DCIS grade 2 micropapillary

Lisa75

I was diagnosed just this week. I had no family history and am only 36. I started lactacting in my left breast....and that was the reason I went in for a mammogram. I didn't expect this at all.

Now here I am googling all these terms. Micropapillary, Cribriform, intermediate grade, focal necrosis, etc. I found its slow growing, in a fern like pattern and has gaps like swiss cheese. Its non-invasive.

I have to meet with a surgeon next week and discuss a lumpectomy/radiation. I heard about Brachytherapy and its only 1 week which would better fit my work time off schedule. I dunno. So much to read. If its slow growing, and no treatment was done - would it eventually burst out of the duct - or exit with breast milk?  Does the lumpectomy hurt? what is the length of recovery time?

alexandria58

Hi Lisa,

   I had intermediate and high grade DCIS, no family hisotry, but I was a lot older, 58.  The good news is pure DCIS doesn't spread.  The bad news is that DCIS can progress to invasive, but you got it early, so everything is great.

The lumpectomy wasn't too bad: sore for a few days.  Unfortunately, my DCIS was widespread, and I chose to go with a bilateral Masectomy. I also temperamentally do not do well with watching and waiting. 

Good luck.

Alex

lioness1111

Lisa,

I was diagnosed at 57 with high grade DCIS.  (path report did not say the pattern).

My lumpectomy surgery was on 12/5. I was feeling okay and doing lower body workouts at the gym three days later. I took a full week off from work, and the second week worked part time and from home.  I do think rest helps the healing process.  My advice would be to take one to two weeks off.  I phased off pain meds after three days. 

My surgeon was very sweet, and concerned about how the incision looked.  It's healing quite well and the incision looks good.  Tissue removed was negative for cancer, and my breast looks pretty good.  Since mine was high grade, and ER negative, rads are a no brainer.  However, consensus is that not all women with DCIS need rads in addition to lumpectomy.  Problem is, there is no consensus on which women can safely skip radiation. 

Since you are ER positive,you might want to check out the new Oncotype test that has potential to assess benefit of radiation therapy after DCIS lumpectomy.   http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/754967

 Likewise, be aware that bracytherapy is controversial.  http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/755003

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/mds-dispute-study-on-breast-cancer-brachytherapy-2011-12

Breast cancer has been stressful for me, but this DCIS forum has helped me feel better informed and more in control.  I found the lumpectomy to be not so bad. 

cycle-path

Lisa, good advice from the ladies above. Eleven months ago I was in your same shoes and I had a lumpectomy. The lumpectomy itself really isn't painful -- I don't work but I think I probably could have returned to work the very next day. However, if the doc is going to do a Sentinel Node Biopsy (SNB), which is the normal thing to do, that procedure is somewhat more painful and there's some recovery time. 

At your age you might be concerned with being "deformed." I know I was, and I'm a fair bit older. But the good news is that my breast doesn't look one iota different, except for a 1 1/4 scar that will eventually fade to nothing.  

You ask what would eventually happen if you opt not to have surgery. Well, it doesn't exit the body. The concern is that it goes deeper and deeper into the body. The reason DCIS is generally removed is to eliminate the possibility of having it develop into invasive cancer. DCIS can't kill you, but invasive cancer eventually spreads to other organs, requires expensive and painful treatments, and often does kill. 

I had a type of radiation called IORT, a single dose of radiation which is similar in some ways to brachytherapy, and I'm really glad I did it. I've had my one year anniversary mammo and MRI and gotten the "all-clear." 

Best of luck, and let us know how it goes and whether you have other questions. 

Lisa75

IORT is one dose? Thanks, I will look into that one. The 6-7 week for 5 minutes, I just worry about being tired at work. Thanks to all for the good info.