Diagnosed with triple positive breast cancer stage 3, possibly stage 4

Slow down  and breath the scans you have been scheduled for all breast cancer pts get (some variations according to drs preference) at the moment the drs have no way of knowing whether your stage 4 all they are doing is getting the facts , in part to determine what treatment path you may need e.g lumpectomy v mastectomy   
in my experience dealing with what ifs saps your energy and puts you in a negative frame of mind. The Pts who do well are the positive I can do it people though saying that it is ok to be negative sometimes it is natural. 
if it helps I had 3 positive lymph nodes and I am ned for 3 yrs and many more ladies do this.

Hi Nina18,

I think most of us would agree that you are at the worst stage at the moment, you know something but still don’t have the full picture and plan for going forwards.

I was diagnosed July 2021 with her2 breast cancer with a lymph node positive. As soon as they knew this I had to have CT scan and bone scan. I think it is fairly routine if there’s lymph nodes involved, it scared me silly but drs and nurses were really cool about it. Fortunately my scans were clear.
I know it’s much easier said than done but try not to worry, the treatments for her2 breast cancers are very effective and there’s loads of good advice on here. x

Exactly the same I was diagnosed 2023with grade 3 advanced breast cancer with 7 lymph nodes , l could not get any answer until l had  my pet scans all they said was I had a long road to go , thankfully scans came back clear , 1 year on done chemotherapy, radiotherapy now on tablets it went quickly after  I had my treatment plan and I took one step at a time , I found walking and I downloaded a calm app which helped. Plenty of advise on this site xx

Hi JaneyM1,

I noticed that you are on Letrozole and Abemaciclib which I am to start after I finish my radiotherapy which is this Friday. My oncologist said they are well tolerated but I am concerned about the side effects. What is your experience so far? I read that the combination of the two may result in thinning hair and menopausal symptoms, etc... Any advice will be greatly appreciated! 

Lana xx 

My darling. One thing I do know is that with cancer there are no secrets. Your doctor would absolutely tell you if they knew the stage. I found out today that I have not 1 but three massive rumours in my right breast. 6 months of chemo, followed by a mastectomy, then radiotherapy. I know it's grade 2 but they can't tell for certain the staging until after surgery. 

I also know that together we will take each day as it comes and get to the other side. We are not on our own, you are not on your own. I'm holding your hand from afar. Big hugs winging your way

I was in a very similar situation to you last year. I have triple negative and had three large tumours in my right breast and it had spread to my lymphs, so stage 3, and I'm now post chemo and immuno and surgery, with more immuno, chemo and radiotherapy to go. It's really hard not to panic at the stage you are at - I know I did! The docs have a lengthy fact-finding journey to go down and sometimes it might seem you are in the dark but they will tell you everything once they know for sure. Things change along the way too. Just remember that the treatment these days is amazing and you will be around for a while yet! I too have kids and I also kept thinking about the 'what ifs' but it's important to stay as positive and strong as possible as I really think that's half the battle. Sending positive vibes your way x

I took Anastrozole then Letrozole for a while but it caused much finger joint pain, making arthritis much worse. So I told my doctor, who said to stop taking it for 2 weeks to allow it to get out of my system. She then prescribed Tamoxifin & the finger joint pain went away! Yes, there are certain side effects that are caused by certain drugs and individuals react differently. So you need to be aware of what the possible side effects are & watch for such that you may develop. Also, however, don't hesitate to tell your doctor if you do experience some type of side effect, even if it's not one listed on the drug info sheet because those are common side effects & whatever you might get could be uncommon. And of course, you may NOT get side effects at all. Wouldn't THAT be great!

Sorry Lana 

for the late reply. I am tolerating letrozole fine no side affects at all.  I have had a problem on Abemaciclib my oncologist reduced the dose, but this week they have given me a two week break because I have been having a problem with acid reflux  and because I am having a camera to see what is happening next week they thought it best to come off the tablets until l have this camera.  I don’t think the Ambemaciclib has caused the acid reflux they think it’s a build up of chemotherapy and radiotherapy