Just diagnosed...going for MRI before surgery

Linda, maybe the MRI images will help you process this.  It did for me.  My breasts are so fibrocystic that the tumor does not even show on a mammogram.  On the MRI, it is clear as day.  I found it myself and insisted on the MRI before I would even let them biopsy it.  Now that I can see it, I can focus on that bugger as the target.  Keep your focus there, one day at a time is what I've been doing since my diagnosis earlier this month.  Just one day at a time and research, research, research!  Also, find out if you are HER-2 positive and the Ki67 rate.  That makes a difference in prognosis and adjuvant therapy.  This board has such a wealth of information and I've gained such strength and hope from the strong women who post here.

Hi Linda,

We have a similiar dx. My surgeon told me that about 80% of breast cancer is IDC. I can't comment if your tumor is average because everyone seems to have different sizes. Staging will depend on size and lymph nodes involved. I had one lymph node involved and I am stage IIb. My onco discussed survival rates with me and I have a 87% chance of surviving 10 yrs. They say 10 years because that is how long the study was. But I could live way longer than that. I understand about your husband my husband doesn't want to talk about it anymore either and he hates that I go on this site. He has been really supportive since April but he says he needs to be strong and positive for our daughter (5yrs old) and I need to be too. You will find so much support here and answers to all your fears. It does get easier to deal with. Private message me anytime you need me.

Try to have a nice holiday.

Hugs,

Diane 

the 100 er also means your tumor is a slow grower, and yes that is an average size.

Node positive isn't the best, but the survival rates for 1-3 nodes are not really that much worse than node neg.

I did not find out KI67 and HER till after surgery.

Keep in mind biopsy information is an estimate, it all will change in your final path.

Good luck

Hi Linda,

I'm not sure there is ever a "normal" where cancer is concerned.  Everyone's diagnosis and treatment is different but it sounds like your doctors are making sure they have all the information by doing the MRI before surgery.  In my opinion, this is a good thing.  You want to have as much information as possible. 

"Run of the mill" likely is in response to the Invasive Ductal diagnosis and the Estrogen positive aspect of it.  These are more the "garden variety" of cancer than some others.  It is what I was diagnosed with and I will tell you that I found some comfort in knowing that if I had to have cancer, I was happy to have one that was well researched and that treatment options were well sampled. 

There isn't really an average size of a tumor.  It really depends on when it is found, but it sounds like yours was found relatively early based on the size (just my opinion, not an expert opinion).

Go ahead and worry and be concerned, angry, sad, mad, whatever.  You are going to have a lot of feelings about being diagnosed and you might as well just go through the feelings so you are better equipped to deal with the action plan when it comes time.

Best of luck to you!

Tracy

Hi. Well went today for another mamogram/ultrasound and to make a very long story short was told not needed and ended up w/another doctor who wants to do a MRI to make sure no other tumors on other side of left breast. Also he says I will have to have chemo which I was trying to avoid by doing a lumpectomy/radiation. I don't want to add bad things into my body anymore than is already there - get my drift??!  So...chemo yes or no? I know they have medication to counter some of the side effects but I am one that doesn't even like to take aspirin. I have always tried to be healthy and active. If I'm feeling so...good now I think why ruin a good thing? I keep changing my mind and saying now just do the lumpectomy/radiation and let's see what happens after that? Is that such a bad idea? 

JR- I never took anything before this journey started. I originally thought like you. Now, you need to make sure you understand the current information on the particular type of chemo you are doing.  I did chemo and found it very doable.  I decided to do it after talking with many stage iv women in chat who said "ask yourself, would you regret the decision if the cancer came back?  Are you prepared to take the risk that it will come back?"  For me, I wasn't prepared to take the % risk so I did the chemo.  you  must do what is right for you. Just make sure you're  making an accurate intellectual decision not an emotional one.

Linda- good luck on the 8th.  I hope it all goes smoothly for you with 0 nodes.