Stage III versus lower

He wrote on a paper

ER=90%

PR=10%

HER-2=2.2

Sheila,

Did you take the FISH test? It should be stated on your Pathology report.  I don't know what they call them, if it's grade or score.

Maybe Lago knows the answers!?

Cases were classified into positive for HER2 gene amplification (FISH ratio ≥ 2.2), negative for HER2 gene amplification (FISH ratio <1.8), or intermediate for HER2 gene amplification (FISH ratio of 1.8- 2.1 or presence of

I just found this info.

Seyla, you aren't the only one who feels kind of dumb.  When I found out my grade and stage I had NO idea what it meant.  All I knew at the time was that oncotype testing would do me no good.  My tumor was too large and I had a positive node.  I learned that in the chat. 

Barbe1958:  I guess that was me earlier posting about oncotype score.  In my case, prior to the mast surgery, we sent the biopsy sample out for the onco score.  So yes, it is possible to have a biopsy score, which was very low (11), then after the mast surgery the pos nodes were discovered and the  onco score means nothing. I had a month between the onco test and then lymph node dissection. 

 I am a node positive stage IIer and regularly came to this thread since 2005 because being node positive I felt like a lot of the topics discussed here pertained to me.  I notice now that there is a stage II with positive nodes thread that wasn't available to me in 2005.  I do understand how the original poster feels, especially if she is newly diagnosed.  You want to speak with those who have similar diagnosis', especially those long term survivors because it gives you comfort and hope.  However, one thing I have learned in the 5 years since I was diagnosed is that the fear of recurrence is just as real and just as strong in all stages and that we all can provide comfort and support to each other no matter what stage we are.  If I would not have come to this Stage III forum many years ago I would have missed out on a lot of comfort and support I received from Sherri and many others in this forum.    

Hi nobleanna,  I do get what you're saying.  I welcome postings from all the stages of our sistas.  I hope that the stages 0 to IV would contribute to this forum.  We all benenfit.  There can be those who might say something a little offensive or with lack of understanding about what stages III and IV ladies face each day, but over all I am always happy to offer encouragement and support to all stages.  I do feel however that it's important to be able to go to the forum of our stage for the support of other like stages, and I am so glad to have this forum of stage 3ers here, a wonderful group of women to go to.  Peace and health to you all.

Barb

I think we can all learn from all the women on the boards and it doesn't matter what stage someone is at.  My docs have not told me what stage I am at but I know from the stats that I am stage III.  But I don't think it always makes a difference because there are so many variables with every stage of cancer so we are all in the same boat.  The most important thing is that we support each other and give each other information that we gather.  I have sat next to stage 1V sistas in chemo and they were diagnosed ten years ago with stage 1V!  We are survivors!

The current staging system has come under question more and more by researchers because some doubt its predictive value in terms of prognosis. It could be that we are erecting artificial walls. We could be committing a more serious error by assuming that a person at a certain "stage" has to feel a certain way or "know" certain things. Lots of stereotyping and clique-ism can --and has-- hurt.

I am Stage IIB but some DCIS women had more treatment than I did because I had to stop treatment and refused other treatment, so stage is not even indicative of treatment.

It could be that in a few years staging will have very different guidelines. Guidelines already vary slightly by continent. IMO, really and truly, the only distinctions that should be made are: non invasive, invasive and metastaticas far as BC gravity goes. Then you have aggravating factors like triple negativity or mitigating factors like tumor types with better prognoses, but, honestly, it would only make sense to have the ridiculous number of forums by stage that we do in BCO if we were all robots who could be entirely defined by our pathology reports. If we were not individuals with strengths and weaknesses. As it is, we have a laughable number of forums by stages that do not reflect well on us as bickering women, frankly. The forums we have on subject matter or type of treatment are great. 

There is no definitive, clear line between someone who has a 1 cm tumor with 1 node and a 3 cm tumor with four. In human terms - in terms of how much suffering a person can bear - it may even be hard to argue for a difference between DCIS and IBC. Some people wilt at the slightest provocation, while others persevere in the face of seemingly impossible odds. You have DCIS women developing PTSD, and stage III people swallowing hard but moving along. You have DCIS with mastectomy, radiation and Tamoxifen, and Stage II with nothing due to a comorbidity. Generalizations are neither fair nor possible.

I abide by this segregation and rarely venture into threads specified by stage because that is what the general preference is. And you stage III ladies do seem closely knit, which is nice, so I prefer to leave you alone (unless the topic of Zometa comes up :-) ).

It is not, however, predictive in scientific or human terms that if you are of a certain stage you "belong" in x or y place. There may be anger and frustration at a cancer diagnosis, but please let's not take it out on others who may be more in our boat than we know. It is important to show compassion for those in higher AND lower stages.

Because stage 3's get the kitchen sink thrown at them, since I've been on these boards I've seen more stage 1s and 2s go on to mets. Perhaps everyone needs to be treated the same after all! Staging is for treatment purposes. I've seen more stage 0 ladies getting mastectomies than stage 3. I think they're going to realize that cancer, is cancer, is cancer...and has a mind all it's own.

We are here to support each other No matter what stage!  Those without cancer, and read/post on these threads are welcome too! Share the knowledge

Staging is for treatment purposes. I've seen more stage 0 ladies getting mastectomies than stage 3. I think they're going to realize that cancer, is cancer, is cancer...and has a mind all it's own.

Amen.  Staging, as it is right now, is such BS imo.  They use lymph nodes (as if cancer can't spread any other way).  I have met two women staged 1 who were told they were "cured.  Go on live your life.  It will not bother you again."  and now they both have it in their bones....

This is the main reason I wouldn't let them take my axilla.  (Thank you NY Times for posting the study I used to fight for this choice on Feb 8th!!)

They wanted to give me higher odds of LE for a staging system I have seen fail again and again?  NO WAY!  And in my case it didn't change treatment one way or another at all.

Well said Jenny

Kathy, there are no sides....that's kind of the point of the last number of posts. We ALL have breast cancer. Some are more advanced than others, but that is not proving to have any logic in the outcome or risk of recurrence.

I'm new to the Stage III board, having just learned from my BS that 12/28 of my lymph nodes are involved. I came to this board because the February Surgery board was getting depressing, as woman after woman celebrated her node-free status. I was totally happy for them, but I also began to feel increasingly alone. It's hard to read others' posts day after day, entry after entry, and at the end of each post be reminded that you are "worse off."

So if my two cents are worth anything, I agree that it would be nice for this board to be a sanctuary where us Stage III gals can go to not be continually reminded that we are the sickest ladies in the room. Breastcancer.org is a big messaging system with literally tens of thousands of threads to post on. I, for one, would be very grateful if this one could stick to its charter.