Feeling anxious on the report of my mom's after her lumpectomy.

Godblessedeveryone · March 2016

Hi everyone, can anyone please explain to me what kind of report are consider as "good" news to us? Regarding to the tumor results from panthalogy. What is it HER2 and nodes positive/negative? What's the possibility of outcomes usually people get after surgery?

I sincerely hope that my mom's report shows that chemotherapy/radiotherapy are not needed for her treatment. My mom keep telling me that she's afraid that she might need to go through all these... I felt so helpless. All I can do is to do research for her, looking for alternatives way in curing cancer.

LisaAlissa · March 2016

Hi Godblesseveryone,

Do you have your Mom's pathology report yet? We can be most helpful once you do. In the meantime, you might like to review pathology reports on the breast cancer.org site. There's a downloadable pamphlet with places to fill in the details of your Mom's report with her doctor.

I can't do a link right now, but I'll come back later if you can't find it.

LisaAlissa

Artista928 · March 2016

Wait till you get her pathology report then post details so we can take a look. Majority of people need chemo and or radiation. It's not a bad thing as it's the only proven life saving treatment currently available. There are NO alternative treatments so don't get sucked into that. There is no cure. The best we all hope for is that we are currently not showing sign of the disease.

What her treatment will be really depends on her pathology report. Take a look at my signature for example. My oncologist went off of this primarily to decide my treatment plan. The thing is I can have the same #s and treatment as another person showing exactly my #s and treatment, and come out with a different outcome down the line. So it's not always the case to say this person looks to be in better shape than me long term. Maybe, maybe not.

Try not to get worried until you have the path report. Then post it what stage and all the details and we can take a crack at what she'll probably be looking at. Again do NOT fall for any alternative treatment. Nothing is better than chemo and/or rads if the path report warrants it. A small # of women don't need either but again it depends on their path report. Make sure your mom has a good oncologist. That's the most important person to make sure is not only good but she trusts and feels comfortable with.

Moderators · March 2016

Hi, Like all the women said, wait until you get the pathology report, and then please read here:

Pathology Report

We have a ton of information at Breastcancer.org that will help you understand this, along with these amazing community members.

Kicks · March 2016

Zhe needs to get a copy of the path. report before jumping to any conclusions as to what her possible TX (treatment) plan is. She needs to meet with her Team (Surgeon, Chemo Dr, Rads Dr) to find out what is the best TX plan for her, her BC type and Stage. For some, surgery is not the best first TX - for othrrs it is - but until the path. report is in, it is unlikely that the best TX plan can be decided on. There is a lot (type of BC, Stage, Grade, ER/PR and HER2 status, age, overall health, etc.) that goes into the total TX plan by the Team that works together for the best outcome.

There is not a one of us that WANTED to go through Chemo or Rads but both are guite doable (though not all have the same experiences with them).

Be very careful about going to 'Dr. Quack Google' for diagnosis and TX plans! There is a lot of great/factual information that can be found there (once there is a diagnosis) but there is a lot of 'wack-a-doodle (bogus) junk' there too. Until the path. report is in there is no actual diagnosis of any type of BC, though it may be highly suspected. There are no 'majik cure' no matter the outlandish claims by some to make money for themselves.

We are each unique thus very different - there is no "One Size Fits All" when it comes to how we individually respond/react. can tell you that in my case my life is as great and active as it ever was 6 1/2 yrs ago when I was DXd IBC at 63.

BarredOwl · March 2016

Godblessedeveryone:

It is nice your mom has you to help her.

Unfortunately, to my knowledge, no "alternatives" or supplements have ever been established by reliable clinical evidence to cure cancer. Obviously, if there were such an alternative or supplement, it would not be a secret, you would not have to research long and hard to find it, and all of us here would be telling you about it and using it as a medication prescribed by our doctors. Please do not waste your time searching for an alternative cure.

Complementary interventions, such as mindfulness, may be very helpful. You may also find mindfulness helpful in dealing with stress and worry as a caregiver.

See e.g., Full Catastrophe Living (Revised Edition): Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness" by Kabat-Zinn and Hahn:

http://www.amazon.com/Full-Catastrophe-Living-Revi...

With lumpectomy for invasive ductal carcinoma (according to another thread estimated pre-surgery to be stage I or II), a course of radiation is quite likely for a woman in her early fifties. Once the pathology is in, you and your mother can ask the radiation oncologist for an estimate of the risk reduction benefit of radiation in her particular case to help you both understand the potential benefit it offers her in terms of reducing her risk of loco-regional recurrence. It may be substantial.

Whether (a) chemotherapy, (b) HER-targeted therapies (e.g., trastuzumab/HERCEPTIN), and/or (c) endocrine therapy (e.g., tamoxifen, an aromatase inhibitor) will be indicated or not will depend on the specific features of her disease determined by pathology and associated tests, including the tumor size, lymph node status, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and HER2 status of her disease. In some cases, additional tests might be indicated and they can inform treatment decisions (e.g., OncotypeDX test for certain types of invasive disease).

Meanwhile, you can download and print the .pdf pamphlet "Your Guide to the Breast Cancer Pathology Report" at the bottom of this page, which may be very helpful to you when the results come in:

http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/get...

You can help your mother a lot simply by spending time with her, listening to her, allowing her to express her fears without discounting them, by going with her to appointments (if possible), taking notes, helping her to understand her diagnosis and the medical advice she receives, and supporting her during any further treatment.

Hoping for the best possible pathology results for your mom.

BarredOwl

Feeling anxious on the report of my mom's after her lumpectomy.

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