Bad news, sad day for me

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Katie00
Katie00 Member Posts: 18
edited April 2015 in Just Diagnosed
Bad news, sad day for me
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  • Katie00
    Katie00 Member Posts: 18
    edited April 2015


    I saw the BS today. He did an ultrasound guided biopsy. I asked him what's the size of the lesion and he said it's almost 2 cm. A week ago it was 1.4 cm x 1.2.  I asked him what stage could that be and he said stage 1 or early stage 2. I'm so scared that it's worst than it is. The biopsy results will be back in few days with the details. He said that I might need Chemo before surgery. Can a mastectomy done before chemo? I just want this breast removed.

    Thank you

     

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited April 2015

    Hi Katie!

    I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis. It is very scary to hear the word "cancer." Of course, a mastectomy can be done before chemo. For years, that was the standard practice. They might offer you chemo before surgery (neoadjuvant) if you have HER2+ cancer or triple negative cancer. You can still opt to have a mastectomy before chemo, but doing chemo first doesn't alter treatment outcomes.

    When I first heard my diagnosis, I just wanted my breast removed, too. But, I got neoadjuvant chemo because my tumor was large and it gave me the opportunity to access Perjeta, the latest targeted therapy for HER2+ cancer. We hoped that chemo would shrink the tumor so I could choose a lumpectomy or a mastectomy. As it turns out, chemo wiped out all of the active cancer that could be detected through MRI, PET scan, and pathology analysis. Best wishes to you!


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  • Trvler
    Trvler Member Posts: 3,159
    edited April 2015

    Hi. I am sorry you have to join our club. We are here to help you so take advantage of us. Usually, you have a little time to think through your options. Many women want the cancer out right now if not sooner and maybe should spend more time researching doctors and treatment plans. Some people rush to have a mx when they might only need a lx because they think it will improve their odds. I sought the opinions of 4 BS's before making up my mind what I wanted to do. Had I gone with the first guy, I most likely wouldn't have gotten it all the first time and had to have a second surgery at minimum. I had ILC which is more like a tree branch as opposed to IDC, which is usually a more defined tumor.

    Do you know if any nodes are positive yet? Do you have a pathology report?

    Do you know what type of cancer? All of this is important because it might change the treatment plan.

    More doctors are recommending neoadjuvant chemo now than in the past. They often can get better surgical outcomes.

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited April 2015

    Neoadjuvant Chemo (Chemo before surgery) is the SOP for one type of BC but is becoming more common with other types. It is to get the mass to form into a lump with IBC, but it also shrinks it and gets better margins for better surgery results.

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  • Katie00
    Katie00 Member Posts: 18
    edited April 2015


    I just had an ultrasound guided biopsy today. The BS said he'll get the results in few days.

     

    Thank you for your replies

     

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