Breast Mets after 25 yrs.

  • 2 replies
  • 499 subscribers
  • 224 views

Hi. I’ve just been diagnosed with mets in my spine after 25 yrs clear of breast cancer. This was discovered after a spell of breathlessness .

To say I’m in shock is an understatement. It’s like everything I had planned has been snatched from me. 

I’m sure that others of you out there have dealt with similar experiences . Any tips on how to deal with this new ‘normal’ ?

  • Hi. Are the clinical team sure it is breast mets after 25years?

    I ask this because I was diagnosed 18 month's ago with early stage lung cancer, having been clear of breast cancer stage2 for 34 years, the breast cancer had spread into my axillary lymph nodes so I had an axillary clearance along with a lumpectomy, then subsequent radiotherapy every day for six weeks.

    Regarding my lung cancer, diagnosed September 2023, the clinical team had a discussion about "mets" from the breast cancer, but they deemed it too long ago and diagnosed my lung cancer is a "primary". I was told by the Oncologist awhile ago that mets from a primary cancer recurring 10 or more years later is rare, and that it was more than likely that the radiotherapy I had after the lumpectomy was a possibility. Please see the paragraph below copied from the Macmillan Cancer Information Website.

    Second cancers

    Radiotherapy may increase your risk of developing a different type of cancer later in life. A very small number of people develop another cancer because of the treatment they had.

    The chance of a second cancer is small. This risk is far less than the benefits of treating the first cancer with radiotherapy.

    If you are worried about your risk of developing a second cancer, talk to your cancer doctor.

    As you can see, the risk is very low, nevertheless there is a risk. If, as the Oncologist said, this could have been  radiotherapy treatment in the past, I am now coming up to the 35 years mark, so not bad going. Personally, the small risk did not worry me and I went ahead and had radiotherapy for three weeks on my lung cancer, all with positive results.

    Very best wishes.

  • Hi. 
    Thanks for your answer . I suppose at this stage, a few days in, they are assuming Breast mets.

    I had lumpectomy in 2000, clear margins , no lymph nodes involved , radiotherapy & 5 yrs Tamoxifen …. So yes, extremely rare to come back .

    No real signs until breathlessness over the last few weeks , leading to hospital admission to get chest drained .

    I guess I’ll know more when they’ve finished analysing what they drained from my chest . 

    I honestly didn’t expect to find myself in this situation again . 

    Thanks for your kind words , hope things stay positive for you . Sue