New here with questions

Ggloves6

Hey Ladies,

I’m newly diagnosed as of September 18,2020. IDC in a cyst. I am Er/pr - Her +. This has been a roller coaster of being mis diagnosed to I’m still not fully satisfied with the answers . I had a CT, bone scan and breast mri this week and got a call from my MO that there were nodules on my lung, a few lesions on my liver and one spot on my sternum . I have a liver biopsy scheduled on Friday because my MO said he’s 50/50 that it’s metastatic. My question is can these be benign things or am I most likely staring at a stage 4 final diagnosis? I’m overwhelmed and scared . I’m in very good health otherwise , haven’t even taken a Tylenol in 14 years so this has just been a shock.

Thank you for your input !

AliceBastable

I've had benign things show up on CT and PET scans. Remember, they just show that something is there, not necessarily what it is. I have small lung nodules that my MO says are nothing to worry about as long as they don't grow over time. She says most people have junk in their lungs that accumulates. I also had a spot light up on my adrenal gland after my kidney was removed several months earlier. That turned out to be scar tissue when it was biopsied. Good luck on your biopsy.

Sunshine99

Hi Gloves, I'm sorry about your diagnosis. That's a lot to handle all at once. It sounds like you have a very proactive MO, which is a good thing.

It is possible that you could be Stage IV, right off the bat. If it is, you will find support on the Stage IV forums, including the de novo group.

My oncologists (MO, RO) have assured me that Stage IV is not a death sentence. If you hear them talk about palliative care, don't freak out - they're talking about symptom management, not end of life/hospice care.

Let us know. Some of us have been around this forum for quite a while.

(((hugs)))

Carol

ElaineTherese

Hi!

There are a lot of benign things that show up on scans. No one can say (for sure) that you are Stage IV until the results come back from your liver biopsy. I understand that you are scared and want some assurance; at best, we can tell you that breast cancer (including Stage IV BC) is very treatable. I see that you are HER2+; my cancer was as well. There are a growing number of effective treatments for HER2+ breast cancer that can help you live years and years longer. ((Hugs))

pupmom

When I was diagnosed 9 years ago, a CT scan found stuff in liver and lungs. It all turned out to be benign. It's hard, but try not to freak out.

Ggloves6

Thanks for the replies ladies. I meant to add that my lymph nodes are clear per U/S x3 and MRI. My pathology report also said no distinct vascular involvement found. I’m just hoping that these are just benign but it worries me that there are questionable things in all three met areas.

Thx!

Moderators

Dear Gloves6,

Welcome to the BCO community. We are sorry about your diagnosis and the questions that you are dealing with right now and we are so glad that you reached out to our members for their support and shared experiences. It looks like you have already received a number of responses that hopefully are reassuring and helpful. Please keep us posted on what you learn going forward and how we can continue to be of assistance here.

The Mods