diagnosed with aggressive CA

ajh123

I am new to this site and this is my first post. I was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 days ago, after mammograms x 2, ultrasound, and biopsy. I haven't seen the printed out report but my radiologist told me that the pathologist listed the mass as aggressive cancer. I have an appointment with the surgeon in 2 days. I'm not sure what to expect. I hate the sound of "aggressive" cancer and not sure what it means for me.

Moderators

Hi ajh123,

Welcome to the community.

We know It's not a place anyone wants to find themselves but we do hope that you will find the Information and support here helpful.

We can imagine that this is an extremely overwhelming time for you but please know that you're not alone, there are many others here who will understand what you're going through and be able to offer their experiences and guidance.

Here is a link to some information that you may find helpful in understanding your pathology report a bit more.

Getting your Pathology Report

Also, please do reach out to us at any time if you have questions, we're always here to help.

Warm wishes,

The Mods.

gb2115

All of it can be treated, aggressive or not!! Not sure what specifically the pathologist was referring to (could be a couple of things) but the surgeon should explain and start to come up with a plan!!

Let us know what happens, ok?

Ingerp

You need to get your pathology report. It may be nothing more than your tumor is HER2+. That would make it more aggressive but also more treatable.

Anonymous

I had my general surgeon tell me when he shared my partial pathology after my lumpectomy that my tumor was "aggressive". Turns out it was a high grade 1, (not aggressive), after I learned how to read my own complete pathology report.

Sometimes reports can be misinterpreted depending on who is reading them. I had + nodes, so he may have decided that made it aggressive (also not true), but point is, he was a general surgeon, not an oncologist, and scared me for no reason till I got some education under my belt.

Hang in there. This is all temporary and you'll get through it and made it to the other side (there is lots of life on the other side) but it's terrifying as well. Just remember the first report (of anything) is often suspect.

Hugs

Claire in AZ

ajh123

Well, I thought things were progressing well and I knew what my plans were. I spoke with my surgeon yesterday - very informative and very reassuring. He's a highly recommended surgeon. Today I got the addendum (the final part) of my pathology report. I knew that my CA was high grade (grade 3), but found out that I have Triple Negative, and my Ki-67 immunostain is positive at 70%. I have a lumpectomy scheduled for next week - the 6th. We planned to follow with radiation and then chemo if it was found in the nodes and had spread. According to what I've read here, with a diagnosis of TN, I need to go back to the drawing board.... sounds like some do chemo b4 surgery, but chemo is always involved even without node involvement. I'm really confused. I'm going to call my radiologist and my surgeon tomorrow and discuss this more in depth to see if we need to change the initial plans.

Is there a way that I can tag this to have this post go into the topic forums addressing Triple Negative breast cancer? For now, I'll copy and paste.

gb2115

Sorry for this news... I don't know much about triple negative other than it does seem to go along with chemo. Hang in there!!

randrgirl

Hello agh- I am TN as well.TN will always require chemo as it is known to respond well to it. Even without node involvement TN requires chemo. A lumpectomy will always require radiation- TN or not. I had my surgery before chemo but everyone is different and we need to trust our team of docs. You can do this. By no means is it easy but it is doable. Many more will respond shortly but go to the TN thread as well as the thread for your stage. You will get good advice there. Once you have have a treatment plan in place there will be threads to follow for that as well. And that alone will make you feel more at ease.This sight is a great resource and will help you as you undergo treatment. Ask your doc all the questions you want and if you aren't certain or feel uncomfortable with them get another opinion. I know it's overwhelming and scary but you can get through it. You will be in my thoughts.

ajh123

Thank you, eightoutof8 ! I know this is doable. I have a very positive attitude but I just thought that we had a first step plan laid out, now I'm not so sure.As you know, the TN diagnosis isn't really what you want to see. I was hoping for a little less challenge. You said that you had the surgery first, any pros or cons there... would you do it the same way if you had it to do over? I realize everyone is different and every case is different, but your situation sounds very similar to mine, so just curious.

JoyMrt5

Good morning! I’m sorry you get to join us but you will find lots of information and encouragement here!

I too was diagnosed with TNBC on April 23rd of this year. Mine was IDC grade 3 and came back as stage 2a at final pathology. My team decided I would do surgery before chemo so on 5/10 I had a bi mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. I will be starting chemo in a few weeks. It is very scary but you can beat this!! Positive thoughts and prayers for you my pink sister!!

randrgirl

ajh- I understand your fear. TN is more trying but it is treatable. Thank goodness for that. On having surgery first it was just the way my surgeon said we should go. I am very endowed on top so I had much to work with in have a lumpectomy. Would I do itdifferently? I don't know now. Many have chemo before surgery because the docs want to a shrink the tumor before surgery and it also helps the docs see how well the chemo is actually working. I just had the cancer taken out of me and then the chemo with the hopes it will kill any potentially lingering cells. My team thought this was best.For TN chemo is used as a preventative due to the aggression. It's hard to be told that you are cancer free by all accounts but just as a precaution you need to do chemo. I got a second and third opinion and while the order of treatment varied each plan included chemo as a safety measure each time. My doc said to think of it as a life insurance policy. When you are younger too they want to throw everything at it. I know it's confusing now but as soon as you have a treatment plan in place you will find more calm. Try to calm your mind. Easier said than done. I know. But try. Let us know how everything goes. We are with you