What Stage is my Mom?

I don't remember the size indicator for the T value. I think pT0 is the smallest size of tumor and it goes up from there. My tumor was 4.0 cm and my T value was pT2. The N indicates how many lymphnodes were positive. Your Moms would say pN20a if she had 20 positive nodes. The pMX is what it says on my pathology report. It's an indicator for the cancer metastasizing to another location in the body. I don't know what it reads when it's positive for that. My report shows pMX and from what I was told there is no metastasis. The grading system is called AJCC Staging. Google that, I'm sure you will find it on the web.

Your mom will need nore tests. Perhaps a CT Scan, PET scan and bone scan to determine so. Lets hope she is clear. They should be ordering more tests, follow up with them.

I thought the Mx meant they hadn't tested for distant spots and won't know till they have a ct or pet scan.......

Lieberman----hugs and yup, this disease SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lieberman ~  I'm sorry about your SIL, but please don't lose hope or assume your Mom's bc will follow the same course.  If you check the Stage 3 forum, you will see that many women with multiple positive nodes have become NED (basically disease free) and are doing very well many years after their dx.  One of the keys is proper aggressive treatment, which it sounds like she's started with the bi-lat mast.  Hormone status also plays a key role.  Some bcs are harder to treat because they don't respond as well to chemo or hormonal therapy.  Another thing to keep in mind is that not all oncologists will recommend the same chemo.  As others have said, your Mom's situation is serious, so depending on where she is being treated, I would consider getting a second opinion from a major university teaching hospital if she isn't already at one of those.  I say that because they see far more bc in every stage, so have the most experience figuring out what works for different situations.  They also have the latest trial drugs available, which may or may not appeal to your Mom, but can be an option.  Here's a list of the NCI-designated cancer centers.  If you're not near one, they can sometimes offer a second opinion -- even by mail/phone, if necessary -- that you can take back to her local docs to be sure she gets that level of treatment.  I personally switched my care from very fine local facilities to an NCI-designated place midstream in my treatment, which is why I am so high on the facilities listed here:

http://cancercenters.cancer.gov/cancer_centers/map-cancer-centers.html

In addition to the treatment protocol itself, your Mom needs an expert team of bc specialists who are so ultimately capable and confident that and can instill that belief in her.   

Please stay with us and let us know how else we can help ~  Deanna

lieberman ~  There was a very recent thread here about your exact question.  I'll try to give you a link to it, but if it doesn't work, the thread is entitled "TROUBLE GETTING REFERRAL FROM KAISER IN CA," and had some excellent suggestions.  It's in the Breast Construction section, and I'll go and bump it for you now so that it should be near the top of that section.

http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44/topic/737472?page=1#post_1449648

UCLA is where I went (I'm in the Palm Springs area), and I can't say enough wonderful things about the doctors there!       Deanna