@A MyBCTeam Member, I was on Tamoxifen for 5 years after chemo & radiation. I was told after 5 years there was no benefit in taking it longer, so I stopped. Recently, they have discovered that for some patients there is a benefit, in recurrence & survival rates, of taking it up to 10 years. I was cancer free throughout taking Tamoxifen and 3 years after.

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A MyBCTea...

@A MyBCTeam Member - Yes, your tissues are saved for a while(not sure how long). I was surprised but when you are signing all the paperwork at the hospital, you are giving permission for future testing and/or research. I think that's a good thing. After all, we don't need it!

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A MyBCTea...

@A MyBCTeam Member I recall reading somewhere that BC reappearing within a year of original diagnosis isn't considered a recurrence but a missed diagnosis of the original BC event.

25% of BC survivors will experience a recurrence--75% will not--but everyone worries that they will be in the 25% group. I have faith in the scientific progress of treatments becoming more and more effective so that BC will soon become curable!

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A MyBCTea...

I was on Tamoxifen for about 10 months (from August to May)when we learned the cancer spread to the bones. Not saying this will happen to you, hopefully it will not, but I must say the doctors are unsure if the cancer spread before or during the medicine since my first pet scan was not until May 2012.

@A MyBCTeam Member yours reoccurred 3 years after stopping tamoxifen? So 8 years after diagnosis? What was your original surgery and treatment?

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A MyBCTea...