New Diagnosis

adrachim

I just got my results last Thursday. Little background. I am 47. I am a stay at home Mom. I have a son 16 Junior in HS and a daughter 14 Freshman in HS. I am married to the most amazing man in the world. He is active Army. My hubby was deployed to Kuwait and they quickly flew him home when we got the results. His CO has been amazing in all this. We are trying to get him a compassionate reassignment locally so he can be here with my treatment.

Had a US guided needle biopsy. Results: Left Breast

Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, well differentiated grade1

ER + 100%

PR + 100*

HER 2 Negative 0

KI-67 Borderline 15%

tumor size 1.3cm

Ok arm me with all I need to take to first Oncologist appointment. Tell me what questions I need to ask. What research I need to do. What is the typical treatment for this type of cancer. I am seeing where I may or may not need chemo, but will certainly need hormonal therapy. Are there more tests that will be ordered before surgery. I had my cry the day they gave me diagnosis. NO more tears. I have cancer and I am going to kick its ass! I am going in armed and dangerous. Hit me with KNOWLEDGE!!! Knowledge is POWER!!

mustlovepoodles

With a small grade 1 IDC that is so strongly ER/PR+, I'd be very surprised if you needed chemo. Yours is exactly the right kind of BC to have, if there is such a thing. I would think your treatment plan will be lumpectomy +radiation & hormone suppression. Of course, you won't know for sure until you have the LX and they can eyeball the tumor under a microscope.

ruthfromberkshires

I am 59 and was diagnosed the end of July with what sounds a lot like the same cancer you have (except my results for ER and PR were >95% not 100. I was told by my oncologist that if I had to have cancer, I had the kind to have. I have been to two oncologists one said it was highly unlikely I would need chemo because of the ER and PR being so high, the other told me he would not speculate as to treatment until after final pathology came in.

My doctor did order an MRI because I have dense breasts and he wanted to be sure there were no other surprises in there! I ended up with a second biopsy which was benign. The only other tests were some additional blood tests which fortunately all normal.

I am having a lumpectomy with SN on Tuesday. I am nervous, but one step at a time. Waiting for the final lab is the next hurdle. I agree with you 100% that knowledge is power. I didn't even know what to ask when I started this journey....but I have learned that waiting isn't easy!

My humble advice is peruse these boards for information. I had never heard of clinical studies, ONCO scores, ER+ drugs other than tamoxifen, to ask about shorter courses of radiation, etc.... so many people have shared their good advice on these boards. While I understand everyone's journey is very, very different...I am grateful people have been so sharing.

Good luck to you! I wish I could offer you more advice

Celand

Your IDC seems to be similar to mine. My course of treatment was lumpectomy, six weeks of radiation and now taking tamoxifen until I am completely post menopausal, then I will switch to Arimidex. I am almost one year out from my diagnosis and I am doing pretty good. Breast Cancer.org has been a great place for me to go to for any questions or concerns that I had. The others on this board have helped get me through this and will continue to as other issues are sure to come up, even though I am a survivor.

Best of luck as you go through your journey.

Luckynumber47

When I was diagnosed with IDC similar to yours my dr told me I would be fine, this was just a bump in the road, a minor inconvience. And you know what - she was right. It was super scary at the time but now, 16 months later, it was pretty darned easy. You'll be fine too, just hang in there.

I see all the other posters mentioned lumpectomy, followed by radiation. It's important to note that sometimes the surgeon doesn't get "clear margins" and you have to go back for a second surgery. So talk to your Breast Surgeon about that. Are you going to a breast surgeon or a general surgeon? I kind of like the idea of seeing a specialist, the ones who do these surgeries day in and day out.

Lumpectomy, plus radiation, isn't your only option. You can choose mastectomy, with or without reconstruction and most often skip radiation.

Ask your surgeon how many lymph nodes they expect to remove. Are they just doing a Sentinal Node Biopsy (usually 1-3 nodes)

Be sure they order an Oncotype test after surgery. That will tell you if the risks of chemo outweigh the benefits. It sounds like you might be able to skip chemo but it's really nice to have the percentages from the test to confirm your decisions.

Ruthfromberkshires mentioned getting an MRI. I'll be forever grateful my BS ordered one because they found DCIS that the mammogram missed.

Endocrine therapy is a very powerful "insurance policy". I've been on Femara for 15 months now with no side effects (knock on wood). Hopefully it'll be easy for you too.

I found guided imagery tapes really helpful when I got anxious. Xanax got me through the MRI and klonopin got me through the morning of surgery. Be sure to ask your dr if you find you need them.

It sounds like you've got a good handle on things. Hang in there - you've got all of us wishing you well.

Lucky

Snazzyiron

Hi Adrachim,

Your dx sounds a lot like mine.  I was diagnosed in July with IDC! Grade 3  My mom and three aunts all had breast cancer.  They had the BRCA gene.  I was tested and did not have it so I thought I had escaped.  I did not.

ER positive, 93%      PR positive, 38%      Ki-67 high, 29%  Her2 negative.  I have had a mammogram, a diagnostic mammogram, a diagnostic US,  a US guided biopsy, a MRI biopsy and a mammoprint.  Also, genetic testing.  My surgery is scheduled for 9/8/17.  I know I will have radiation but I don't know yet about chemo.  My mammoprint came back "b"  which scares me.  I will have one more procedure right before surgery during which they will place a scout in my breast to assist the surgeon in locating the tumor.  My tumor is supposed to be 2 cm.  I am afraid of the delay between dx and surgery.  I had to wait three weeks for the mammoprint results which showed that my tumor is more aggressive. I do feel lucky in that I do believe I am getting very good treatment.  My only advise to you is to learn everything you can.  Read the posts.  I find them really helpful!  Waiting is awful!  I wish you the very best.

Ps, Has anyone else had a mammoprint?

❤️

Snazzyiron 

adrachim

Thanks ladies. Had a little blip on the map, Doc had referred me to an out of network specialist and hospital. She said that she wanted me at UTSW and that I really need to go there and no where else. Well I hope she was ready to pay all the expenses above and beyond. Like I do not have enough to deal with, I do not want to deal with insurance and out of network authorizations.

Well a week later I see a new Breast surgeon-IN MY NETWORK- and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her. She took so much time with me. Answered all my questions and really put me at ease. She gave me a binder with all my reports and films. There was detailed info in every possible treatment course. She recommended a treatment and said that any road I take is the right road for me. She said she will arrange for what WE decide. She is sending me for a MRI and a consult with the plastic surgeon. She is requesting my pathology from where I had biopsy to have the hospitals pathologist read it and make sure he concurs. They are very thorough and very caring. This is where I was meant to be.

GreenEyes81

That is great news. I was going to strongly recommend an MRI. I was in the same spot as you, got an MRI and they found sevral more spots. The desision for a lumpectomy was no longer on the table. I meet with my docs on the 20/21st for next steps. Right now, my surgen feels like I may not have chemo or radiation. But holding my breath till the appointments with the doctors that speclize in this case.

I am almost 4 weeks out from a unilatural mastectomy. My ONLY regret is not discussing having both removed at the same time. I would rather cut my chances on reocurance by removing them than take more meds that maybe I could avoid just avoid by getting them removed. I now try to figure out what to do with a single DD boob on one side. lol I will be getting a 2nd mesectomy at the time of recon. Just something to put out there as you get more information. I would rather have nothing and go in public. I am currently cutting up my old bras and trying out sewing them into a "flat side" with support on the other side. lol We shall see.

I was just like you, cried-done. Knowledge is our sword!

adrachim

have you looked into Liberator fashions and American Cancer Society TLC?  I know that they have bras and forms that are covered by insurance.