Living with and beyond cancer
Living with recurrent or advanced cancer
Some types of cancer are typically diagnosed at an advanced stage when curative treatment is unlikely to be successful. Others are currently incurable and managed with regular or continuous treatment (see ‘Living with chronic or slow growing cancers of the blood’). Even when initial treatment achieves remission the cancer may recur later in the same place or elsewhere in the body. The likelihood of recurrence varies between different types of cancer. Some people believe that if cancer returns they will die, but this isn’t necessarily true, treatment for a recurrence can often achieve further remission and some people experience multiple recurrences and remissions.
She has had 4 recurrences of ovarian cancer with a “reasonable life” in between treatment...

She has had 4 recurrences of ovarian cancer with a “reasonable life” in between treatment...
During her remission from ovarian cancer she had regular blood tests for the tumour marker CA125;...
During her remission from ovarian cancer she had regular blood tests for the tumour marker CA125;...
She usually experienced the same symptoms whenever her ovarian cancer came back, so she could...
She usually experienced the same symptoms whenever her ovarian cancer came back, so she could...
After feeling disorientated when flying he went to his GP and discovered that his lymphoma had...
After feeling disorientated when flying he went to his GP and discovered that his lymphoma had...
David’s symptoms had been dismissed by his doctors for a year before a recurrence of his...
David’s symptoms had been dismissed by his doctors for a year before a recurrence of his...
While having mild chemotherapy for slow growing lymphoma a new aggressive tumour appeared in her...
While having mild chemotherapy for slow growing lymphoma a new aggressive tumour appeared in her...
A scan showed that the pain in his shoulder was due to a recurrence of lymphoma that was wrapped...
A scan showed that the pain in his shoulder was due to a recurrence of lymphoma that was wrapped...
However in 2000 I started to suffer pain in my right arm and started to lose use of it, not entirely, but it was becoming difficult to use it, and it was getting steadily worse. Initially it was assumed to be some kind of trapped nerve in my neck. I was referred for physiotherapy treatment, of which I had about five sessions, and at that the physio referred me back to the GP with the suggestion I should see a surgeon, which I duly did.
Michael’s breast cancer recurred in the opposite breast and he had the lump and two lymph nodes...
Michael’s breast cancer recurred in the opposite breast and he had the lump and two lymph nodes...
So, 2006 I think it was, I got a piece of paper that really meant it said, ‘discharged’ on it, so I had to continue to take the tamoxifen for a little longer, and that, as far as I was concerned, was it, until 2008. I was… I discovered a lump in my other breast actually. This time I was… I found it, I have to admit, I was not good about checking my breast regularly, and I’d actually been doing the decking with paint, and I thought, my arm feels tired. And I felt… and I thought, ‘oh bother, there’s a lump there’. So again, I went to the doctor. He said, “Yes, you’ve got a lump”. Went through a similar procedure but I’d noticed that in the eight years that things advanced. There was… all the paperwork was a lot less gender-specific and some of that was due to my comments, and this time they had developed a new way of checking the lymph nodes which… well they do, they look at the sentinel lymph node and they put a wire… they put some dye into your breast. It goes to the first lymph node and they check it on the ultrasound and they put a wire in there to mark it, and this is the day before you have the operation. You go in and they removed, this time, just a lump from my breast and the first two lymph nodes, which was comparatively minor to having sort of most of them removed. And I recovered even… by then I had retired, so it was a lot easier, and because it seemed like this, well… a piece of cake, really.
Her 1st ovarian cancer recurrence was successfully treated with chemotherapy. The first drug she...
Her 1st ovarian cancer recurrence was successfully treated with chemotherapy. The first drug she...
After an operation on his neck he had chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant using his own stem...
After an operation on his neck he had chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant using his own stem...
But the point of discussion of course is lymphoma, and I went through a form of chemotherapy during the mid part of 2000 and then they took me in for higher dose treatment. Having harvested the stem cells from my body they took me into hospital once again and I spent some four and a half weeks in a special designed room where they could use filtration equipment, and a room with my own facilities and so on, so that I could be protected from infection, as the white blood cell count was taken down to zero before the stem cells are put back into the human body. And certainly because the white blood count being so low, then I did get one or two infections along the way, which did stall my exit from hospital. Having said that, it was successful, and for the next four and a half years I was free of the disease.
She has so far survived 7 years with lung cancer and has had regular chemotherapy but never...
She has so far survived 7 years with lung cancer and has had regular chemotherapy but never...
David's advanced pancreatic cancer is causing back pain, which he manages with drugs, hot water...

David's advanced pancreatic cancer is causing back pain, which he manages with drugs, hot water...
Last reviewed October 2018.
