When Can I Say I Am a Breast Cancer Survivor?

Today, the term breast cancer survivor is one that means different things to different people. Many think of it as a badge they can only wear after they are cancer-free for a number of years. Others, including those at the National Cancer Institute, say you are considered a survivor on the day that you are diagnosed and remain one throughout the rest of your life. There are also people who avoid using the term altogether.

Understanding how one defines a breast cancer survivor is really only important when considering research on these individuals, so you can know whether or not it may apply to you. But beyond that, this is a term that you own—you are a breast cancer survivor when you say you are.

Categorizations of Breast Cancer Survivors

Many cancer organizations find the current definition of breast cancer survivorship too broad. The definition applies those who have just been diagnosed and those who are 20-year survivors into the same group. From a clinical standpoint, not all breast cancer survivors are alike.

To specifically designate where someone is in their breast cancer journey, some oncologists (and breast cancer patients) use different functional terms. For example, there are people who are acute survivors (newly diagnosed) and those that are long-term survivors. There is also an area in the middle in which people have had their breast cancer for some time but are still in either active treatment, or receiving maintenance or preventive treatment.

Here's a sense of how breast cancer survivors may be categorized:

How Could Someone Be a Breast Cancer Survivor at Diagnosis?

Breast cancer needs time to grow. So, if a breast mass shows up on a mammogram or is detected during a monthly breast self-exam, you have already been living with it for some time.

A such, surviving this period of time is what prompts many people to consider diagnosis the point at which you can be called a breast cancer survivor.

Why Do Oncologists Rarely Say Someone Is "Cured?"

Most people who are breast cancer survivors will fall into the first three categories in the table above, as oncologists will rarely use the word cured for people with solid tumors, even if a cancer was in the very early stages of the disease. Your healthcare provider may say you are in remission or that you are NED (no evidence of disease).

With breast cancer, the term cured is usually reserved for those with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

Breast cancer can hide and come back years or even decades later.

Celebrating Your Survivorship

Whether you call yourself a breast cancer survivor or not—yet, you may want to pick a date that you consider your cancer anniversary, which some people call your "cancerversary."

This might be the day you were diagnosed, the day you began treatment, the day your oncologist said you were in remission, or something else that has meaning for you. The idea of marking such a day is to help you take pause and reflect back on (and celebrate) the strength you, perhaps, never knew you had.

Some things to consider if you choose a "cancerversary" date:

• If you are going to celebrate your survivorship with early-stage breast cancer, your oncologist may say that the best date for describing yourself as a survivor is the day that you completed your initial treatment, including surgery and possibly chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.
• Defining a date can be difficult if you have metastatic breast cancer, for which treatment is ongoing. In a situation such as this, many people celebrate survivorship beginning with the day they were diagnosed.

A Word From Verywell

More and more people are surviving cancer than ever before. Therefore, in addition to living with and managing cancer, planning your life after cancer is equally important. But you may be anxious about the future and the possibility of recurrence. It, therefore, may be a good idea to look into a survivorship program to help you get the support you need–both medical and psychological. Speak to your oncologist about such options in your area.