IDC, DHIS, HER2...OMG!

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GLove3776
GLove3776 Member Posts: 3
edited May 2015 in Just Diagnosed

Hi All! I was just diagnosed yesterday with IDC and DHIS. Tumor is measuring about 3 cm and close to my nip. At the age of 39, I had not had a mammogram yet (there is moderate breast cancer risk in my family) and I found it when my daughter fell into my boob and I rubbed it and found a lump. Next day was the doc appt, following day was the mammogram, the next day a biopsy, and now here I am with cancer. It feels pretty unreal.

Tomorrow I get a MRI then I meet with the surgeon on Monday. Do you all recommend that I talk with a couple surgeons, or just the one I was sent to? Or is that more important to get more than one opinion from oncologists? I am totally in the dark about all of this. I am trying to take it one day at a time, but I am a planner and need to start lining up these things or at least do some research so I can start wrapping my head around everything.

Is there anyone out there in the Maryland/DC metro area with good experiences to share about their doctors?

Thanks in advance!!

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited May 2015

    Dear Glove, Welcome to the community. We are sorry that your new diagnosis brought you here but we are very glad that you reached out. While you are waiting to hear from others check out some information on our website about When to get a second opinion. We hope this helps. Stay connected. Keep us posted. We want to hear from you. The Mods

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

    I am sorry you are here. I highly recommend getting at least 2 opinions. My first BS wanted me to get an lx and rads but I have 30 year old breast implants and every single other doctor I talked to said they should come out. Not only did he not recommend getting them out he said they would be fine with rads. No other doctor agreed. He was the one who got the most recommendations. Also, I was concerned that due to my small breasts, the lx would disfigure me. Two other doctors confirmed that it would likely but my concerns were dismissed with the first guy. He said I should be worried about my life, not my appearance. At that point, he staged me as stage 2.

    When I went to the second BS, she did further imaging of the same breasts. She found a + node and more areas of cancer in the same breast, which confirmed my decision to have a mx. Had I gone with the first guy, he would have done the lx and then had to do a mx. Not the end of the world, but my research allowed me to at least skip a surgery.

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

    GLove,

    Are you HER2+? If so, you might not go right to surgery. Many who are diagnosed with HER2+ end up getting neoadjuvant chemo (chemo before surgery). In my case, I met with my surgeon...and then didn't see him again until six months later because I did five months of chemo first. If you are HER2+, there may be more time to shop around for a surgeon than you think.

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  • GLove3776
    GLove3776 Member Posts: 3
    edited May 2015

    Thanks, everyone! Yes, I am HER2 positive. Did that help shrink your tumor?

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

    Yes, neoadjuvant chemo wiped out my tumor and the active cancer in one lymph node. As a result, I was able to have a lumpectomy (BS took golf-ball sized amount of tissue around the surgical marker). I was pleased to have that option because I didn't want to have to deal with reconstruction issues.

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  • rita22
    rita22 Member Posts: 14
    edited May 2015


    I am also HER2 positive but had surgery first.  My tumor was only 3 CM so they didn't need to shrink with chemo.  I just finished 16 rounds of chemo and have started targeted therapy and will start radiation soon.

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  • GLove3776
    GLove3776 Member Posts: 3
    edited May 2015

    Thanks, everyone! I was thinking that 3 cm was still pretty large, but I guess it isn't. Does the MRI always show if it has spread to the lymph nodes? rita22, how did you handle the chemo? Did you have it weekly? ElaineTherese, did they say that there is a higher chance for recurrence with a lumpectomy versus a mastectomy?

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