Ask an Expert is a free question-and-answer service about breast cancer and breast health that is available on weekends. If you'd like to ask a question or comment, please visit us again on Saturday or Sunday. In the meantime, please search the existing topics using the search tool at the top of the page. It's quite possible that one of our many existing topics already addresses your question.
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Comments about our Breast Center Questions & comments about Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center |
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| 3/29/2009 | I am 4 years out from dx and treatment with idc stage 1/2. I was in the military for all my treatment so I had no choice of doctor. I saw a diff doctor every week, and each gave diff answers and advice. The whole experience was horrible. I had a botched biopsy, either a missed 2nd tumor or a recurrence (no one knows which) 4 mos after lumpectomy, nerve damage from my surgery and the grand finale was being given another patients chemo treatment. To summarize, I have no faith that I was every properly diagnosed, staged, or treated. When I was finally discharged from the military, I began seeing a civilian oncologist, but at this point I was 1.5 years into Tamoxifen therapy, so he just continues treating me with that and is unconcerned about any early issues because they happened so long ago. I am having a hard time putting my BC experience behind me because I have no idea of my risk of recurrence, etc... Is it possible, or even reasonable, or useful at this point to come to JH for a full review of everyhing from day 1 to get a clear picture of what I had and where I stand now? If so, how do I start? Thank you so much for your help. | ||
| Replied | JHU's Breast Center Reply | ||
| 3/29/2009 | what an awful experience. at this point, we can't rewind the videotape of your life and play it forward again doing things differently than before. so revisiting each step probably isn't useful. what is good to know however is that recurrence risk is highest during the first 2 years and you are well passed that milestone!!! so risk of recurrence now is small. you should be coming up, within the year, for decisions about coming off of hormonal therapy or possibly continuing on a different form of hormonal therapy, like femara. when the time is right for this, you might want to see us. | ||
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