Newly diagnosed er+/ pr+ (98%), her2 -, metastatic auxiliary

SDG

My mother was Diagnoised with IDC. Her left breast is having a lump of size 4cm*3cm and metastatic auxiliary node. It is ER/PR positive both are 98% and her2 - (as per fish). Doctor is waiting for KR67 report which is taking time till then doctor prescribed anastrozole(1 mg). My question is are we going in right direction? Is Neoadjuvant threapy is a good option? what will be the impact of kr67 report on treatment? We have had xray, bone scan and ultrasound, thank god all of them are normal.

cive

SDG, I'm not sure exactly what you are saying about the metastatic auxiliary node.  If it is a lymph node that is positive for IDC that is in or drains the breast, it would not be considered metastatic, just a positive auxiliary node.  If however, this is a lymph node way far away from the breast then it would be metastatic because it's left the original site and gone to a new place.  The two would be treated differently although anastrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, could be part of either regime.    

ChiSandy

Did you mean axillary node (i.e., a node in the axilla, the formal name for “armpit")? Never heard of an “auxiliary” (nor “auxilliary”) node—“auxiliary” means adjunct or "other than primary.” If it’s in the axillary node, it’s not metastasic—it’s just a positive node. If it’s in a distant node, it would be metastatic (although mets tend to go to the bones, liver, lungs and brain, not distant lymph nodes). If a distant lymph node, how was it discovered (and why was it tested)?

With a lump that big, neoadjuvant therapy is usually standard-of-care—not only to shrink the tumor to operable size but also to gauge "pathological response” to AI or chemo, i.e., to see how well it’s working and whether different meds need to be substituted or supplemented.

lintrollerderby

Here's an instance where a term is technically correct, but used differently in patient and layperson parlance than in professional circles. Positive axillary (it's axillary, but people often confuse it with auxiliary) lymph nodes are very commonly referred to as lymph node metastasis in medical reports, research papers, and oncology journals. It's correct because the definition of metastasis is disease which has changed location from its primary site to a new site. However, in patient circles, we commonly use metastasis as short hand to refer to metastatic disease. Occasionally people come here to BCO early in the diagnosis and see lymph node metastasis on their paperwork and the m-word is what jumps out at them from the reading that they've done, so they think their diagnosis is worse than it really is.

It's similar (but I guess kind of opposite) to how there is a difference between Stage IV and Metastatic Breast Cancer, though in patient-centered areas, they are used interchangeably--technically they are not the same and have important distinctions.

SDG

Sorry for confusion it is positive axillary node on the same side. Today we received KI67 as well. Which is 12%. Doea anyone has any idea if anastrozole willl work. Doctor might give us option to go with Anastrozole ot cemo.

Thanks