Breast Cancer Survival Rates: Understanding Prognosis Without Treatment

Question
I am a 10 year survivor of bilateral mastectomy/chemo breast cancer.  My sister was diagnosed last week with a 2.5 centimeter carcinoma in one breast, and a 3.0 centimeter in the other. Core needle biopsies have confirmed the diagnosis. She doesn't believe the doctors, and is refusing to do anything about it.  I'm at my wits end.  She is 69 years old.  If she doesn't do anything can you give me any idea of the length of survival.  I am aware that it can and probably will metastasize to other areas.  Thank you for responding ASAP.  She has an appointment with a surgeon this Thursday, April 26, to discuss it, but says she isn't going.

Answer
Her bilateral cancer is certainly very treatable even with just a plain lumpectomy she would benefit a great deal.  There are protocols that favor doing up front chemotherapy then surgery followed by radiation.  The chemotherapy up prior to surgery is designed to monitor the response, but any treatment is better than none.  She sounds depressed and afraid.  She will almost certainly not survive her cancer untreated.  Your sister is at least a stage 3 (bilateral) with middle stage lesions that would be stage II if not in both breasts. She might live a couple of years without serious symptoms but the cancer will certainly grow and eventually erode out onto the skin, metastasize (migrate) to her lymph nodes, lungs, bones and brain.  She might make an argument depending on her health circumstances, that it makes no sense to treat.  I disagree.  I have treated elderly patients with minimal surgery and placed them onto an estrogen blocking agent with some success.  This course does not constitute treatment for cure but will slow down metastasis.  In some cases the removal of the lumps does constitute complete treatment as the patient eventually dies of another cause. I can refer you to a website:  www.breastcancer.org  that might also be helpful.