How to Understand Breast Cancer Remission: All You Need to Know

[@mladen1urumov]

Your voice is so soothing. When I listen to you, I have the feeling that everything will be alright. My wife is 41 years old and has inflammatory breast cancer, somewhere the doctors write that it is stage 3c, and somewhere they write stage 4 because she has an infected lymph node above the collarbone (except those under the arm). No disease was detected in other organs (PET/CT scan). Treatment began with chemotherapy, will continue with surgery, radiation therapy and hormone therapy. Greetings from Bulgaria and happy holidays.

[@northwestcoastalcharters18]

Hello from Canada 🇨🇦 I have stage 3C IBC. Here your wife would be considered stage 4 but still be treated with chemo, surgery and radiation. If you or your wife have not already looked at MDA Anderson Standard of care for IBC I would recommend it. MDA is in Houston and has an actual IBC research department. I visited them about a months ago. Very inspiring to meet other with this rare disease!

[@yerbba]

Happy Holidays to you too and to your wife. If the lymph node above the clavicle is on the same side as the cancer, this is Stage IIIC. If it is on the other side, that is Stage IV. Wishing you the best. Thank you for coming here to comment.

[@donnadallariva8377]

🙏 for healing recovery & wholeness. In Jesus mighty name Amen 🙏

[@jobowman3144]

Hello and God bless you both. When cancer invades someone you love ve, it invades you as well . Your wife is very blessed to have you. It's obvious you care. I am 55 years old. I was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer last October I have endured 12 rounds of chemo therapy and then had the lump removed as well as lymph nodes. Praise God I am now cancer free. I have to do radiation therapy now, but so greatful to be alive. The chemo took a lot out of me but the battle made me so strong I feel like nothing can get me down now but I didn't do it alone. God sent an army. I have the best friends and the best doctors. I pray that your wife gets the best care and beats this beast. Prayers for you both for strength and endurance during this time. Just continue to be there for that's the best medicine. She is so blessed to have you..

[@Barbara-ex3ge]

Thank you for clarifying the difference between having no evidence of disease and being remission. I agree with an earlier comment about your soothing voice. You provide so much information in a calm and reassuring way.

[@yerbba]

We appreciate your kind words and are glad that the video has been helpful to you. Thank you for being a part of the Yerbba community.

[@nonyabiness4023]

Okay. I thought cured and complete remission was the same thing. Thank you for explaining this so thoroughly!

[@yerbba]

We're so glad you found this video helpful. It's a common misconception, but the terms "cured" and "complete remission" have subtle differences in the medical context. Thank you for watching and being a part of the Yerbba community.

[@stchannel2476]

This was a helpful video doctor. Someone asked me if I was in remission and I said I didn’t know and then felt embarrassed coz I didn’t what it was about. I had a mastectomy 2 years ago with no reconstruction and am on anastrozole. Years ago a friend was talking about his wife who had breast cancer and how she was in remission. Thank you for these videos.

[@yerbba]

You're welcome! We're so glad you found this video helpful. Don't ever feel embarrassed about not knowing something. So many people are confused about this, which is why we made the video. Thank you for watching.

[@SD87338]

Thank you for clarify! I though I was in "remission" since April 2024... now I know I am "cancer free" since April 🎉.

[@yerbba]

Congratulations on being cancer-free since April! It’s great to have that clarity, and we're glad the video could help make the distinction for you.

[@CharF25]

You have helped me so much during this journey. Thank you for this and keeping me from panic.

[@yerbba]

We're so happy to hear that our videos have been helpful for you during this challenging journey. If you ever have more questions or want us to cover a specific topic, feel free to leave us a comment. Remember, you're not alone in this. There is a community of support here for you.

[@NA-lf2oj]

Great explanation of the different definitions. Thank you for being so informative.

[@yerbba]

Thank you for watching. We're so glad you found this explanation helpful!

[@naththomas9946]

Thank you, Dr. Griggs, for your informative medical advice.

[@yerbba]

Thank you for watching and being an active member of the Yerbba community.

[@rebeccakarlsson1395]

Thank you for a very clear explanation of how to speak of our health status following/during treatment It is confusing I’ll admit.

[@yerbba]

Health status and terminology can indeed be confusing. We're glad you found this video helpful.

[@maloubustos7790]

Thanks a lot for your very clear explanation.

[@yerbba]

Thank you for watching! We appreciate your support.

[@TheyfoundRickGrimes]

This was very helpful Thankyou 👍🏻

[@yerbba]

Thank you for watching and the positive feedback. Yerbba appreciates you!

[@mellod2954]

Thank you that does clarify things.

[@yerbba]

Thank you for watching!

[@justcomment8516]

Many thanks for this video on the rather confusing topic. I've been on AI and endocrine therapy for a year now, one year to go with AI. When I asked my oncologist how will we know if I still had cancer cells left (post operation report said that they could not remove less than 1% cancer cells, had 3 weeks radiation after that), got a thorax and abdomen CT scans. Both scans show no evidence of any abnormalities, all scanned organs are in order, mammary cancer markers are fine too. My question is still: how would I know if I still have any cancer cells? Is there a scan which can show this? I understand there is scan with contrast infusion with glucose and cancer cells show on it.

[@yerbba]

There are no scans that can say for certain that someone is free of cancer. If there were, we would not offer chemotherapy to so many people. Scans are actually helpful only if they show cancer. For that reason, scans after treatment are not generally offered unless people have symptoms. You may find it helpful to watch our video on Why We Don't Do Scans after Treatment: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZSqcoiEo5KBZ6M

[@AshishKumar-jt4xs]

​@@yerbba but u told harmone receptor + & her2- desease early stage patient no need chemo only harmone therepy work well?😢

[@niekiewells9177]

Good day. I want to know is it a must to go for breast cancer test if you got a pacemaker? I had a pacemaker 7months ago. My cardiologist told me to go for a test. I had a mammogram 2 months before the pacemaker. Thanks.

[@yerbba]

It's important to follow your cardiologist's advice, especially considering your recent pacemaker surgery. While having a pacemaker doesn't necessarily affect the need for regular breast cancer screenings like mammograms, your medical team may recommend specific precautions or alternative screening methods to accommodate the pacemaker.

[@HIB2016]

Very helpful! Thank you! 🙌

[@yerbba]

Thank you for watching! We appreciate your support.

[@jennypangalanko]

thank you for explaining further. 😊

[@yerbba]

Thank you for watching! Yerbba appreciates you!

[@twerpylou]

Excellent explanation

[@yerbba]

We appreciate your feedback. It's great to know the explanations in the videos are clear and useful.

[@JanetThorpe-uv2ev]

SO Informative! Thank you!

[@yerbba]

We appreciate the positive feedback, thank you for watching!

[@ebnanaann5644]

well put as i go onto more treatment verzenios plus zoledronic acid (to protect my bones?) both having side affects

[@yerbba]

The side effects from bone-directed therapy generally improve after 3 or 4 treatments. It is rare for people to have to stop bone directed therapy. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@marlongreeb831]

Very useful ❤

[@yerbba]

Thank you for watching and being part of the Yerbba community!

[@HL-qv3yd]

Dr Griggs thank you for your clear explanations, er pr positive her2 negative if spread to lung after hormone treatments is pet scan shows scars? And can it be cancer scars cause inflammation in lung? With hormone therapy can cancer go to sleep? If you could give some clarity on this, this is for my family member please ❤

[@yerbba]

Thank you for writing. It is possible that the PET scan is showing previously viable (living) cancer that is responding to treatment. Endocrine therapy works more gradually than chemotherapy, so it can take a while for a PET scan to be negative. In general, the radiologist can distinguish between cancer that is still living and cancer that is receding. Endocrine therapy can definitely help the cells become dormant again. It is, in fact, as effective as chemotherapy and more tolerable.Wishing you and your relative the best.

[@HL-qv3yd]

Thank you so much❤

[@JennyChuaviriya]

Thank you for sharing doctor. I am menopausal-aged woman. I am estrogen stage 2 IDCIS, not hereditary of cancer disease, mastectomy surgery option for preventative measures, no other cancer treatment. Is this means I am NED or REMISSION or both? Thank you.

[@yerbba]

You have no evidence of disease and can call yourself "dancing with NED."

[@donnerjacob567]

Thank you, Dr. Briggs. I had IDC, ER+, PR+, HER2neg..one year post lumpectomy, no lymph node involvement. Chemo and radiation. I finished a washout period with anastrazole and now one week on exemestane. Joint pain, yuck, trying to adapt. Then my younger sister got breast cancer, a totally different type: DCIS, ER and PR neg, HER2 positive. She is now three weeks post mastectomy, no chemo/herceptin recommended due to low risk of recurrence. She recently said because no more treatment, that she is cancer free. Could that be true?

[@clairebeever3038]

I’m on same drugs as you stopped anastrozole awful bone pain migraines letrazole terrible now on examestane on targeted therapy too no end to this cancer as it’s a secondary cancer ❤love to you and your sister

[@donnerjacob567]

Thank you.

[@yerbba]

With DCIS (non-invasive cancer), a person can be cancer-free, yes.

[@vilmavelazquez1979]

Should I get a hysterectomy? I’m about to start verzenio and aromatase inhibitors. I know 3 women who like me had stage 3 and later in had BC metastasis to the ovaries. Please help doctor! I had stage 3 ILC ER/PR+, her2-. My mom had BC and 4 years later her BC metastasized to the uterus and died

[@yerbba]

The treatment you are describing will reduce your risk of getting cancer in the uterus, ovaries, and the rest of your body. In general, unless someone has a genetic syndrome that predisposes them to cancer of the ovaries, uterus, or other body part, we do not recommend surgery. There is some evidence that having the fallopian tubes removed will reduce the risk of ovarian cancer down the road, but of course any surgery is associated with risks.

[@mijanurrahman9777]

Mam,metastasis carcinoma consists with primary breast is it curable??

[@yerbba]

In general, metastatic cancer is not considered curable. Many people can live for many years, however.

[@jdrrn]

When do we say a person is finally “cancer free”?

[@yerbba]

This is tough with breast cancer. Because so many people are free of disease at 5 years, 10 years, etc., recurrences are possible many years later. If people survive to 20 years after treatment, the odds are quite low that they will have a recurrence. We don't ever say with 100% certainty that the breast cancer can't come back. In contrast, people with other cancers (pancreas cancer, leukemia, cancer of the bile duct, lung cancer), if someone is fortunate to survive to 5 years, they are likely to be cured. The chances of surviving to 5 years is much lower, however.