Just diagnosed with stage 2a breast cancer

MAC58

I'm still in shock...diagnosed Feb 1 with stage2a idc 1.5 cm lump. I had a biopsy of one lymph node which came back positive for cancer. I am er+ pr+, her2-. My surgery for lumpectomy, removal of affected lymph node and sentinel node biopsy is scheduled for April 6 (my 60th Birthday- yippee). My husband and I have been planning a trip as my birthday gift for over a year. We leave March 15 and will return March 31, my surgeon assured me that delaying those 2 weeks would have absolutely no effect on the final outcome.

Has anyone else waited 2 months for your surgery? Thank you and I'm sure I'll have lots more questions .

ElaineTherese

Hi!

Two months isn't unusual; cancer just doesn't grow that fast. I did chemo first, but it took me about a month to get set up for that. In the meantime, nothing really happened with my lump, even though I was diagnosed with aggressive cancer (Grade 3, HER2+). Enjoy your trip!

DATNY

I had 6 weeks from diagnosis to the beginning of chemo and 7 weeks from the end of chemo to surgery. I am 2a, HR-/Her2+

moth

Hi, Mac, sorry that you find yourself here.

There are some studies on optimal timing of treatment. This is one discussion of the topic: https://respectfulinsolence.com/2016/01/12/breast-...

EastcoastTS

Hello, Mac. Sorry you are here but glad you found us.

I was diagnosed in early Jan and had surgery in late Feb. Just too many decisions and all the tests took time. One doctor told me that BC was an emotional emergency but not typically a medical one.

Hope this helps and good luck. Come back and ask any and all questions. Someone will answer.

EileenAntonia

Just diagnosed last week with stage 2a her2 3+, still in shock also and trying to understand all the information from oncologist. Some people are telling me to get asecond opinion regarding treatment. But I am scheduled for a port next march 12 and soon after begin TCPH treatment every 21 days 6 times and then surgey and then continue treatment. Will meet again with oncologist next march 9, I am still with so many doubts

EastcoastTS

Eileen:

If you trust your team of doctors and are at a good facility...the 2nd opinion may not be necessary. I got one but it was because I didn't connect with my first BS, basically.

Ask any and all questions you have here and someone with a similar diagnosis will try to assist.

{hugs}

TheMinna

Hi, MAC58,

I was diagnosed on 11/2 and did not have surgery until 12/28. I was 40 at the time, and my tumor was quite aggressive but two months still made no difference. Considering the fact that they say these tumors have been in our bodies for 8-10 years, two months seems like a drop in the bucket. Enjoy what you have planned, and know that you are coming home to a situation that will give you many more vacations with your hubby.

MAC58

Thank you so much for your replies everyone, I can't pretend that I am ok mentally with all of this. It's a huge bite to take in all at once. But, thank to other ladies like yourselves, and my new prescription of Ativan this too shall pass.

My lumpectomy and sentinel node removal is April 6, and the wedding of our foster son is April 14. My surgeon, who is a woman's breast specialist, says that this won't be a problem. My only responsibilities I have been told is to show up on time and look beautiful (foster son must have some eye problems). And he wants his mom and son dance, that's just a lot of swaying. What does everyone think? It's about an hour away from us and we have a hotel for the night

JKL2017

Welcome MAC58. It's wonderful that you have something so positive to anticipate. I felt fine after my lumpectomy (don't tell my PCP but I stopped at Chick-Fil-A on my way home for a milkshake) & you should too. Enjoy your birthday trip & look forward to your mother-son dance. (I'm sure you will be beautiful!) And congratulations to you for raising a fine young man who cares so much for you!

MAC58

thank you, that makes me feel lots better

TheMinna

Mac,

I had a bilateral mastectomy and was driving on day 11. My range of motion was quite limited then (and I still have limitations 8 weeks out but they are far fewer), but I can't see a reason why you can't show up and rock the wedding.

MAC58

thanks Minna

Harleylove916

Hello wonderful ladies, I was diagnosed with Stage IIA last week on Tuesday (DCIS, 1.5 cm, Invasive Grade 3, PR+, ER+). Needless to say I am still in great shock and still have not told my children. I met with a breast surgeon yesterday, and I met with an oncologist today. Both of them presented the following treatment options: chemo, surgery, radiation and hormonal pills. The breast surgeon recommended that I decide the sequence of the treatment with the oncologist, and the oncologist said it is between me and the surgeon. In the end, I asked them to email each other and decide whether I should surgery first, or chemo first. I am worried about Lymphodema if I did the surgery first. Does anyone know or have experience with chemo before surgey? Will the chemo reduce the number of lymph nodes removed?

DATNY

No, chemo doesn't affect the number of nodes. It will be sentinel node and surrounding tissue and depends how many nodes you have in that area, some of us have more some have less.

I had chemo first, but I am hormone negative her2+. Chemo is usually recommeded first in order to shrink the tumor and perform lumpectomy. In my case, I am not sure why my surgeon thought is best to do this, as it was clear from the beginning that I would need a mastectomy (I had multiples sites). Second opinion at Dana Farber was that with mastectomy, the surgery can also precede chemo.

MAC58

Hi Harley, sorry you are going through this too...are you her2+? Is that why they are saying chemo? I'm new to this too, but thought the reasoning behind chemo first was to shrink the tumor, I also have a 1.5 cm tumor and chemo was not even brought to the table until after the lumpectomy and the sentinel node biopsy. I do have it in at least one lymph node which will be removed during the lumpectomy. I guess the pathology reports afterwards have a lot to do with the treatment going forward

Bubba2017

This is a very good link. It covers time to surgery as well as time to chemo afterwards. Thanks

RoseRed4

Hello all, my name is Rose. I’m 50, and have stage 2 breast cancer. DCIS and idc. Had a Lumpectomy and 2 lymph nodes removed on 5-30-18. Invasive tumor was 1.5 cm. Both nodes were positive for cancer, so next step is a cat scan to make sure it hasn’t spread anywhere else and then begin chemo. Just writing all this down gives me the willies, but this is my new reality. Before my 2nd mammogram in April, I had no idea anything was even wrong. I’d been told after my 1st mammogram, something ‘suspicious’ had been found. Biopsy was done on May 11.

MAC58

Hi Rose, sorry that you had to join our "club" but glad you have reached out! Good luck on your cat scan, hope it shows nothing else and you can go onward to treatment. Did your doctor say chemo absolutely? Or checking some more things first? Does it have to do with what type

RoseRed4

Thank you. I go for my scan tomorrow. Port is being put in on Monday and probably 1st infusion next week. Chemo and then radiation. Feeling a bit shellshocked at the moment, but I’ll be ok. I had appointments with my chemo doc and radiation doc this afternoon for my treatment plan. So much to read in the folders they gave me, but no more today. I’m thankful for good doctors, great insurance and I just hope I won’t have any serious side effects from the chemo drugs.

Polly_Ester

Its going to be ok, MAC58 ♥

EdithMary

Hello, friends. I am a bit confused by some of the posts here. Some of you are talking about stage 2 breast cancer, but have tumors less than 2 cm. I thought that by definition stage 1 was up to 2 cm, and stage 2 was 2-5 cm. I had surgery three weeks ago tomorrow, with a 2cm tumor removed, and no lymph involvement. Things move fast here in Pittsburgh: I was diagnosed Sept. 10, saw the surgeon Sept. 17, and had surgery (a lumpectomy and sentinel node removal) on Sept. 19. I am now healing--lots of bruising!--and will see the oncologist on Oct 24. Though I am at the very lowest level of 2a (at least I thought I was, but I see some saying they are stage 2 with smaller tumors than mine), I have a pretty active tumor, that is at the top of grade 2, almost grade 3. I am wondering if the oncologist will want to do an Oncotype or Mammaprint to decide if chemo is useful in my case. I am hoping for just radiation and hormone therapy. I am 64, and shocked to be ill--I have, except for being celiac, always had good health. does anybody know if my extensive bruising will prevent radiation from starting? Do they have to wait for healing? My breast is fairly soft, and not very swollen, or sore: but I HAD a huge hematoma which has now become a more extensive brown and yellow bruise, covering over 3/4 of my entire breast.

Thanks,

EdithMary

MAC58

Hi Edithmary, sorry that you are joining us. I can only tell you what I know about 2a. Mine was 1 but became 2a because I had one lymph node involved.So although my tumor was smaller than yours we become the same stage.

Not sure about the bruising, I had to wait almost 8 weeks because I ended up with a seroma that burst through the skin and then had to heal before radiation. Are you being treated st Magee? I was in Pittsburgh too. With your ER,pr positive and Her2 negative you should qualify for the oncotype testing. Did they do a ki67 test on yours? My test for that showed a very slow growing tumor andMy oncotype was a 17, so no chemo, I had radiation and now am on hormone blockers..which is no picnic, but what are ya gonna do?

If I can help you in any way, don't hesitate to reach out..I too was perfectly healthy, didn't even take a pill except my multivitamin but yet here we are.

Maryann

Beaverntx

For more information on staging see

https://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/StagingofBreast...

Both the "old" (pre2018) and the"new" (beginning January 2018) staging systems are explained.

I was diagnosed in January2018 as Stage IB; had I been diagnosed a month earlier it would have been Stage IIA.

Arya44

Following this group because I was diagnosed 2A because tumour was 3.5 cm-no lymph node involvement but had lymphovascular invasion within the breast tissue. Has anyone had this and did it affect chemo/hormone therapy choices? Meeting oncology surgeon next week.