How to Avoid a Breast Cancer Relapse After Five Years of Survival

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), there is a 90% five-year survival rate for women with my initial breast cancer diagnosis. Terrific odds. After that, what happens? How can I avoid a breast cancer relapse after five years of survival?

Interestingly, the five-year mark of surviving cancer is recognized, but nothing else past that seems to matter. After five years, can you assume you will not endure a relapse? That would be excellent; however, I doubt this is true.

The American Cancer Society (AMC) website advocates having yearly mammograms aged forty through fifty-four. According to the AMC timeline, once a woman turns fifty-five, she can switch to by-yearly mammograms. https://www.cancer.org/healthy/cancer-facts/cancer-facts-for-women.html

Five Years Without a Breast Cancer Relapse

My breast cancer was diagnosed at age 56; I had yearly mammograms. My diagnosis was Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, Stage II. Such a fancy name! I am not sure what would have happened if I had taken AMC’s advice and waited one more year to have a mammogram done. Boy, am I happy I did not.

Doctors review your medication needs once you make it to the five-year survival mark. I have been taking Anastrozole (an estrogen-lowering drug) since my last radiation treatment in May 2017. My doctor likened it to insurance after surgery, chemo, and radiation. I take it 1x per day; it is a common drug for post-menopausal women.

Continuing with Estrogen-Lowering Drugs

Recently, my doctor informed me that I need to continue to take Anastrozole daily for another two, possibly five years. The side effects are challenging, but it has been keeping me cancer-free, so I’ll take it forever if I have to!

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women, accounting for more than 1 in 10 new cancer diagnoses each year. It is the second most common cause of death from cancer among women in the world.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482286/

The above quote elicits a physical reaction in me every time I read it. It’s these three words that trigger me – “cause of death.” (Lung cancer is number one for those of you curious.)

Fear of Breast Cancer Recurrence is Real

As you can imagine, I live in fear of relapse. It does not consume me; however, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I think about it. I am part of the online cancer community, so I hear of relapses all the time. It breaks my heart.

Breast cancer research is easy to do. There is information everywhere regarding diagnosis, treatment, and relapse. Lately, I have been researching relapse after five years and what I have found is pretty disappointing. There is no accurate way to prevent relapse. It either happens, or it doesn’t, based on my research.

Ditto for preventing getting cancer in the first place. Many women with breast cancer in their families do not get cancer. Likewise, plenty of women that test positive for the BRCA gene do not wind up with it. On the other hand, I got breast cancer even though there is no family history.

Headlines are abundant proclaiming “How to Keep Breast Cancer Away,” but after reading the articles, it boils down to eating right and exercising. Not that that’s a bad thing, but please tell me something I don’t already know.

I have concluded that breast cancer is not unique. It is just another disease categorized in the millions of conditions in the universe waiting to attack you. I find that baffling. I thought I was special since I had the number two cancer-causing death in women.

The John Hopkins Medicine website has an article entitled, “Reducing Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence.” https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/kimmel_cancer_center/cancers_we_treat/breast_cancer_program/treatment_and_services/survivorship/reducing_recurrence.html. Here’s the ten things they recommended you do to keep cancer at bay:

Reduce Your Chances of Breast Cancer Recurrence

• Take care of yourself emotionally
• Take care of yourself physically
• Eat healthy
• Reduce Stress
• Limit alcohol
• Exercise regularly
• Continue with regular health screenings
• Manage your weight
• Have your vitamin D levels checked
• Continue your endocrine therapy if prescibed

Maintaining Good Health

Notice anything? This is a basic list of maintaining good health. What does this list have to do with breast cancer? Every doctor everywhere tells you to do this when you visit them. Swap out endocrine therapy with prescribed drugs, and it’s an entirely generic list.

There is no substance here. I want to have something I can grab on to and say, this is what I am doing to actively prevent a breast cancer recurrence. Is that strange? This list solidifies that I can do nothing genuinely impactfultowards preventing cancer recurrence after five years. How frustrating!

Hard to Admit Lack of Control

Sadly, I have no true control of this situation. Why can’t I have a game controller to help me navigate the rest of my life? I know I am typically a glass-half-full gal, the rah-rah type that can handle everything, but this makes me depressed. Hard to do on a Tuesday!

The whole sugar debate bothers me as well. For every article I find saying sugar is not good for a breast cancer survivor, I find one that says there is nothing to tie sugar to cancer recurrence. It appears for everything we know about cancer; we don’t know anything about preventing recurrence. (After the five-year pinnacle.)

Let’s Start A New Canceer Movement

• Have a party when you hit your five year no evidence of disease mark. (NED)
• Go dancing and out to dinner for the tenth NED year.
• March in a parade on your fifteenth NED year.
• Dance with a beer on your head if you make it to twenty! (I can teach you.)

You get the idea – celebrate putting space between you and your cancer.

What Can You Do?

Eat your veggies, exercise, and practice self-care daily to minimize a breast cancer recurrence (or any health matter). According to all my research, it might work, but it might not.

In acceptance of this, I will continue to thank God for my health, spread kindness, and basically “do me” every day–until I can’t. And, I’ll practice what my mom said for years, “everything in moderation.” Plus, I’ll probably eat the occasional Yodel or two. Just sayin’.

Please let me know in the comments below if I have said anything that resonates with you today. Or, if you think I’ve lost my mind…