Any body exactly or similar to me?

melania

Although we are all in the same boat but I was wondering if there are other ladies exactly  in my sitution  or similar to mine(other than age ) sharing their experiences so that we can stick together !

I am 38 year old , newly diagnosed with BC , i found the lump myself and it was laready big , upper side of my nipple. 2.7 centimeter.

the pathology report indicates :

 -Invasive ductual carcinoma , moderately differentited .

-Intraductual Carcinoma (carcinoma in situ) cribiform and solid type , nuclear grade 2/3.

-no lymphovascular or perineural invasion is seen.

ER   98%  positive

PR 60% positive

Her2/neu says: nuclei stained  N/A  score 2 + and the result is Equivocal

Ki-67   18% score N/A result: boderline

2 lymphnodes enlarged(but not yet biopsied to see if its envolved).

I  have seen 3 surgeons and they all state i am stage 2 .I am waiting for my appointment to go for lymohnode biopsy and bone and ct scan. I want to do mastectomy on both sides no matter what. they r suggesting to do chimo first and then surgery . I am still wondering about the staging. How do they know i am not stage IV when they dont know there are mets or lymph node involvments?

pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaase come to me and talk

flopsy

Melania,  Do not get ahead of yourself.   They are basing staging on what they do know.  If you have lymph node involvement that could possibly change the staging some.   It does not sound like you would mets  though with that tumor size and only seeing 2 possible nodes so that is the good thing.   How was your biopsy done?  Did you have a ultrasound guided needle biopsy or what??   How will they do the biopsy of nodes??   Your report sounds like you are a triple positive which may be good news with all the advancements they are making in that area.  I do not have your same diagnosis but not so very different.  There are lots of girls on these boards that are similar to you though and they will be along shortly.  I just saw your post and wanted to try to get back to you as quickly as possible because I know the devastation you are feeling right now.   Once you can process and get all the info things will be much better---I promise!!!!!    I did have a Bilateral Mast because I had Stage 3 Lobular which tends to be in both breasts.   I recommend you get someone to order a Breast MRI as soon as possible if you have not already had one done for they give a lot of info about breast and nodes.   Let me know if I can help or you just need a cybershoulder!!!!   Sending good thoughts and a hug to you,  GInny in SC

flopsy

Melania,  Do not get ahead of yourself.   They are basing staging on what they do know.  If you have lymph node involvement that could possibly change the staging some.   It does not sound like you would mets  though with that tumor size and only seeing 2 possible nodes so that is the good thing.   How was your biopsy done?  Did you have a ultrasound guided needle biopsy or what??   How will they do the biopsy of nodes??   Your report sounds like you are a triple positive which may be good news with all the advancements they are making in that area.  I do not have your same diagnosis but not so very different.  There are lots of girls on these boards that are similar to you though and they will be along shortly.  I just saw your post and wanted to try to get back to you as quickly as possible because I know the devastation you are feeling right now.   Once you can process and get all the info things will be much better---I promise!!!!!    I did have a Bilateral Mast because I had Stage 3 Lobular which tends to be in both breasts.   I recommend you get someone to order a Breast MRI as soon as possible if you have not already had one done for they give a lot of info about breast and nodes.   Let me know if I can help or you just need a cybershoulder!!!!   Sending good thoughts and a hug to you,  GInny in SC

sheila888

Hi melania i can tell you my journey and you might find some similarity.

Biopsy was positive for BC

I had a lumpectomy and SNB (Right Breast)

My tumor was 1.2cm and no node involvement.

DX at that point was Triple+  and Grade 2.

Before chemo oncologist ordered bone, pelvic, abdomen scan. They were clear so I remained Stage1.

So far you are stage2 because of the size of the tumor.

I hope this helps you.

Sheila

dlb823

melania ~ Some of the best opportunities for sticking together on BCO are the little groups that form each month for those having surgery or starting chemo that month.  Those groups can become very close.  A few of us in my August 08 chemo group have met, and some of us from my Jan 09 rads group are still hanging out together on a thread called "Motivation."  So while you might find someone with a very similar profile and treatment schedule, I would also encourage you to join the October 09 surgery group, for example, if that's when your surgery will be.  You'll find lots of support there.  

As far as knowing if you're Stage II or Stage IV, that's one of the most stressful parts of each of our workups,  Until they do a scan, there's no way of being sure.  And while it can happen, just based on what I've seen here, I think those that get that kind of news out of the box are few and far between.    

Hoping you get only good news from here on out...    Deanna 

juli0212

With lymph nodes affected, the protocol here is lumpectomy (mine ended up in partial mastectomy due to the tumor not being fully removed, it was against chest wall, didn't feel it, found on yearly mammogram, and already in a year spread to lymph node).   Not having had a full mastectomy, protocol is chemo then radiation due to lymph involvement.  I think with your diagnosis (so far anyway), I'd be getting the biopsies done, then a second and even third opinion on having a full mastectomy, you may certainly be warranted to do that.  THAT is up to YOU.

Good Luck and keep us posted?    *HUGS*   ~juli

Twinmom77

I have a similar diagnosis to yours.  The ultrasound showed the mass at 1.8 cm and the MRI showed it at 2.1 cm...or something like that, I don't really remember now.  First opinion, onc said we go by ultrasound so you're stage I.  Second opinion, onc said we go by MRI so your're stage II just based on it being over 2cm.  I ended up with the first onc (I liked her chemo protocol better) and they also said two lymph nodes were enlarged, so they biopsied those and they were fine.  All my scans came back clear, so no spread.  I went on to have chemo, lumpectomy, rads, and of course the year of Herceptin. So I won't ever have an official stage because, having done chemo first instead of surgery, we'll never know the true size of the lump.  I was told it didn't make a difference whether I was I or II as far as a treatment plan was concerned and it didn't bother me in the least to not know.  

The waiting in all this is the hardest part.  It's easier said than done, but try to take it one test/scan at a time and get the whole picture before you make definitive treatment choices.  It's harder to stay calm when you get ahead of yourself and start thinking of all the what-ifs.  Hugs to you!

allisontom911

I am similar in age, I was 37 at diagnosis with a 6 week old baby. I am 38 now. I did have lymph node involvment, which they did that biopsy when they did my breast biopsy.

I did chemo first because my tumor was almost 5cm and my lymph node was over 6cm. I had bi-lat MRI after biopsy that confirmed lymph involvement. I had brain MRI, CT of chest, pelvis and abdomen and PET. Only other involvement was lymph node in my supraclavicle. Like others have said, dont get ahead of yourself with staging. It would only change to stage iv if you have mets beyond the lymph nodes. Waiting is the hardest part. I was diagnosed on December 8th and started chemo by the 21st. The following week after diagnosis, did all my scans, got my port and so forth.

Keep in touch and good luck with the testing

hugs,

cloudie

HI, i'm new here and I'm 35 years old, single.

I'm wondering is it compulsary to go for chemo with my case, please help me, I had my lumpectony on right side on 2/9, my lump is about 2.5cm.

These are the results for my histopathology report:

- no lymp nodes involve

- Invasive ductal carcinoma, grade 2

- Deep margin involvement, pT2, pN0, pMX

- ER: Diffuse positive 3+, PR: Focal (About 50%) 2+, C erb B2: Equivocal positive 2+

I did Her2 Gene, result is negative. My CT scan and bone scan is also clear.

My oncologist advised me to start my chemo on 28/9/10 for 6 circles, i'm wonder if i could free from chemo and only do the radiotherapy and taking formone pills for 5 yrs. I'm afraid of the side effects of chemo, especially the longterm side effects that might affect thie fertality of pregnancy.

Please help. Thanks!