newly diagnosed with Stage 1 after 4 path reviews

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dancetrancer
dancetrancer Member Posts: 4,039
edited June 2014 in Stage I Breast Cancer

Well, well I'm now officially Stage I.  T1A according to my oncologist - 3 mm IDC found amongst my extensive DCIS, but this was after 4 different facilities reviewed my slides (I was getting additional opinions on need for radiation due to close margins bilaterally).  The last facility decided to put my case to the tumor board, and this is when the multiple eyes discovered a very small area of IDC in my slides. 

So, almost 4 months after a BMX, I am now told I actually have Stage I IDC.   

I was told I should go on Tamoxifen, which I will do.  So, any other questions I should be asking since I'm all new to the Stage I world???

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  • SheChirple
    SheChirple Member Posts: 954
    edited January 2012

    IDC, as opposed to DCIS, makes future chances of recurrence and lymph node involvement more likely.

    Was a SNB completed at the time of your BMX?  If not, that should be done now.  Clear nodes are good.

    IDC also means it is more important to have clear margins, and more important to get that radiation if margins are questionable.

    My humble opinion.  Take your medical advice from the specialists.

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  • dancetrancer
    dancetrancer Member Posts: 4,039
    edited January 2012

    Yes, 3 nodes were taken at the time of SNB on the L, where the IDC has now been diagnosed.  (None were taken on the R, b/c we did not know I had cancer there until after the path came back from the BMX.)  The 3 nodes on the left were all negative.  

    I believe the close margins are still all DCIS only, but I am waiting to talk further with the doc today about that to be sure.

    Thank you for your response.  

    They have not recommended chemo.  What tips the scale to make them recommend chemo in some cases and not in others?   (Uh, not that I want chemo...but I've learned I need to question my docs since things obviously get missed/overlooked.)

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  • momof3boys
    momof3boys Member Posts: 896
    edited January 2012

    Did they order Oncotype testing? That will help you and them decide about chemotherapy.

    Are they going to test the nodes on the other side?

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  • dancetrancer
    dancetrancer Member Posts: 4,039
    edited January 2012

    I don't know about the Oncotype - I will ask - thank you!

    The other side is DCIS (small focus, 2 mm) and pleomorphic LCIS, so no, no nodes to be tested (they didn't do an SNB at time of MX b/c we didn't have any signs of cancer on that side prior to surgery).  I did have a mammo done AFTER mx which showed one suspicious calc on that side but we held off on biopsy b/c I was so small they didn't think they could find it with the mammo/wire localization/stereo.  Now that I've had my 2nd fat grafting the breast is larger, and we will be doing a biopsy on that side in a few weeks (need to heal a bit more first).  

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