ILC Tumor Size

Butterfly, I had no choice about chemo, since I had positive nodes and stage III. 

Chemo does suck and I can see how it is a real dilemma in your case whether to go for it. I think that in your shoes and knowing what I know now, I would probably skip it, but I would do the BMX and take the AI. I would also consider an ooph. 

What is a luminal B subtype?

I had ILC 8 cm tumor that only showed as 5 cm on MRI. I did chemo and rads and now on tamoxifen. Question-- my onc did not do oncotype scoring on my tumor. Did everyone's do that?

Kayne: the molecular subtype is not taken from oncotype scoring - it is done on ER/PR/HER; nothing to do with tumor size or ILC/IDC. 

 Look at Komen's website: http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/SubtypesofBreastCancer.html

 ER+/PR+/HER2-is usually Luminal A ..... good news!!

The tests depend on the % of receptivity and different people use different %cutoffs to determine positivity. 

Negative does not mean you have a minus score it means not positive (as in 0% - 100%: where 0% means that no cells have hormone receptors and so is completely not positive = negative)

I wish I knew that as well. I would love to know if I'm a or b. If it's the rate of K-67 then what is the break off point? If it is 13.5 which was what I think I read then I'm really close with a 13.

Hi Toomuch and Kira.... As far as I know the absolute minimum cut-off is 14% K-67 for a tumor to be Luminal B but some research takes the cut-off as high as 30%.  I don't know what test my onc ordered if any - he is a researcher also and so he does all kind of things and I am in all kinds of trials/research projects!!! 

Tumors with high K-67 have high proliferation (K-67 is the test for proliferation) -therefore - as far as I understand it ... a tumor that is <5cm, of low grade and/or with small amount of nodes and is ER+ (ie not triple negative) is really unlikely to have a high proliferation. and would thus be Luminal A.

Sian, Thanks for the info, so then I guess I would be luminal A with a K-67 of 13%. It is so hard to figure all this out, and I am 2 years out and still trying. With that being said I still want to know all I can, I guess that's the teacher coming out in me!

Butterflylady, A'sl means estrogen reducing meds and ooph means getting meds to stop your periods.

Butterfly, in my case the ooph means oophorectomy, i.e. having my ovaries out. I had most of the uterus out too, because it had massive fibroids. 

Some women with ER+ cancer have the ovaries out instead of going on tamox. I had them out so that I could go on an aromatase inhibitor (AI) instead of the tamox. I also had them out because there is a family history of both uterine and ovarian cancer, my cancer is lobular and lobular likes ovaries too. 

I am 6 months out from chemo and 3 months out from the ooph. I feel pretty good, hair is back and I am working again and stuff. I am going in next week to get my lungs checked, but that is most likely some after effect of the rads and not serious (I hope). 

MCM, it depends on your stage. For some women an onc will be happy with just the ooph. For me, I had it so I could go on an AI instead of tamox. AIs are no walk in the park either, but the SEs tend to be a bit less severe. I was close to menopause anyway, and I had some other issues that made the ooph a good idea as well.