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cancer

can you survive stage 5 breast cancer
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Avatar universal
Good news--now you have heard of someone who has survived stage 4 cancer. I was diagnosed with aggressive inflammatory breast cancer in January 2001. I underwent chemo and eventually surgery. I did not have radiation, as my oncologist said they are only allowed to use radiation one time; he said he wanted to save it "for when it comes back" --if I lived, which he did not expect. He told me that I was going to die; it was terminal cancer; and to "write a will and don't wait a year." I was in a coma for about 2 weeks, I don't remember much about it, but at one point he had told my husband that I would not survive through the night.  I never felt I was going to die. I have a close life with Jesus Christ and I and my church prayer circle prayed for healing.  I did survive that night, even though my systems had started to shut down, and have been cancer free for 12 years.  While there is only so much medicine can do, God can do anything. Give prayer a chance!  I know many people with similar stories, but like you, I do not know of any survivors who did not trust in God and ask for healing.  
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Avatar universal
To add: the stage should be that stage
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This is no stage 5; stage 4 is the highest and at the stage the prognosis is usually very poor.  
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Which chemos have you been on previously and which ones are you on currently?
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1809109 tn?1331803777
Do you mean stage 4 breast cancer? The stages usually go 0-early signs of cell mutation; 1 -localized, so only in the breast tissue; 2- still in the same area but if it started out as a lump it might be effecting the entire breast (so perhaps nipple and all); stage 3 is usually divided a bit more but really it's when the cancer starts to move- so it might be in the tissues near the breast (for example my grandma had stage 3 colon cancer and the tumor was on part of her bladder and vaginal cavity); and stage 4 which means that metastasized. This means it traveled from where it originated, in my grandmother's case her colon, to another part of the body. So, again- my grandma had tumors all over her liver, intestines, several lyphnodes in her groin area, and on her bladder. She fought very hard, but she past away a year after it moved to her lymphnodes.  

Honestly I've never heard of anyone going into remission after having their cancer spread. Once it gets into the lymp nodes it can go anywhere it pleases including the brain, lungs, and other vital organs. You can hope, pray and fight your hardest to keep it at bay, but stage 4 is the ultimate stage.  

I really wish I had something better to tell you, but I can't sugar coat this. After going through it all, the past 4 years have been a night mare and the past few months have just been worse. What helped my family deal was a game plan, so it's a good idea to be realistic. You never know when it catches up to that person and it can come pretty fast. Right now, it might be a good idea to be prepared and start thinking about wills and wishes.
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