Need help understanding report
I need some help understanding my Mother-in-Laws report. She had her right breast/lymp nodes removed 2002. Was on Tamoxifen for 5 years. Just noticed some painful growths near/under armpit. Just got report today.
DIAGNOSIS:
POORLY DIFFERENTIATED CARCINOMA WITH RECURRENT INFILTRATING DUCTAL CARCINOMA.
MICROSCOPIC DESCRIPTION:
(skipped the first part) The features will be consistent with Nottingham grade III (9 points). By immunoperoxidase staining the tumor cells are negative for CK 7, BRST-2, TTF-1, and progesterone receptor. The tumor cells are strongly and diffusely positive for Pankeratin, E-Cadherin and Estrogen receptor.
What do all the Letters stand for?
Thanks,
Dorothy
Comments
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These letters stand for antibodies that were used to stain the slides (cells) to be sure the cells were breast carcinoma rather than benign or cells from another possible cancer like thyroid, lung, colon, etc. The tests confirmed for the pathologist that the cells were from a recurrent IDC and not something else. The tests also confirmed that the BC cells were ER (estrogen receptor) positive, which tells your oncologist that it may still respond to an anti-hormonal treatment. As to what the letters stand for CK7 (cytokeratin 7, a marker for breast cancer), BRST-2 ( also known as GCDFP-15, a marker for breast cancer), TTF-1 (thyroid transcription factor 1, a marker for thyroid and lung carcinoma), Pankeratin (a breast cancer marker), E-Cadherin (a marker for an adhesion molecule in breast cancer). I don't know a lot about all this, so please have your doctor tell you more and answer your questions. Good luck to your mother-in-law. It's really unfortunate that she is dealing with this again, but it's nice that you can help her with this.
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Thanks so much for the information you provided. She has an appointment later today with her doctor. She just lost her Husband 2 years ago to cancer.
Dorothy
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