Help.

Tcook62

I'm hoping someone can help interpret this for me.. I know NOTHING a out it..

This is the report I found on my health portal.

MountainMia

Tcook, you didn't include the report. I did look at your prior post. What you've been told is they've identified an invasive mass that is 11mm, or just over 1 centimeter. It's less than half an inch so it is not large. As others have said, the DCIS is a secondary concern, and it will be removed during your surgery. But the IDC is the actual issue.

It would be good if you can speak to someone on your medical team in the next few days. However, you might not get much information yet from them. If the tissue sample is still in pathology, they are looking for its hormone status. You see on people's signature lines that they have ER, PR, and HER2 findings. Your doctors can't recommend a course of treatment until those are known.

I'm sorry you're here. The beginning is often the worse part, because it's all new for all of us then. Once you learn more here and from your docs, and once you have a treatment plan in place, it's actually easier.

My best to you.

Tcook62

well today. I found I'm ER- and PR-. I asked about HER2, she said was equivocal. And I'm clueless. Any ideas what that means?

Beesie

Tcook, HER2 being equivocal is pretty common. The first test to check HER2 status is an IHC test. The way this test is done is if the result is 0 or 1+, then the finding is HER2-. If the result is 3+, then the result is HER2+. But some of the results are 2+, and that is equivocal, which means that they're not sure yet. When this happens, a second test is run, called the FISH test. This second test will clarify if you are HER2- or HER2+.

With the IHC test, the range for 2+ results is pretty large, and many IHC equivocal results end up being HER2- on FISH. So it could go either way.

Hope that helps.

2019whatayear

1. If you found out you have BC from a test on your portal, I think that is crap. I hope you got a phone call before seeing the report at a minimum.

The doctor you spoke with- is that a PCP or an Oby/Gyn? If so did they recommend a breast surgeon? Make an appointment asap with a breast surgeon they will go over the results at your appointment and it will be more comprehensive. Equivocal means uncertain in this case, so you need to know if they are going to do a test called FISH that should make the results of the HER either + or -

If your cancer is -ER and -PR and -HER you'll be recommended to one type of chemo regime and if your cancer is -Er -Pr and HER + after the fish you'll be recommended a different chemo regime.

You may have chemo before surgery in either case. Unless there is a very compelling situation that would completely prevent it, chemo is the treatment for these types of cancer. I don't know if radiation will be recommended.

You won't have to take tamoxifen or an AI pill to suppress hormones because your cancer isn't reactive to hormones.

Chemo is do able and not like it is portrayed in movies and films. Many of us worked part-time or full-time throughout our treatments. Sorry you are here-

One foot in front of the other!

Tcook62

the way I found out WAS cancer. I went to my family Doctor, who is not an MD but a DO. To get a pap. And she gave me the results of my biopsy. All she said was it doednt look like it's in the lymph nodes and it was small. She had no other info. I called today and they'd recieved more pathology reports saying I was er negative and pr negative an her2 equivocal. I'm zilch in cancer knowledge. So I did find out it WAS cancer and small, from my dr. I'm needing to learn about it. And all I have is the internet. While I'm in limbo waiting to learn more.like does equivocal mean more aggressive. Does it affect my survival rate, how sick I might get. Etc. These terms and term abbreviations used are soooooo confusing.

MinusTwo

Tcook - be careful with Google. You might start here on BCO and do some reading. One of the threads explains all the terms & abbreviations.

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/131

Beesie

Tcook, a cancer diagnosis throws all of us into a whole new world... and not a world we ever wanted to enter. All the terminology and information is new and confusing, but you'll find that you'll pick things up quickly. Ask away here with any questions you have. We've all been in your shoes and know how scary and disorienting it is at first. But it will get better once you get more information, understand more and start to put a treatment plan into place.

To your question, being equivocal on your IHC HER2 test has no bearing on aggressiveness or prognosis. The IHC test is always done first because it's quicker and cheaper. But it's less precise. So having an equivocal result just means that the less expensive IHC test wasn't good enough to identify if your cancer is HER2+ or HER2- so the more precise and more expensive FISH test needs to be done.

What is very relevant to your treatment plan will be whether your cancer is HER2+ or HER2-. As 2019whatayear mentioned, the chemo regimen is likely to be different for HER2+ vs. HER2-. And HER2+ cancers also have other treatments available that specifically target HER2+ cancer cells - so these treatments will be recommended if your cancer is HER2+ but you won't get these treatments if the cancer is HER2-.

In addition to the recommendation that you get an appointment set up with a breast surgeon, you also should be set up to see a Medical Oncologist. The surgeon operates; the MO is in charge of the rest of the treatment plan (and you'll have a Radiation Oncologist too, if you have a lumpectomy and therefore are recommended to have radiation). With the ER-/PR- cancer, chemo might be recommended prior to surgery - possibly, but possibly not because your tumor appears to be small. It's the MO who will decide on the order of treatment, so seeing the MO prior to surgery is important with an ER-/PR- cancer. The same is true with regard to chemo possibly being done prior to surgery for HER2+ cancers too. So definitely make sure that you have the recommendation of an MO prior to making an surgery decisions.

As for Google, it is hard not to google when you want more information. Just be sure to stick with reputable sites, like BCO (here), Mayo Clinic, NCI (National Cancer Institute) and others from major hospitals or universities.

Tcook62

THAT'S what I was seeking tytyty. That's what I was asking for. LoL. I one who needs pictures drawn.. but you helped me greatly... 😊❤🌹

Thank You, .. And God Bless You....