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Hi there, I've been reading the messages here for a couple of days and am beginning to feel like the grandmother here! I was told that at 48 I'm young to have bc. but everyone I've read about is in their twenties and thirties and I really feel for you. I had a mastectomy in February and am currently having chemo to be followed by radio therapy. Doing well so far but second chemo felt worse than first and I wonder does it get worse as it progresses. My hair fell out in clumps after first session and I feel like my taste buds are changing so much now. I'm in fairly positive mode about this but surprised myself by having one really bad day last week where I woke up in terrible mood and snapped the head off everyone for the entire day. Is this the start of the dreaded menopause and how quickly does it kick in when having chemo? Just looking for a few guidelines, I know every treatment is different but I'd hate to turn into that person I was for one day as I'm a pretty easy going 'girl'.

MY NAME IS LISA MY FATHER WAS DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE 3A LUNG CANCER IN FEBRURARY. HE STARTED CHEMO LAST THURSDAY HE IS COPING VERY WELL BEEN NAUSATED TIRED NO HAIR LOSS YET WENT FOR A PINT ON FRIDAY SICKNESS HE SAID IS LIKE ACID VERY POSITIVE I AM ALSO VERY POSITIVE AS YOU KNOW IT IS THE HARDEST CANCER TO TREAT HAS ANYONE OUT THERE BEEN IN THIS POSITION. THANKING YOU AND TRYING TO BE VERYPOSITIVE LISA

I am posting this in the hope that someone will be able to maybe to give me some advice. The story so far in the past fifteen months I have had three mammograms four ultrasounds a sterotatic biopsy on both breasts, 2 core needle biopsies on my left breast and a wide local excision on my left breast. Even with all of this I have thankfully never gotten any bad news. Now the wide local excision biopsy removed a fibroidenoma and an area of microcalcification that turned out to be ADH, I was told that they sucessfully had goten all of the ADH and the margins were clear. In the last couple of moths i have been experiencing alot of pain in my left breast which at one point got so bad that i rang the doctor in the breast clinic she saw me straight away examined me could find nothing worriesome and basically put it down pre-menapausal hormone changes. I suppose my question is has anybody had my experience which lead to a bad outcome, am i a complete lunatic with this fear i have if that they keep taking a little piece of me and eventually my luck will run out, should i go and get a second opinion and where would i go for a second opinion. I suppose as far as the breast pain goes that does really worry me because i never get it in the right breast and surely if it was hormonal both breasts would be affected. Sorry for going on so long i would appreciate any help or advice shelly1

Hi Can anyone advise us? I am only back in Ireland for 3 years from the UK, and don't understand the complexities of the health service, referrals etc but as a family we are at our limit in terms of disatisfaction. My Dad has small cell lung cancer being "maintained" by tarceva. He is being treated at a Regional Hospital but I live in Dublin. We have had several minor concerns throughout the last 18 months regarding aspects of his treatment, like cancelled appointments or him going to appts, very sick from chemo & having to wait up to 3 hours to see who he was supposed to see. He is now very depressed, crying a lot, wont eat/wash, very very weak, wheezing after walking 10-15 feet. I have got him admitted twice in the past 2 months (through fighting to get him a bed) but each time I go back to work he is invariably discharged. They say he is physically ok but I can clearly see he isn't. W have tried 4 times to get an appt with his consultant to talk to them but cant get past the secretary. We now want him to get treated in Dublin. Whats the process we have to go through? He is a private patient. Please understand we know he is terminally ill, its not a denial thing, but he is being treated with such contempt currently & we want him to be treated with the respect he deserves & have his last few months be as peaceful & stress free as possible. As an example I contactedthem last tuesday( and every day since) to beg to see someone as he was refusing to eat, couldn't walk and was in great distress & they have yet to get him an appointment. Any advice gratefully recieved. Orla

hi i have just been told i have prostate cancer gleesen score 4+4 =8 psa reading of 8.4 told not a good one fro surgery ?? i am 55 healty as a goat not to happy with way i was told quick and to point waiting now fro ct scans and mri how can i be told i cant have op if i am not staged yet or graded which ever one comes with scans my head in up in a heap and the family as well

Hi ladies, I was wondering if any of ye had a child after chemo, i am 35 with no children and already had major fertility problems before chemo, we were due to do an ivf cycle using donor eggs this summer but i was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in April, had modified radical mastecmectomy in May and doing the third round of TC chemo at the moment, only 4 rounds to do and then six weeks or 30 goes of radiation starting in September, also on a clinical trail for triple negative for 12 mths. mine was 8cm, grade 3 that grew along the chest wall, no niple involvement, nodes thought to be positive from scans but unbelivably came back negative on histology report after operation. so i was a bit shy about asking the onocologist about getting pregnant after i finish my treatment as the breast suregeon had ruled it out beleiving that it was strongly hromone receptive given my hormone levels when i was diagnosed and especially when i would have to use fertility drugs to sync cycles and support pregnancy. please if anyone has any experience of this i would be grateful, we were 15 months waiting for information evening on adoption to discover we have to wait for five years clear before we can even apply, then it would take 4 years and at least and sorry after trying for three years i know 9 years more would be impossible. take care.

Hi siobhan here, i am 35 years old. was dianosed with breast cancer two years ago.. had full mastectomy , 6 mth chemo, 6wk radio therapy. on tamoxifin for 5 yr. and currently on herceptin which is on going as i found out 6 mth ago, cancer is now spread to my hip bone. had radio therapy to area for pain. did not work.. but going to try it again. on morphine for pain at moment. not great. not on bone drug yet, with will be eventually.. i am young mother of one little girl she is 7 yr old. I worry for her so much.. want so much to see her grow up.. is there any body out there in simular situation.. need to hear some good news for a change.. siobhanc

Hi siobhan here, i am 35 years old. was dianosed with breast cancer two years ago.. had full mastectomy , 6 mth chemo, 6wk radio therapy. on tamoxifin for 5 yr. and currently on herceptin which is on going as i found out 6 mth ago, cancer is now spread to my hip bone. had radio therapy to area for pain. did not work.. but going to try it again. on morphine for pain at moment. not great. not on bone drug yet, with will be eventually.. i am young mother of one little girl she is 7 yr old. I worry for her so much.. want so much to see her grow up.. is there any body out there in simular situation.. need to hear some good news for a change.. siobhanc

I'm having trouble with a so called side effect of Tamoxifen, namely body odour - I have tried countless deodorants, includling mitchum/ vichy/ all natural products/ clarins/ deo... to no avail. I have been in contact with breast unit at Vincents but without a satisfactory answer - one person suggested I wash more frequently - which is fine except I work in an open plan office, very embarrassing and really not practical. I'm not menopausal, thankfully I don't get hot flushes but my temperature shoots up when I'm stressed and bang!! I'm in trouble. Surely someone has a cure??

Hi. I've just started radiotherapy for mouth cancer and would like to hear from anybody who might tell me about their experiences. Don