Cancer Free Start Date.

Hi, this is a really good question. I have often wondered myself. I’ve noticed on some cancer sites that discuss statistics for the five year mark that they say ‘five years from diagnosis’. So, in your case this would be February. Personally, I count it from my mastectomy date, but have wondered if it should be from when I finished radiotherapy. 

I had chemo then lumpectomy, then radiotherapy and now 5 years of hormone therapy and 3 years of bisphosphonates.

I considered myself cancer-free after the lumpectomy, as that's when they took it out and confirmed no lymph node involvement.

Everything after that for me isbelts and braces to help stop it from recurring.

I also get my annual mammogram yearly after lumpectomy.

That’s a good way of looking at it. Like you, I had chemo first, and then surgery, so yes, I’m with you. Thank you for that.

Hi Spencer78 

I was on tablets for 5 years after my diagnosis.  My diagnosis was in June, but my tablets stopped in the August when I started radiotherapy after my operation.  So, I personally based by 5 years from the date they stopped my tablets. I worked on the basis that it was after the operation (ie the cancer has been removed) and the radiotherapy was just belt and braces of treatment, but the cancer had already been removed. So, I agree with Cloudier and Beatthebreast that it is after the operation date.

Best wishes, Lesley