Mom Diagnosed w/ IDC (Los Angeles)

2tonTony

Greetings All,

My dear mom was recently diagnosed (late September) with invasive ductal carcinoma. There is not one minute that I don't think about it. As her youngest son and baby of the family, I am currently seeking the best treatment options for her. We had treatment consultations at an NCI center (City of Hope) and NAPBC accredited center (Huntington Hospital). Both places seemed very optimistic about her treatment. Now we just need to decide where she will be receiving treatment. Do you ladies have any advice?

Both facilities recommended a breast MRI, but the NAPBC doctor said she won't need additional scans. My understanding is that older ladies have slower growing tumors. However, I want reassurance that it hasn't spread. She has had pains in there left calf and knees. This may be attributable to her age (>70) and arthritis. Most of the pain occurs at night. I just need the peace of mind. If I push for additional scans, what is the likelihood they will do it?

Thanks,

Tony

dlb823

Hi, Tony ~ I'm so sorry about your Mom's diagnosis, but it sounds like she and you are on the right track as far as finding a top notch medical team, and I know she's very grateful to have your hands-on support. I live near Palm Springs, and I chose UCLA for most of my care after a rocky start with local docs who have excellent reputations in general. So, personally, I would choose the NCI-designated facility, City of Hope. Also, I have known two local women through BCO who used City of Hope, and both were thrilled with their care, including reconstruction. Other than that, I just personally believe that NCI-designated hospitals are uniquely thorough when it comes to treating bc -- partly because they see more of it than even larger regional hospitals, and partly because they're the docs who are involved in research, so are truly up on the leading edge treatment options.

As far as scans, unless her medical team suspects a problem, a scan will only expose her to unnecessary radiation. And I'm going to venture an educated guess that pain in the calf and/or knees is probably arthritis, as it's not a usual site for bc to show up. Perhaps a simple x-ray would show typical age-related deterioration and allay her fears and yours.

Let us know how else we can help you and your Mom. (((Hugs))) to you both! Deanna