Same as Virginia. I had chemo, surgery and radiation. I use my last day of radiation.
April 27, 2025
I go with the date I finished all the active treatment for HER2+, surgery, chemo, and the rest of the Heceptin. Because different people use different dates, I just say I am now 5 years out of active treatment!
April 27, 2025
For HER2-positive breast cancer, many doctors consider the completion of your full treatment course, including Herceptin (trastuzumab), as your cancer-free anniversary date. Since you completed surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and then finished Herceptin 6 months later, that final treatment date would typically be Show Full Answer
For HER2-positive breast cancer, many doctors consider the completion of your full treatment course, including Herceptin (trastuzumab), as your cancer-free anniversary date. Since you completed surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and then finished Herceptin 6 months later, that final treatment date would typically be considered your cancer-free anniversary.
This milestone is significant as the first 5-10 years after treatment completion are important for monitoring. With modern targeted therapies like Herceptin, the outlook has improved significantly - the recurrence rate within 10 years has decreased to about 25% compared to historical rates of 30-50%. Regular follow-ups with your cancer care team remain important after treatment completion. Many breast cancer survivors on MyBCTeam mark and celebrate their cancer-free anniversaries as significant milestones in their journey. Some refer to these dates as their "cancerversary" or "survivorship anniversary."
April 27, 2025