Need some food for thought - wrong stage?

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carollyn
carollyn Member Posts: 70
edited June 2014 in Stage I Breast Cancer

I will try and make this short, but need a second pair of eye's and thoughts please.  I have been having issues lately and feel they involve my left remaing nodes as well as those in my neck, have cronic pain as well.  Looking back over my surgical reports (2008) I think I might have missed something perhaps in making my decision to for go tomox.  Bare with me on lab results:

Biospy R breast(performed at different hosp); core nodule at 10 oclock: IDC, tubular type, grade 1 ER/PR +, HER-2/NEU.

Post Op Lab Result: (R): lesion measures 2.5 X 1.5 X 1 cm in greatest dimension and is closet to the anterio-superior resection margin but grossly is the distance of approx. 0.4 from that margin.

The remaining section cassetts were found with fibrocystic disease, sclerosing adenosis, ductal hyperplasia, intraductal papillomas, fibroadenomatous lesions, microcalcifications and radical scar (lumpectomy 1 1/2 years prior).

Left breast negative for carinoma.

(R) 12 lymph nodes neg for malignancy

So real quick, I was not aware that they staged biopsies.  Do they?  I opted out of tomax because I chose BX and doc's told me chances were low.  I had alot of ovarian and cervical probs when young, left ovary gone at 18, cervical IS (5 tumors) at 21, was placed on HRT's as well as fertility (clomid), long time ago before they thought there was a problem.  When I went in for my dye contrast MRI for biopsy a (R) node was annotated, so they never did a SN, just took 16 during surgery.

I guess my question is, do you think these stat's are more than I was led to believe that all is well and good with a BX?  I'm heading back in for a check, as I have what I call ' my new 3rd breast ', a possible fat lump or enlarged lymph area in armpit/side of good left BX.  I pointed it out to BS 1 1/2 years ago before deconstruction (infection) as well as my onco.  They agreed they felt something, but thought it was nothing, it was about the size of a marble then, it has slowly grown to the size of a golfball.  Any responses, especially - been there done that don't worry or ' be thankful for a 3rd breast?????  I guess I am looking for support to put my mind in the right frame of mind.  Thanks....Carol

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  • dlb823
    dlb823 Member Posts: 9,430
    edited May 2011

    Carol, I don't know the answer to your question, but thought I'd stop to bump your thread.  It's really hard not to second guess decisions we make about our treatment, and it's even harder not to let our minds "go there" when something arises now. 

    To answer one of your questions, no, they don't stage biopsies.  They just give a grade for whatever cells they got, which may not be the final assessement, which comes along with staging from the surgical pathology.

    Glad you're getting things checked out, but don't beat yourself up over deciding not to do Tamoxifen.  Recurrences happen with and without it, but hopefully, everything will be B9.

    Please keep us posted on what you find out!  (((Hugs)))    Deanna 

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  • TinaT
    TinaT Member Posts: 2,300
    edited May 2011

    Carol, if it's really nagging you, you could ask if the original tissue is still in the tissue bank.  I was informed after my BXM that the tumor tissue is preserved in wax and can be analyzed for up to 10 years.  Perhaps that wasn't being done in 2008 or perhaps it's just the policy of my particular health system, but I suppose you could ask if it's still possible to run an Oncotype DX on that tissue?

    Hang in there!!!

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