your last chemotherapy treatment. It should go away in 2 to 3 weeks. Your appetite may continue to be affected due to taste changes you may have experienced during your treatment.

What happens to the brain after chemo?

This is sometimes called “chemo brain.”. You may have problems such as poor memory, trouble finding words, difficulty focusing. This can affect parts of your life, including caring for your family and managing your job.

How long does it take for a chemo patient's white blood cell count to go down?

After your last dose of chemotherapy, your white blood cell count will go down. It should start to go back to normal about a month after your last treatment . Your red blood cell count may also go down, but it should go back to normal around the same time.

What is a recurrence of breast cancer?

Generally, a recurrence is found when a person has symptoms or an abnormal finding during a physical examination. Annual mammograms are also recommended after a diagnosis of breast cancer. The symptoms depend on where the cancer has recurred and may include: A lump under the arm or along the chest wall.

What does it feel like to have a breast removed?

Having a low appetite and/or weight loss. Nausea or vomiting. Rash or skin changes on the breast or chest wall. Changes in the shape or size of the breast, or swelling in the breast or arm. It is important that your surgeon explain what your breast will feel like after surgery and, when used, radiation therapy.

How do you know if you have breast cancer?

Breast cancer can come back in the breast or other areas of the body. Generally, a recurrence is found when a person has symptoms or an abnormal finding during a physical examination. Annual mammograms are also recommended after a diagnosis of breast cancer. The symptoms depend on where the cancer has recurred and may include: 1 A lump under the arm or along the chest wall 2 Pain that is constant, worsening, and not relieved by over-the-counter medication such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) 3 Bone, back, neck, or joint pain, fractures, or swelling, which are possible signs of bone metastases 4 Headaches, seizures, dizziness, confusion, personality changes, loss of balance, nausea, vomiting, or changes in vision, which are possible signs of brain metastases 5 Chronic coughing, shortness of breath, or trouble breathing, which are possible symptoms of lung metastases 6 Abdominal pain, itchy skin or rash, or yellow skin and eyes from a condition called jaundice, which may be associated with liver metastases 7 Changes in energy levels, such as feeling ill or extremely tired 8 Having a low appetite and/or weight loss 9 Nausea or vomiting 10 Rash or skin changes on the breast or chest wall 11 Changes in the shape or size of the breast, or swelling in the breast or arm

Why is follow up care important for breast cancer?

One goal of follow-up care is to check for a recurrence, which means that the cancer has come back. Treatment for early stage or locally advanced breast cancer is given to eradicate as many cancer cells in the body as possible. However, cancer recurs because small areas of cancer cells that don't respond to treatment may remain undetected in ...

What happens after a lumpectomy?

After a mastectomy or lumpectomy to treat early-stage or locally advanced breast cancer, the breast may be scarred and may have a different shape or size than before surgery. Or, the area around the surgical site may become hardened.

What is the goal of cancer rehabilitation?

The goal of rehabilitation is to help people regain control over many aspects of their lives and remain as independent and productive as possible. Learn more about cancer rehabilitation. Learn more about the importance of follow-up care.

How long does it take for a person to feel a swollen chest after radiation?

This is a life-long risk for survivors. Long-term effects of radiation therapy. Some survivors experience breathlessness, a dry cough, and/or chest pain 2 to 3 months after finishing radiation therapy. That is because radiation therapy can cause swelling and a hardening or thickening of the lungs called fibrosis.

image
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9