Cancer Support France

[Doug]

Talking of cancer in family's, does any one here know of breast cancer in men?
There are two in my family, one in Australia, none in his family but was married to my niece who died of cancer, he developed it a year after.
Just before Christmas my younger brother aged 78, was diagnosed with it, he lost two wives, one after the other from breast cancer, years ago. Strange, never heard of it before and they say that it's impossible for someone to catch it off another person.

[exile]

I have heard of it though I think it is relatively rare. One cause of breast cancer - or at least contributing factor - is female hormones. Or so called because just as male hormones such as testosterone are found in all women, hormones such as oestrogen are found in men. Levels of the hormone are important in many cases and it follows then that oestrogen provoked cancers will be rarer in men.

Very much a simplified view of what is a complex area of research - oh that it were so simple as that.

Edit to add: There is clear evidence that some breast cancers are genetically provoked and can therefore be inherited. There is no evidence that you can catch it from someone else. Otherwise our oncology departments would be empty due to all of thez doctors and nurses who caught it.

[Pathca]

There’s lots of causes of cancer genetic,environmental,it just happens etc .However it definitely can not be caught

[Headers]

My ALD is about to expire and CPAM have asked me to visit my MT for a discussion about renewal. I suspect that as per the new cost saving rules, he will not renew it. Everyone will be thinking that’s great news but for me it is not.
I have stage 4 bc. I had surgery, 36 doses of radiotherapy, bone jabs and 8 months of chemo and now I am taking a daily hormone tablet and have been for 9 years.
I have constantly been told that I would be followed for the rest of my life and it will come back when the drugs stop working. This is a constant issue in the unspoken discussions I have with myself.
My onco says they will stop prescribing the hormones at the 10 year mark.
I really am worried about this but neither my MT or onco seem to be able to grasp how I see this. What am I supposed to do? I am constantly wondering if it has come back, where it will come back, how long will it hide before it kills me. When they take away the meds my anxiety will heighten. This is not a subject I can speak to anyone in the family about.

[Lori]

My onco says they will stop prescribing the hormones at the 10 year mark.

Does he/she say why they will discontinue the hormone treatment at year 10 ? I have found that other countries treat many medical issues (including Cancers) differently than they do in France. Especially the use of hormones.

I know it may sound like a stretch, but have you considered looking into how your particular illness and treatment is handled in other EU countries (or elsewhere). I realize this would mean coverage by CPAM could end, but it 'might' be worth looking into.

I know, I myself had to find a medical treatment in Switzerland (happens to involve hormones) that is not available in France. I do have to pay for it myself, but was very grateful that the option was there. And there were a few other countries that had more options than France offered.

Your worries are completely understandable. Have you spoken with your local Cancer associations ? Perhaps they could provide additional options ?

[Blaze]

I have constantly been told that I would be followed for the rest of my life

First of all, if you stop taking the hormone treatment, it doesn't mean you'll be just "dumped" and on your own. The idea of a "suivi" means that you will have regular checks : mammograms, echographies and any other test that you have had up to now. Perhaps you have regular gynae checks too ?

Were you told at the start that you would need to need to take the hormone treatment for the rest of your life ? Some of the anti-cancer hormone drugs are designed to keep the cancer at bay even after you stop the treatment. In any case, you should be checked regularly to make sure it hasn't come back.

I agree, it must be very worrying, particularly if you don't feel things have been clearly explained to you. Forgive me for asking, but do you have a good level of French ? Sometimes nuances can be lost if there is not a complete understanding and it can make things very stressful.
Ask your MT or onco if there is a local cancer support group - they do exist, but don't always publicise enough. There might be some info in the onco department at the hospital. It's definitely worth trying to find people locally that you can talk to and they might help to allay your worries.
I hope you can sort something out and give you peace of mind.

[Headers]

Well I saw my MT on 17/9 and he has obviously had a change of heart and submitted the request for extension of the ALD.
Lo and behold, it was approved on grève day!
I am mightily relieved. This may seem strange to some readers, but in my case as a statistical outlier in survival terms it seems sensible to me to continue to have that additional flag in my health records.

[Lori]

That's great Headers. One less weight on your shoulders.

[Polly]

What splendid news! I hoped you’d return with news - the good sort!

I was on hormone treatment for 15 years, 5 years up to my second breast cancer and I came off it this year after another 10 years on it.

[MAD87]

Super news Headers!