LVI - info and thoughts please

Olive4

Good evening!

I am trying to find information on likely treatment plans and prognosis for IDC with a focal LVI. I have read some older threads on here but was hoping to hear from ladies with some recent experience of this.

I have read lots saying it's not good but it seems from the older threads oncologists don't seem very concerned but I have read a study that recommends that LVI should be part of the staging process.

I am pretty freaked out about having a focal LVI. Well actually I am pretty freaked out about having breast cancer full stop! SNB was negative 0/3. Size of IDC .8cm and grade was 2. ER + PR + and HER negative. I am thinking chemo could be in my future due to the LVI. Blah! I am hoping to get the oncotype testing too.

Any information, thoughts etc would be most welcome!

Luckynumber47

Yeah, this whole diagnosis is a lot to wrap your mind around. My diagnosis looks a lot like yours, IDC, 1.5cm, stage 1,grade 2, ER/PR+. My BS said "one of the walls of my tumor was wonky and that it would have caused trouble in a year." My MO read it right off my report and said I had focal LVI but she made no other comments on it. When I asked if I should be concerned about it she said that's why she recommends the Hormone Therapy, an insurance policy to catch any stray cells that might have gotten through.

My Oncotype is 18 and my MO did not recommend chemo, although I think she would have been happy to prescribe it if I wanted it. (I definitely didn't)

Yes, it's a bit of a question mark for me but since I can't change it I've decided to not worry about it.

Olive4

Hi Lucktnumber47!

Thanks for your reply. Breast cancer is complicated for sure. So sorry to see that your mum died at such an early age.

Can I ask what made you decide to have a mastectomy rather than a lumpectomy? I have had a lumpectomy and am now waiting to see a RO and MO about my treatment plan but am now thinking about a unilateral or bilateral mastectomy also. There are so many very hard decisions in this process.

Luckynumber47

They found my lump during a mammogram, small and slow growing and I decided to have a lumpectomy followed by radiation. My doctor ordered a MRI, just to be sure no stone was left unturned. Well, that found the DCIS hiding in my other side. BS said she expected its pathology to be the same as my IDC so I decided on a lumpectomy/radiation on that side too. The pathology came back as high grade, double negative and that scared me. If I could grow a dangerous tumor like that that hides from mammograms then the breasts needed to come off and my BS concurred.

BMX turned out to be a very good decision for me. I'm grateful I didn't have to have radiation, I've recovered well from surgery and I'm having a lot of fun being a different size cup every day.

Molly50

I had IDC grade 2, 2.1 cm, extensive lvi and 2 positive nodes. One node was 1.5 cm and the other was micromets. No extra nodal extension. Oncotype Dx 13. No chemo recommended. Due to dirty margins I had to have a mx and axillary lymph node dissection. I had whole breast radiation including chest wall, and inner mammary glands, supra clavicle glands and axillary glands. Now I am on exemestane. No chemo due to low moderate oncotype. I was told that they really don't consider lvi in the treatment plan.

Olive4

That makes sense luckynumber47. So glad you recovered well from.your surgery.

Molly50 thanks for your input. I would like to know why oncologists don't consider LVI when formulating a treatment plan. Did your oncologist explain why? I will certainly ask my MO their thoughts when I get to see him / her. I am finding it hard trying to wade through this process!