Lumpectomy....awaiting pathology results

Bbccats

Hello,

I had a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy on February 21st. The lumpectomy was rather large so I had a breast reduction with wise incision right after the lumpectomy in the right breast. I am feeling much better but still sore at times. What is driving me crazy is that I am still waiting for the pathology from the surgery. I have an appointment on Tuesday (March 20th) with the BS to get the results. I will find out next steps in regards to radiation at that time too. I have phoned to try to get results sooner but was not successful. I can get the results on line but they are held for 15 days after they are final. I guess they are waiting for all the pathology to be in but I would be interested in any of it at this point. Urg!!! The biopsy showed DCIS grade 2/3 with suspicion of microinvasion and clusters of malignant cells without stoma. I'm concerned that IDC was lurking in there too. I have a strong history of breast cancer on my mother's side but nothing found on genetic testing. Personally I think they haven't found the gene yet that my family has a mutation on. My mother just died of breast cancer in the summer of 2016 but she survived for 22 years with a couple of recurrences and finally mets to the bones. If it were not for Herceptin she would not have been with us for that long. My father died of pancreatic cancer 10 months after my mom (last May) and now 7 months after I found out I have cancer. I am happy to have found breastcancer.org. It helps to know there is support from people who understand. Looking forward to Tuesday when I get the results. Oh I should add that because I'm high risk I get yearly MRIs and that was a good thing because the mammogram and the tomosynthesis (3D mammogram) were clear. The MRI showed a suspicious non-mass enhancement. My mother's cancer never showed on mammogram either. Thanks for reading. When I get my results I will add them to my profile. Hoping for DCIS without microinvasion or even with microinvasion but nothing else.

Egads007

Hi bbccats,

Congrats on getting through the surgery...sounds like you did well! Ah the waiting...awful, and I hear you loud and clear. Hang in and hang on, good things do happen. I was originally diagnosed with triple neg after my biopsy but after my lumpectomy the path report showed I squeezed by into the ER zone, which allowed for tamoxifen treatment for a following 10 years. Gave me a sense of security...hopefully not false! Please let us know your results, we’re here for you

EastcoastTS

Bbccats:

The wait for final pathology is the worst. I hope you're able to not think of it every minute this weekend. Tuesday will come quickly.

My mom has BC, too, and like you, I feel like they have not found the genetic connector yet. We both had ILC and I just find that too coincidental. Also lots of prostate cancer on her side -- and I've read here that ILC and prostate can be linked. Or are thought to be (perhaps). All is still such a crapshoot with BC. Or with cancer in general I suppose.

Hoping for positive news for you next week. Glad you are getting MRIs in the future. 3D mammo showed nothing for me and US was very faint as well. (I felt the small lump myself, thank goodness.)

{hugs}

Ingerp

Bbccats--just chiming in to hold your hand. I had my surgery on Tuesday (3/13), and have a follow-up with my BS next Wednesday (3/21). I expect to get full pathology report then. I do think things work a little more quickly sometimes in smaller areas like where I live. The preliminary path report on my biopsy was available the day after, with ER/PR status added the day after that. I agree with posters all over this site that the waiting is the hardest--once you get the news and have a treatment plan, you can deal with it head-on. I don't even have an appt with an MO yet, and I'm leaving for a week on 3/22, so I guess that will wait until I'm home from my trip. Difficult to schedule my spring until I know exactly what's coming, but trying to remain patient. (<--funny the two meanings of that word)