That's a really important question, and it's great that you're being proactive about understanding your risk. Triple-positive breast cancer (ER+, PR+, HER2+) has its own recurrence profile, and achieving a pathologic complete response (pCR) is a very positive sign — it means no cancer cells were detected after treatment Show Full Answer
That's a really important question, and it's great that you're being proactive about understanding your risk. Triple-positive breast cancer (ER+, PR+, HER2+) has its own recurrence profile, and achieving a pathologic complete response (pCR) is a very positive sign — it means no cancer cells were detected after treatment, which is associated with a lower chance of recurrence.
Exemestane is an aromatase inhibitor that works by lowering estrogen levels, helping to keep hormone-receptor-positive cancer from returning. Staying on hormonal therapy like exemestane is one of the most important steps in reducing recurrence risk. For HER2-positive breast cancer specifically, targeted therapies have significantly improved outcomes. However, even with treatment, around 30% of people with HER2-positive cancer can still experience recurrence with metastasis. That said, achieving pCR puts you in a better position than those who didn't.
For hormone receptor-positive cancers, recurrence can sometimes happen later — even 10 or more years after treatment — which is why staying consistent with exemestane matters so much.
A few things that can help lower recurrence risk include:
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Exercising regularly
- Reducing alcohol consumption
- Not smoking
- Taking hormonal therapy as prescribed
It's worth having a detailed conversation with your oncologist about your personal risk factors given your specific pCR result and treatment plan. They can give you the most tailored picture of your outlook.
June 1
Join
Your Privacy Choices
