Experience of breast cancers coming back?

[velcrobott]

A friend of mine had breast cancer 3 years ago, she had her breast removed (one or 2 not sure) then she had chemo but now I just heard that it has come back and she is undergoing chemo... am I right to assume the worst ?

[tamum]

Do you know whether it's come back in the same place or somewhere new? A local recurrence, or a new tumour in the breast, might be potentially a better scenario than a metastasis. I'm very sorry :(

[SenoraPostrophe]

tamum, a friend of mine is in this situation too. I know it's bad, but secondary cancer elsewhere - do you know what the odds actually are?

[tamum]

I don't think I've ever seen anything written down about the odds SP, I'm afraid, but not good (as you know). It depends on where the secondaries are and how responsive they are to chemo, and whether they still have the same characteristics that would make them respond to tamoxifen and so on. I had a friend who lived another 5 years after secondaries were found, but I can't in all honesty say that this was a good thing. I'm really sorry.

[velcrobott]

Sadly I can't speak to her at the moment so only heard from a common friend... so not sure how bad it is but she is back with chemo which can't be great!

[scoobytwo]

im sorry to hear about your friend huni
my auntie had breast cancer&both removed,was ok for 3years then got lung cancer,by the time they found it the cancer had spread all over her she died age 33,5 years after the 1st diagnosis bless her