Wow, so many women in the same boat. So sad.

Hi there. So sorry you are going through this but we all get it. They should be able to tell you about the characteristics of your tumor or what the receptors are. This can tell you how aggressive it is to a certain extent. They won't be able to tell you if it has spread until they biopsy the lymph nodes during whatever surgery you decide on. I know it seems complicated but you will get to be an expert on it. IMO its very important to be treated at a university based teaching hospital. Please feel free to private message me if you want to talk more. Good luck and keep us posted....

Lisbeth,

From the initial biopsy, they can tell what kind of cancer it is. Most breast cancers are invasive ductal carcinoma. They might also know whether or not hormones are feeding the cancer (ER+/PR+), as well as the grade (how quickly the cancer is dividing). But, they won't know whether or not it is characterized by an overexpression of the HER2 protein (which encourages cancer cells to rapidly divide) for awhile. They also won't know whether or not any nodes are affected or whether or not it has spread to another part of your body. If they suspect that the cancer has spread beyond the breast, you may get further scanning (breast MRI and/or PET scan).

You may have three different cancer doctors -- a surgeon, a medical oncologist (manages chemo and hormonal therapy), and a radiation oncologist (manages radiation). Many ladies here interview doctors before settling on a team. Some also have a strong preference for NCI-designated cancer centers. Personally, I was interested in convenience. (I work full-time and have three kids at home.) Essentially, I went with doctors my insurance covered and that were recommended to me by my breast cancer center. All of my appointments were 15 minutes from my home, which proved especially helpful during radiation (when I had to get treatment every day for about six weeks).

Best wishes to you!