Surviving Breast Cancer stats - reassurance required please.

[unknownrebelbang]

A colleague's wife has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is about to undergo a mastectomy, followed by chemo and radiotherapy.

I want to be supportive of them, and she is being very strong at the moment, but my mum died from breast cancer 8/9 years ago, as did her best friend three years ago.

I also know of lots of people who survived breast cancer but my colleague's wife is a similar age to what my mam was when she was diagnosed and I can't separate the facts iykwim.

Can anyone tell me what the uptodate stats are in relation to surviving breast cancer please?

TIA.

This looks encouraging

Obviously it depends on type, and how far advanced it is on diagnosis, but they are making great strides.

Hello- I'm very sorry to hear about your mum and your colleague's wife. You should find all the stats you need here but do bear in mind that breast cancer is in effect a collection of closely related diseases rather than a single one. An awful lot depends on the tumour grade and category, and whether it is hormone responsive and so on. Good luck

REally sorry to hear about your Mum, Rebel, but i thnk that cancer treatment, and especially breast cancer treatment, has been transoformed since your poor Mum had it.

My SIL was diagnosed with a v aggressive type 6 years ago and had mastectomy, chemo and radio....and is currently as fit as a fiddle. I know of several people with the same story. If your friend can be helped by the new drugs (i.e if it is an oestrogen sensitive cancer...I think but could be wrong) then chances of long-term survival take an even greater leap.

Thank you!

My colleague is a lovely bloke, devoted to his wife, I don't really know her, but her being a similar age has bought everything back and I just couldn't see past my mam's situation (and the seemingly copy-cat situation with her best friend).

I want to be able to talk to him/them without thinking "this is what happened to my mam" iykwim.

This really helps.