My dad has just been diagnosed with breast cancer.

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Sloopymom
Sloopymom Member Posts: 5
edited June 2014 in Male Breast Cancer

Hi,

My 67 year old dad has been diagnosed with breast cancer and I really need someone to discuss this with. It is DCIS, stage III, 5cm, with, according to MRI, 1 lymph node involved.  He is undergoing 4 rounds of chemotherapy, 3 weeks apart; followed by surgery and finally radiation. His team of doctors say that his prognosis is good.  One doctor told him that once he does chemo, surgery and radiation, that will be the end of it (expect for taking a medication for 5 years (not sure of the name)).

If someone is out there pls write back, it would really help.

Thx :)

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  • J9W
    J9W Member Posts: 395
    edited January 2012

    Hi,  getting this news sucks but with DCIS, you have time to research and find out what's to come. I too had DCIS, grade 3. Wait a minute, did the report say Grade III and not Stage III?  I didn't do any chemo nor radiation because I had a mastectomy. There will be plenty of more people along soon - and most likey some of the guys will chime in which might really help your dad.

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited January 2012

    Hi Sloopymom,

    We're sorry to hear about your dad. But we're happy you found us!

    You'll definitely be hearing from some helpful folks shortly. In the meantime, you may find it helpful to check out the main Breastcancer.org site and the Male Breast Cancer section.

    Hope this helps!

    --The Mods

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  • rachelvk
    rachelvk Member Posts: 1,411
    edited January 2012

    I'm sorry to hear about your dad, but it's good that treatment is getting underway. I'm sure you'll get some good information and support from others in your situation as well as from guys with BC. 

    My dad has had a lump since last January - a mammogram indicated it was nothing, but he has been very nervous since I was dx'd in August and tested positive for the brca gene (his test is pending). He just had a biopsy that came back negative, which is a huge relief, but I'm sure he'll keep watching it.

    I wish you and your family the best. I don't know if the guys do their own groups, but feel free to check in some of the previous chemo or radiation threads for tips on how to prepare and deal with the SEs. There is a lot of good information there. 

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  • steelrose
    steelrose Member Posts: 3,798
    edited January 2012

    Hi Sloopymom... Your post touched me because my Dad was diagnosed at 67 with male bc. He did surgery, chemo, radiation, and was prescribed Tamoxifen for 5 years. Male breast cancer is rare, as you probably know, but thankfully people are talking about it now and are much more aware! There are some wonderful guys here that are very knowledgable and helpful. And there are also family members of male bc patients who are struggling with the same things you are.

    Feel free to pm me if you have any particular questions that I may or may not be able to answer! But please know that you and your Dad aren't alone... 

    All the best,

    Rose.

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  • Del11
    Del11 Member Posts: 944
    edited January 2012

    I'm sorry I don't have any advice about your dad, but I wanted to suggest that you look into genetic counseling for yourself. Male breast cancer, at any age, is often an indicator of a BRCA mutation in the family. A certified genetic counselor can advise you on your personal risk, testing options, etc.

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  • Sloopymom
    Sloopymom Member Posts: 5
    edited January 2012

    Thanks so much to all of u :). Steelrose, I will be sending you an email real soon, means a lot to me.

    Jeskachi, I have an appointment tomorrow regarding my getting tested. Thank u though for making sure I knew about this. I'm still in shock and so scared for my dad, I know he will be ok and I have to be positive, but I'm still a wreck...my parents just told us on January 1st :(

    Thanks again everyone.

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  • sweatyspice
    sweatyspice Member Posts: 922
    edited January 2012

    I think something is wrong with your understanding of his diagnosis.  DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) is stage 0, there would be no node involvement and no chemo.  Are you sure he doesn't have IDC (invasive ductal carcinoma)?  My hunch is that the acronym got mixed up somewhere along the line. 

    I'm so sorry he has to go though this. 

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  • MJLToday
    MJLToday Member Posts: 2,068
    edited January 2012

    I'm so sorry to hear about your Dad.  I agree, someone must have given him some bad info along the way, it sounds like he has invasive ductal carcinoma, not DCIS (ductal carcinoma insitu).  These terms are all so confusing.

     I'm glad his doctors say his prognosis is good.  Most people, men and women, do very well after a breast cancer diagnosis.  However, I always hate to hear someone be told that that after initial treatment, "that will be the end of it."    Realistically, there is always the chance of a recurrence down the line.  Just so you know, not to make you paranoid or anything.  I'm sure his oncologist or primary care doctors will need to monitor him for any possible future problems.

    Again, best wishes to your family during this hard time. 

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  • Sloopymom
    Sloopymom Member Posts: 5
    edited January 2012

    I'm still confused w the terms....all I know is 1 lymph node is involved. I know he will be monitored for the rest of his life and now so will me and my siblings.

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  • steelrose
    steelrose Member Posts: 3,798
    edited January 2012

    DCIS means that it is confined to the breast area. After that I'm not sure exactly how they define the Stages... however, it would seem that if one lymph node is involved, your Dad does not have "DCIS," but probably IDC. It's all very confusing, especially at the beginning when you're trying to wrap your brain around everything. For me, it took months before I could get beyond the word "cancer." One day at a time... you will find great support here.

    Love to you and your family...

    Rose. 

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  • lbrewer
    lbrewer Member Posts: 766
    edited January 2012

    Sloopymom,

    Please check out www.thtptf.com  if your dad or his parents were ever stationed at Camp LeJeune with the US Marines.

    (The Few, The Proud, the Forgotten)

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  • EricV
    EricV Member Posts: 64
    edited January 2012

    Sloopymom,  {edit spelled your name right,sorry about that}

    Hello, i am sorry that your here, but you will find that everyone on here is great!

      I am a 36 yr old male with Stage IV BC.  While i may not have the exact same diagnosis as your dad, i understand what he is going through.  if he or you would like to talk, just PM me.

     i will write more later, im up too late, and chemo brain is worse at night, but wanted too make sure you saw this.

    Eric 

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  • Sloopymom
    Sloopymom Member Posts: 5
    edited January 2012

    So sweet of you. The chemo is very hard for my dad. He can't sleep at night and his feet hurt real bad :(

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  • EricV
    EricV Member Posts: 64
    edited January 2012

    So I am on Abraxane and Xgeva.  I was having foot pain and muscle pain, which turned out to be neuropothy.  I wsa given Gabapentin (Sizeure Medicine) and that made  a world of difference, I could walk down the hall without wanting to take a pain med. 

    The sleeping issue was resolved by ativan (sp??) and finally coming to terms with the cancer.  Most of my sleepless nights was due to stress about the cancer.

    I found that drinking water, lots of water, also helped me feel a  little better as well.

     Tell your dad, I wish him well.  If he wants to talk I am available.

    Eric

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  • ssydor
    ssydor Member Posts: 11
    edited January 2012

    Hello, sorry to hear about your father.  It is not news anyone wants to hear!

    It is a tough go, but he'll get through it.  I just passed the 1 year anniversary of my diagnosis.  I had a mastectomy, and 6 rounds of chemo.  I am now on Tamoxifen for the next 5 years.

    The surgery wasn't too bad, the chemo sucked!  But everyone reacts different.  The tomaxifen took me a while to get used to... but it is a piece of cake compared to chemo.

    The whole thing is starting to seem like a distant memory now.

    Hang in there. 

    Give me a shout if you have any questions.  I am not a doctor by any means, but I am a male who just went through what your father is going through less than a year ago.

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  • 1rarebird
    1rarebird Member Posts: 91
    edited January 2012

    Sloppy--

    This is a tough diagnosis you father has received.  He is in for some rough times but he will get through it sooner than you fear. As only 2 years your father's junior and having received much of the treatments planned for him, I can offer you and him encouragement that he will start to feel much better in time. One thing that I have learned from my experience with male breast cancer is that in 2012 we are so much more lucky to have today's treatments available to us than even a decade ago and our prognosis usually is much better than we initially think when hearing the bad news. Learn as much as you can about his particular kind of breast cancer and talk at length with your doctors about the treatment plan.  There is a lot that can be done and hoped for.

    Best of luck to you both.

     bird

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  • Sloopymom
    Sloopymom Member Posts: 5
    edited January 2012

    Thx to Ssydor and 1rarebird for ur words of encouragement :) this is sooooo tough, but I know he will get thru it.

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  • Larry44
    Larry44 Member Posts: 53
    edited January 2012

    Hi Sloopymom,

    I've been through the course.   Chemo is tough but effective.    I was diagnosed April 2004, had lumpectomy, chemo, radiation, and 5 years of Tamoxifen.   I have had no sign of breast cancer after my origional treatment.    So, it is possible for bc in men to be successfully treated.  2004 was a really bad year for me, I understand what your dad is going through.

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  • Charles_Pelkey
    Charles_Pelkey Member Posts: 182
    edited March 2012

    Hi Sloopymom,

    I, too, have been through the whole thing, although only recently. I found a lump on my chest in July of last year and went straight to the doctor because I have a family history (my uncle died of breast cancer that had spread to his lungs). Unlike some of the other men here, my doctor took it very seriously and I had what they graciously called a "man-o-gram" within hours. I was in surgery within a week. I had a lumpectomy and then, because the margins were not entirely clear, a double mastectomy. Four months' worth of chemo and I appear to be on the road to recovery. From the sounds of it, your father's diagnosis is quite similar to mine. The treatment is not pleasant, but it is entirely do-able.
    Please let him know that there are other men out here who have gone through - or are going through - what he is facing. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. 

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