hormone receptor negative

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Mariah2013
Mariah2013 Member Posts: 2
edited June 2014 in DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)

My mom was just diagnosed with solid comedo form high nuclear grade.  She's also ER-/PR-.  I haven't been able to find any information on hormone receptor negative forms of this.  From what I  understand, radiation won't be as effective, if at all effective.  She's already met with a naturopath who specializes in oncology and meets with her oncologist and possibly surgeon next week as well. Does anyone have experience with this form of DCIS?  

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  • redsox
    redsox Member Posts: 523
    edited July 2013

    Hormone therapy will not be effective against the existing cancer so tamoxifen will probably not be prescribed. It does not really affect the effectiveness of radiation. In fact, it will lead to stronger recommendations for radiation since she does not have the hormone therapy option.

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  • ballet12
    ballet12 Member Posts: 981
    edited July 2013

    Surgery and radiation would be the treatment of choice, and would both, most likely be imperative.  The purpose of the surgery is to remove the area of DCIS pathology and to rule out the presence of invasive breast cancer (IDC). The purpose of the radiation is to "kill" any stray DCIS cells that might remain.  The hormonal treatment, when it can be used, is to prevent recurrence.  Each of these treatment modalities serves a different function(s).  What is the size of the pathology?  Also, if she hasn't had surgery yet, the final decision on hormonal receptivity isn't known.  After she has a lumpectomy or mastectomy, the information will be available.  Sometimes they find that the pathology has 5 percept or 10 percent ER positive, which is often enough to go ahead with hormonal treatment, should a person want it.  "Triple negative" invasive breast cancer is very aggressive.  I'm not sure if ER negative DCIS (PR doesn't count as much in the dcis scenario) is also considered very aggressive.  If so, if it were me, I'd go for the conventional treatment (surgery and rads) and do the naturopath in lieu of the hormonal treatment which can't be given. I never heard that radiation is not effective with ER negative DCIS.  You need to meet with a radiation oncologist also.

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  • Mariah2013
    Mariah2013 Member Posts: 2
    edited July 2013

    Thanks Ballet.  It's still such a shock to our family we're just trying to figure out what the next step is.  I talked to my mom and she said the original patho report was what told her she's hormone receptor negative.  They haven't done any DNA testing yet, she's not sure when that will happen.  She was just diagnosed last Monday the 1st.

    She meets the oncologist sometime this week and will talk to a surgeon soon as well.  I don't know if that's this week or not.  The naturopath is more for nutrition I believe.

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  • ballet12
    ballet12 Member Posts: 981
    edited July 2013

    Best of luck to you and your family in this journey.

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