Prognosis and Stage II

QUESTION: My wife had non-estrogen-dependent stage II ductal carcinoma. She had a double mastectomy and aggressive chemotherapy. Her surgeon said she had 10 years left. Is this a true statement? Does it always come back? Is it always fatal?

ANSWER: Thank you for sharing your concerns with us. We can imagine how hard it must be to struggle with the uncertainty that goes along with a breast cancer diagnosis—and here it's your wife dealing with it.

Breast cancer can be overcome. It is not always a death sentence. Most women live beyond it. But without a reliable crystal ball, it's just not possible to know for sure what any particular woman's outcome will be. That uncertainty can feel like a whale in your living room, an uninvited guest you'd like to get rid of. You can sit down with your wife's doctor and review all of the different "personality features" that define the nature of her specific situation. The doctor can give you a realistic sense of what to expect.

A woman such as your wife, with stage II breast cancer that's appropriately treated with definitive surgery and aggressive chemotherapy, has a good chance of living a long life free of breast cancer. Be assured that the treatment that she has invested so heavily in is likely to be effective. Close follow-up will be necessary over the years. If she were to have a problem again, then many options are available to her. New innovative and effective treatments are emerging every day that may prove to be life-saving.

At some point, you and your wife have to say to yourselves and each other—even in face of uncertainty—"what is certain is that we will make whatever choices we need to make to choose to live and live well. We need to believe that there is hope on the horizon, one day at a time," and, later, one week, then one month, at a time (as you gain confidence). If you seek it, you will find pleasure, love, thoughts, ideas, people, things, places that affirm this belief.

—Marisa Weiss, M.D.