New here, newly diagnosed

Oh yeah.  Stage refers to how far the disease has progressed while grade refers to the aggressiveness of your cancer cells.  Your stage is very early and the grade is intermediate.  There are three grades and 2 is obviously in the middle.  As you aware, this can all change yet, but it looks like you have an excellent prognosis.

Welcome, lespring!  I just wanted to say that you're one remarkable women - ten kids - grown or not - ten kids?  Wow, God bless you.  Staging has a lot to do with the size of the tumor they found:

Stage 0 - noninvasive, carcinoma in situ

In stage 0, there is no evidence of cancer cells breaking out of the part of the breast in which they started, or of getting through to or invading neighboring normal tissue.

Stage 1 - breast cancer

In stage I, the tumor measures up to two centimeters and no lymph nodes are involved.

Stage 2 - (invasive) breast cancer

In stage II, the tumor measures between two to five centimeters, or the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm on the same side as the breast cancer.

Stage 3 - (locally advanced) breast cancer

In stage III, the tumor in the breast is more than two inches in diameter across and the cancer is extensive in the underarm lymph nodes, or has spread to other lymph nodes or tissues near the breast.

Stage 4 - (metastatic) breast cancer

In stage IV, the cancer has spread beyond the breast, underarm and internal mammary lymph nodes to other parts of the body near to or distant from the breast.

The grades (or characteristics) are as follows:

• Grade 1 (Low grade or well differentiated)
• Grade 2 (Intermediate grade or
  moderately differentiated)
• Grade 3 (High grade or poorly differentiated)

Anyway, welcome to BCO!  Look around and make yourself at home!

LeSpring, I was just recently diagnosed and still have 5 more tests to take (already had about 8), including the most important one, PET, which is at the very end.  

My point being:  I know how you must feel, right now in limbo.  {{{{{Le Spring}}}}}

lespring, 

When you had your biopsy did they do a punch biopsy on your sentinel node? It is all so overwhelming to start. Hopefully, you will not need chemo. 

My lumpectomy was easy, all the pain was from the SNB, cutting through the muscles. Also radiation, is daily & at the end our skin is rashy but still pretty easy compared to chemo.  

Congratulations on the lastest adoption. You must be such a generous person to be so selfless. Let us know how your surgery goes....good luck..oh, you can probably take one of the AIs, Arimidex or Femara. Don't worry about that yet...

Hi lespring,

Welcome! My mother was recently diagnosed and she is now preparing her mind whatever might happened to her.

lespring - Good to hear from you!  Please let us know how it goes tomorrow...