I have just been diagnosed, I am trying to make long range plans for our family, assuming this runs

JustGrateful

My doctors have said that this doesn't appear to be anything they can't control. That is assuming nothing goes wrong during this process. My question is how long has it taken most of you from the time of diagnosis to the point of having your last treatment?

I am taking a giant leap of faith in assuming that there won't be serious setbacks, and if so, I'll deal with them, for now I am just trying to get an idea about how much time I need to allow for this. Thank you for your input.

BuckeyeShelby

Different type of cancer (endometrial). Cancer was found in July 2012, during a hernia repair. I completed treatment in January 2013. Currently NED (no evidence of disease). I only did chemo. With breast cancer, there is often radiation as well, so can't help with that part of the equation. Doesn't sound like you've started yet -- it gets easier once you have a treatment plan in place. Your oncology team should be able to give you an idea of how long things will take -- mine did. Good luck!

Bengal

As Buckyeye said, there are many different types of breast cancer and treatment varies depending on the type. I had chemo plus radiation and my treatments lasted one-year plus one week. The first 18 weeks I had chemo once a week. Then a brief "vacation", followed with 22 radiation treatments (every day except weekends) and continuing chemo once every third week. It is a process and takes patience and fortitude. When you talk with your oncology team they will lay out a plan for you. Then after treatments are finished expect a lengthy recovery period. Some people recover quite quickly. For others it can be longer. You will find this one of the greatest challenges of your life but just make up your mind you CAN do it and move forward! Best of luck.

LiveWithCancer

I have lung cancer. I was diagnosed in 10/2012. I had my last treatment 5/2019. I am on active surveillance now because the tumors are still there, but not active.

There are so many things that go into a cancer diagnosis and treatment, even for the same kind of cancer, that I personally think it would be very difficult to come up with an average time to expect to be down...

Good luck! It is not an easy battle or journey or whatever phrase you want to use, but it is doable, one step at a time.

msesq

I was diagnosed April 2014 with HERS2 invasive breast cancer. Lumpectomy was June 9 and June 29, first chemo was July 18th and last herceptin was June 30, 2015. Radiation was November-December 31st, 2014. Hope this helps

Lisamoses

Really depends what type of breast cancer you have that determines treatment plan (estrogen/progesterone positive/negative, HER2 positive/negative)....

I was triple positive- started w 4 months of chemotherapy, followed by lumpectomy, followed by 20 rounds of radiation, followed by 5 more months of Herceptin infusions.... A total of one full year.

Best of luck to you and sending prayers your way.

MarcieB

I have a very similar experience as Lisamoses. I, too, had triple positive and was diagnosed in July of 2018. I immediately began chemotherapy, every two weeks for the first four rounds, then once a week for 11 weeks. Chemo ended for me late December. I had surgery in January - a lumpectomy which showed tissue that had responded to treatment ( a good pathology), so the chemo did it's job. Then 30 treatments of radiation, which were easy for me and I finished up my years worth of herceptin by September 2019, so, basically, a year. The chemo times were the toughest, but I could manage some good days.
I would advise you to look at your treatment plan and if you trust your doctors, embrace the plan, keep a positive attitude and go forward. Let your family and friends help you, you are going to be fine.

tlalex

As everyone else has said... it all depends....on type of cancer, stage, tumor size, if your estrogen positive and/or her2, brac positive, type of surgery(lumpectomy vs mastectomy), chemo, radiation, metastatic, and for us breast cancer patients-our oncotype score(shows likelihood of recurrence). I probably left out a few. Most of these questions can’t be answered at the beginning but get Answered along the way.
Personally, what began as a doom and gloom prognosis because I went in with back issues so they had to start with assumption it might have already metastasized to spine and bones, ended with most things in my favor-lumpectomy, no chemo, radiation however, downgraded tumor, BRAC neg. even though my sister had metastatic breast cancer and a rare low onco score of 3. I healed quickly and no radiation burn. Diagnosed feb ‘17 finished end of June ‘17.
.....but then you have surgeon visits 3-6-12 mth intervals for 5 yrs, oncologist visits till I don’t know when. They lengthen out too-she monitors my mammograms, does blood work ups, scrutinizing my ups and downs especially in regards to estrogen inhibitor that you’d likely be put on for 5years if you are estrogen positive-mine has had to be changed due to side effects. This also requires an annual bone density test.
One step at a time........we are all unique.

2943

Your team (breast surgeon and oncologist) will propose a plan of attack special to you. You will be learning a whole new vocabulary. Have somewhere to write questions down making visits so much easier. It may seem like a bit of a whirlwind right now but they want to get started. You can always get a second opinion if the first doesn’t set right with you. I was stage 1, triple positive. Masectomy 9/16, exchange and reconstruction 12/16. No rad, no chemo, was on aromatase inhibitor 1year. When you get your game plan, let us know. Hugs!

ChildOfGod4570

To be truthful, we're all different, even among people who have the exact same type of cancer. For me, I was diagnosed April 25, 2013, had my port put in May 21, got my first infusion of TC chemo May 23, went into hospital May 31 due to problems with my immune system, and resumed chemo June 20 with precautions in place to keep me strong enough to avoid the hospital. July 16 and August 6 were more chemo dates before I was released for surgery. I had my lumpectomy September 3 and learned I needed 2 more chemo cycles I hadn't planned on. October 2 and 23 marked the last 2 days in the chemo chair. November 14 was the day I was tattooed for my radiation treatments, and around November 20 give or take, I was beginning 33 days worth of radiation, only being interrupted for weekends, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. January 8, 2014 was my last day for radiation, and the 23rd was when I began taking Tamoxifen on the 5 year plan. In 2016, I had my first bone density scan, and a year or two ago, my Tamoxifen was increased to the 10 year plan because the cancer I had was aggressive. This goes to show that sometimes treatment must be amended depending on how you react and how aggressive the cancer is. It's not what I would call the time of my life or anything we would have on our bucket list, but it's a journey we all have taken and come through. We're all members of this club we never wanted to join, and we're all here for you to answer your questions or just give you the chance to vent. HUGS and God bless.

brizzjo

I have stage 4 lung cancer, ever since radiation and chemo (2018) I have not had one good day. Hospitalized 4 times, colitis, lost 25 lbs, hydration 2 times a week, I hardly feel like getting out of bed. Came close to dying from pneumonia. I haven’t had any treatments since May 2019 due to colitis and weak immune system. I’ve heard people say they have never felt better, after 2 years I’m still waiting for that day!

Kp2018

It was 8 months for me from diagnosis, through lumpectomy and re-excision, chemotherapy (16 treatments over 20 weeks) and radiation (20 sessions over 4 weeks). I had a pretty easy ride through it all, and had tiredness for only about 2-3 months following treatment completion.

I join the others in emphasizing that the course is different for each individual, and encourage you to embrace your treatment no matter how long it takes and any side effects you may experience.

I'd also encourage you and your family to put your non essential plans on hold and to prioritize you and your survival.

It’s not how much time you allow for your cancer; it’s how much time your cancer and its response to treatment allows for you.

My heartfelt best wishes to you for a successful course of treatment.

Rustysmom

I remember being where you are today. You are about to encounter a learning curve like you have never imagined! I would plan for a year to have your schedule royally disrupted.

I was diagnosed with stage II ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma) in October, had several biopsies, tested for the BRCA mutation, and had a single mastectomy in December. Cancer cells were found in the lymph nodes during that surgery, so I was scheduled for a Power Port then for 8 rounds of chemo, then 33 hits of radiation.
I also underwent the prep for reconstruction, then, later, the actual reconstruction surgery. Radiation ended in July, the reconstruction surgery in the following October.

So, pretty much one year to go thru everything. I was pretty strong and healthy going into treatment, so I was able to have chemo every other week, rather than every three weeks, which shortened the time.

I did work thru treatment as much as possible. I was off for 6 weeks for the mastectomy, but able to work from home the last three weeks. I took off 3-4 days every other week while doing chemo, and was able to work thru radiation. I just scheduled it at the end of the day.
Many women end up with a lumpectomy and radiation. My Mom did, and it was a much easier and faster course of treatment. She was in treatment about three months, total.

Like so many others have said, your specific circumstances will dictate your treatment course. As you learn your treatment plan, you will be better able to plan your and your family's coming months. I wish you all the best. Please keep us posted on your progress, and of course, don't hesitate to ask the group questions. There is a wealth of practical experience and understanding here. Hugs!

TerriL

Different types of breast cancer have different treatments. Because I had tnbc, I had 12 months of treatment, which started approx two months after diagnosis

cllinda

Good idea to make plans. Cancer is something that really hits the entire family. Meals, rides for kids, play dates and other things have to be arranged. So that you stay on a somewhat normal schedule. But even the best schedule can be thrown out of whack very easily. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow and figure out things later. And even when treatment is over, you probably won't be able to go on with your past normal life. Give yourself time to heal. It probably was a good year before I felt to be myself again. And learn the word No to get out of things that you are not ready for. Be kind to yourself.

Kalee

The first time, it was a year from diagnosis to reconstruction for me. I am triple negative, did double mastectomy, 6 months of radiation, at that time was stage 1. Recurring cancer came back september 2019, another surgery, more chemo and 33 rounds of radiation, finished that on Jan. 31 and am doing immunotherapy now, which will be through November of this year at least. I've worked through almost all of it. Of course taking a little time after surgeries. The toughest was the frist chemo, doxerubicin, also known as the red devil...that made me feel rough. So, the answer to your question, for me, anyway, treatment, and working through most except surgery and the red devil I was off work 3 months, back to work and worked through the rest, still working. But, like everyone has said, we each handle chemo differently, i was lucky that I was able to tolerate it well...hopefully, you will be able to as well:)

Lifesaver

JustGrateful,
Each of these wonderful cancer survivors have given their journey, with one common theme, This is Your Cancer Journey and everyone is unique. You will have a New Normal for a time frame the oncologist will be able to discuss with you. Schedule out your plan, and be flexible by taking each Day and/or Hour at a time. In my situation, I looked at the 5-year survivor's plan that I only had treatment for 2.5 of the 5 years. However, other plans may have a lifetime of checking or reoccuring treatments.

The other common theme is You Can Do this, you have a support system, even if it is Just Us to come back and talk to when you need to. Also, there are organizations with 24/7/365 Cancer Hotline too. You may have your unique situation, but you are NOT Alone! We are paying it forward for others. You are one of our special "Others" to assist. Blessings and best wishes on your cancer treatment(s) and Cancer Journey.