Please educate me, some confusion

Hi Roxie,

We can help you with the Grade and Stage confusion. Check out the main Breastcancer.org site and the Cell Grade page, and the Stages of Breast Cancer page. Also, there's some good info on Lymph Node Involvement and what that means. In addition, the Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection section can tell you what to expect, what it may show, and what happens with results.

Wish we could help with the Facebook issue! For now, take a deep breath

Hope this helps!

--The Mods

Cancer, unfortunately, doesn't follow a straight line.  You can be  node negative (as I was ) and end up Stage IV (as I am).  You can be Stage IIIc and live for 40 years.  You will find a lot of us say "it's a crapshoot "and that's because it is, there is no rhyme or reason to it.

All those stages do is tell you certain things about your tumor size and where you stand today, and it gives you a hint about your prognosis, but not any guarantee.  

The grade shows how fast and abnormal your cancer cells are - the worst being grade 3.  The faster it grows the higher the chances that it has moved past the breast.

I had a sentinal node biopsy at the time of mastectomy.  (I had to have a mastectomy and not a lumpectomy because I had more than one spot of cancer in several areas of the breast - multicentric and multi-focal).  The plan was to take the sentinal node and biopsy it while I was on the table.  If they found cancer they would remove more nodes until they found pure ones,  and then do the mastectomy.  They took three nodes, found nothing, so just did the rest of the procedure.  I am not sure what they do if they are not doing a mastectomy.

It is not guaranteed you will need chemo or radiation but once you are done with all of your treatment, you are considered NED.  No Evidence of Disease.  You are not considered cured because breast cancer has a way of returning, sometimes even years later.  However, depending on the type of cancer you have, the odds of that happening might be very small. 

Other questions you should ask aside from size, grade, are is your cancer ER+ (does it grow in response to estrogen?)  If so, you will probably be put on an estrogen blocker like tamoxifen.  Is it HER2+?  (It grows in response to a specific protein and there is a treatment for that called herceptin, but it is given in conjunction with chemo).  Can you have a lumpectomy or must you have mastectomy.  What are your options for reconstruction and who is he going to refer you to?

As for your son, that was quite rude that he posted that without your permission.  People do funny things in response to cancer.  I told my boss when I was first diagnosed.  Confidentially.  She announced it at a staff meeting.  I could have gotten her fired for that but I didn't as she was my friend, but it's not good to have the news taken out of your hands.  Anyway, make sure you don't tell anybody you don't trust.

I know one woman who didn't do treatment; she believed in alternative therapies.  I'm sorry to say that she died after 3 years.  She was only Stage 1 too.  Please believe in the dangerousness of what you are going through. That doesn't mean you won't live a long life - most people end up living out their normal lifespan.  Don't give up hope and think you have been given a death sentence because I know people 20 years out.  But, it isn't something that can be ignored.

Chemo/radiation - it's not as bad as you think and it's nothing like the movies.  You may not have to do it but if you do, you can manage it.  I've been on chemo for 2 1/2 years straight and I still go to work every day.

Good luck to you. 

Roxie1,

You will never, ever be a pest here.  This is a place to ask/say anything on your mind.  A place you will always find support.  It was a true lifesaver for me when I was where you are now.

Breast cancer is not one disease. It is very individualized.   All the numbers are confusing.  Basically, yours will come from your pathology report - the microsopic study of your tissue. That information helps your surgeon and oncologist recommend your personal course of care, type of surgery, chemo radiation.  That treatment is based on research of what has proven to decrease your chance of recurrence or spread.  Can there be a "cure"? NED - no evidence of disease - is preferred by the health care community, who are reluctant to promise a cure.  Do keep in mind, there are sure a great many of women who have lived a long long life cancer free after having breast cancer.  

re the Facebook thing:    At 22 you hear "mom has cancer"  and fear the worst.  He may have been reaching out for support - not 'spreading the word".   Your cancer effects everyone important to you.  Sometimes I think my cancer has been harder on my family and friends than it has been on me.  They feel helpless.   Be patient with him.. he needs you..and he's probably worried/anxious about what this all means.    I know my 20 year was.

((((HHUGS )))))) to you.   You will get through this!

Hi,

Sorry to hear all this, and I agree with all the advice.  For me my BS took out the sentinal node during 2nd lumpectomy along with margins he sent it to pathology while I was on the table, it was negative, if it was possitive he would have continued until he got to a clear one.  Ginger M.

Kawee - yes I did have chemo, rads, herceptin and now AI's. 2 lumpectomies.  The tumor size was right on the mark for chemo. Rads was already set for the first cancer which was DCIS, then the 2nd one IDC changed it all to chemo first.  The prevenative Herceptin because of the Her2+ and the A.I.'s for estrogen +++

WOW I didn't know lymphedema could come on so much later after all this? how did it start? how did you find out it was it?

Ginger M.

Kawee, thats good to know, not that you have it but the fact that it can come up later on.  I am all done with all treatments except the Aromasin (5 years to go, well a little less started it in Nov.)  I am feeling so much better now, I couldn't move past the whole diagnosis initially but through therapy I am so much better now, don't dwell on it anymore at all.  I have some side effects but they are bareable, the worse thing is the shoulder/arm/wrist on the surgery side. I always had a little bursitis but this is some much worse and all the time.  I am always taking advil, I am hoping it will get better with time, and I try to stretch it and move it as much as I can, its very tight. The Ortho said if bad I can come back for a shot of (can't think of the name of that drug they give everyone, chemo memory still not good) but anyway, I'm not sure I want to do that yet, will try to wait it out.  I do notice my watch is tighter and my rings, I can't sleep in and I use to be able to.  Oh well, I am happy to hear you are 3 years out, its always hopeful to hear. Ginger M.

Hi kawee - I thought my rings and watch were tighter because of a s.e. from the AI? thats what I read anyway...

Nice chatting with you as well have a wonderful day

Ginger

Hi,

Just started therapy 3 visits. I have exercises to do too. Wondering what the massage is your therapist gave you to do. I don't have a sleeve yet. We will try it out. I was swelling more doing the exercise machines she had me do so we will try a sleeve.

Pretty bad day today. Have to watch the lifting and other stuff. She said no scrubbing, pushing pulling no this and that. Keep moisturizing. So I am doing that too. And no hot baths which I love. Risky are raquet sports, golf anything with sudden forceful action.

Keep hydrated. Use electric shaver.

Watch out for infection. She told me go to dr or ER immediately if infection in my right arm. Infection can spread to tissue and through body quickly. Scared the life out of me.

I hate this whole thing.

Roxie - I agree with others that I think your son was just looking for support. When I told my son I had BC he was devastated and the night before my surgery - I am a lumpectomy he fell apart. He was so scared as was I. I tried, along with my husband, to allay his fears but all they hear is the C word. I remember how frightened I was when my mother was DX many years ago and I was much older than my son is - he is 22. I think BC is a crapshoot and like everyone else we all know women who have lived for + years with Stage 2 and 3 BC and sadly others who died with an earlier stage. You just dont know for sure despite all the stats that say if you have this kind......they dont know either. All we can do is do everything we can to prevent a recurrence and frankly it is in God's hands. I am a worrier so I have to work at it every day to distract my thoughts elsewhere and try not to go into panic mode when I have to have a mammogram. I have had 2 since my DX; so far, so good. I have Stage 2, Grade 1 IDC and on Arimidex. I had a lumpectomy and 33 rads treatments. I have to admit I never considered not going the treatment route of rads or chemo...not for a second. I was too afraid not to. My son has a friend whose mother's bc has spread to her colon. Obviously not a good thing and he is very upset for his friend. Doctors are throwing everything at her. I know you guys dont know her or me for that matter but please pray for her and her son. He is such a nice young man and his heart is breaking.