Invasive Ductal Carcinoma - age 36.... oh crap!!

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Tam178
Tam178 Member Posts: 34
edited June 2014 in Just Diagnosed


Well, my 99% certainty from the radiologist doing the biopsy was correct... I have Invasive Ductal Carcinoma and now have an appointment with a surgeon Dr Weekes at Ottawa Womens Breast Health Centre on Monday 9th Dec...


Although I'd known already really, I was hanging on to the positive 1%...


They said they plan to do all the receptor tests after surgery not on the biopsy sample (is that normal??)


Still waiting on the MRI results to confirm if this is isolated or not - since I'm young the mammo & u/s could easily have missed something.


My biopsy site is very pretty coloured with the bruising and it really feels like I'm getting a frozen shoulder - trying to do lots of arm exercises, but I'm exhausted from not sleeping!


Not sure what the next 6 months are going to look like - seems that most people with IDC end up doing chemo and very torn on whether I want to go straight for Mastectomy... no family history of BC.... oh the dilemas!


Thanks for "listening" to my ramblings... oh and I fell on some ice outside my work this morning and have a bruised hip, elbow and knee now...:S

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  • Ridley
    Ridley Member Posts: 634
    edited December 2013


    Hi Tam178. Sorry your results came back positive. Re your question about receptor tests, they did not do those for me until surgery (I'm in Toronto) I did know the grade of the cancer (or an estimate) from the biopsy based on how it was described (eg well differentiated is low grade, poorly differentiated is high grade, etc.).


    After surgery,if your receptors come back positive for estrogen and negative for HER2, they will probably send off for an oncotype test, which will tell you how your tumor responds to chemo. If you have a low score, often chemo is not recommended


    There are lots of threads on lumpectomy vs, mastectomy on the board, so I would encourage to read them as you think this through. Often women assume that they won't have radiation if they have a mastectomy and while that is often true, sometimes radiation is still required if your have lymph nodes involved or the tumor is close to the chest wall.


    There are lots of women from Ottawa on the boards. Post in the Calling all Canadians thread as a start to find them.


    Good luck. Post as you have questions/comments and someone will help. Hope your bruises from the fall feel better. One last thing -- if you are not in the habit of getting copies of your test results ( e.g. Pathology reports, etc), I would start now and put them all in a binder. Its easy to forget what the doc says and nice onto be able to go back and read the report of have it for another doc.


    Ridley

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  • ziggypop
    ziggypop Member Posts: 1,071
    edited December 2013


    Tam, Very sorry about your diagnosis. It is a shock even when you are quite 'sure' that it's coming. I wouldn't think too much about the next six months for now - the first thing my oncologist said to me is that we should real call it breast cancerS since there are so many different kinds and so many factors that go into determining treatment. Right now you just don't have enough to go on. They often wait on a number of factors (grade, receptor status) until the surgery because the biopsy is a small sample. It sounds like you are being well cared for. Many, many hugs.

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  • Ramey
    Ramey Member Posts: 13
    edited December 2013


    I just joined this site because I too was just diagnosed stage 1 BC.


    Very uncertain and scared about everything. My surgeon suggested


    Lumpectomy and that was done last week. Going back in tomorrow


    For second surgery to get cleaner margins. I meet with oncologist


    Next week. My surgeon told me that there were no differences in


    Outcomes whether you choose lumpectomy or mastectomy, so


    I decided on the lesser . Hoping I made the right choice and I hope


    You can too!!!!

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  • Tam178
    Tam178 Member Posts: 34
    edited December 2013


    Well a good start to the weekend - my family doctor phone to give me the MRI results - all clear except for the one lesion that was biopsied!!! :D It sounds strange to say that I'm "so happy", but given the last few weeks, it really is GOOD news!!


    Fingers crossed any further tests show including node dissections that this hasn't spread yet, even with the invasive diagnosis... Guessing it will still mean chemo, but may be less aggressive??


    Have a good weekend everyone!

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  • TessaW
    TessaW Member Posts: 231
    edited December 2013


    Hi Tam,


    I was diagnosed with IDC too. Is yours ER/PR + ?


    My nurse said that it doesn't necessarily mean that you'll need chemo. I was dx in Sept. and have a BMX scheduled for Jan 7th. No mention of chemo at this point. You may not need it !

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  • Theresaxo
    Theresaxo Member Posts: 5
    edited December 2013


    I was 43. diagnosed 2 1/2 years ago..Scary as hell..My youngest was 4, no family history..I came back low oncotype, estrogen pos..No chemo but 33 days of radiation and am on tamoxifen..It all is so much to deal with.

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  • ziggypop
    ziggypop Member Posts: 1,071
    edited December 2013


    Tam - Glad to hear about your MRI results, one step at a time. It's surprising how our definition of 'good news' changes after a breast cancer diagnosis - it's a good reminder that all things are relative. (hugs) and hope you can relax over the weekend.


    Remey - Glad you found this site, but sorry that you have to be here. With the lumpectomy, they will also want to do radiation which is not bad for most people.You might also want to check in with those people who are HER-2 + and see what they know about what you can expect coming up. I hope that you are recovering well from the surgery. Please keep coming back and ask questions when you need to - the women around here have a wealth of information.


    Tessa - Generally speaking they won't tell you if you need chemo or not until after surgery. If it turns out that you don't have nodes involved, then you might be able to forgo it in favor of rads and hormonal treatment. It's a little different for everybody. Here's hoping that you don't have to go through it, but know if you do, you'll have the strength to cope. And there is a wealth of info here that will help you do that.

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  • IllinoisNative
    IllinoisNative Member Posts: 125
    edited December 2013


    I was also diagnosed at 36 with IDC three years ago. Now I'm doing great. Now, I'm not going to lie, the first year was rough but it more emotionally draining than anything physical (xanax helped!!!). I had surgery first, fertility treatments, chemo, then radiation. My doctor told me I needed chemo for three reasons: my age, the size of my tumor (4 cm), and the aggressiveness of my tumor (Grade 3). I handled chemo relatively well. I was in fairly good shape, had no other medical issues, and was young. I also handled fertility treatments and radiation well. I was also lucky that I had no node involvement. While none of it was fun, it was totally doable. I'm very sorry you have to go through this. :(


    I chose a lumpectomy with radiation for a few reasons. One, I was really attached to my breasts despite the fact that they were clearly trying to kill me...lol. Seriously, though, I liked them. They weren't too large or too small. Two, I didn't want to lose feeling in my breasts. Three, the outcome was the same with lumpectomy with radiation as it was with mastectomy. Four, I didn't have the time to take from work for the recovery it would have taken for the mastectomy. I mean, I would have taken the time if I had to but financially it would have been much more difficult. Five, once they are gone they are gone...as opposed to a mastectomy which I can always have at a later date should circumstances change. Six, recovery. After everything I was going through, I wanted an easier option. A lumpectomy was a piece of cake. A Mastectomy is so much more involved...more time, more appointments, more pain, more help, more money. I don't regret my decision. I just have a slight indent in my left breast from where the tumor was and my scars are barely noticeable. I'm happy with my decision and the results.


    Whatever you decide or whatever your options are, it will be the right decision for you. Good luck on your journey.

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  • lintrollerderby
    lintrollerderby Member Posts: 483
    edited December 2013


    I'm sorry you are here, but glad you have found us. I was diagnosed in 2011 at age 34 and had no family history of breast cancer. I would strongly recommend genetic counseling and BRCA testing even with a lack of family history. I learned I was positive for a BRCA1 mutation and it can certainly impact the decisions you make regarding treatment approaches.


    Wishing you the best.

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  • ladydi950
    ladydi950 Member Posts: 8
    edited December 2013


    hi I also am newly diagnosed and was expecting the biopsy result to be positive even tho there was a small chance of the radiologist being wrong. I have a dr appt on Wednesday to discuss the treaent options. So many things to think about and I am worried about all the medical bills and how I will handle work they all of this. I diagnosed with IDC but that is all I know. From what I am reading it is a rough ride but a lot depends on type of cancer.

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  • AndreaJ50
    AndreaJ50 Member Posts: 889
    edited December 2013


    Tam178 and Ladydi950 welcome aboard! I was recently diagnosed, so I understand what you are feeling now. I will give you the same advice I was given by many ladies whose journey started before ours; Breath!!


    It is overwhelming at first, and scary. But it is unbelievable how many people will reach out to help you along. Take the help that they offer, and someday you will help others.


    Ladydi950, I too opted for a lumpectomy, for the same reasons that you stated. I also hope it is the right choice. Baby steps.


    Looks like we are starting this journey together. Hugs to you both!


    (PS Tam178 I am Canadian too, but living in USA)

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