Diagnosed with first stage infiltrating duct carcinoma

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truecause
truecause Member Posts: 4
edited July 2016 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

I have HER2 positive breast cancer . It is grade 3 . And I have 2.6cm mass in right breast . We did lymph node biopsy and it came out negative . I am 57 Years old and weight 134 Lb. Pathological reports say inftrating duct carcinoma grade3 asssociated with in situ tumor with areas of comedonecrosis and microcalcification. my onco says chemotherapy is must even if we do mastectomy. Please advise if Mastectomy was done. Is chemotherapy still required?

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited July 2016

    Yes, the mastectomy removes cancer in the breast but chemo and targeted therapy (Herceptin and/or Perjeta) treat the whole body. Even if your nodes are negative upon exam, cells may have escaped and you need to be treated systemically for aggressive Her2+ cancer. Your stats are very similar to mine, although I was node positive, and I am doing fine 5 years later. If you have specific questions, please ask!

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  • truecause
    truecause Member Posts: 4
    edited July 2016

    Thank you SpecialK. would like to know your diet plan. and routine activities...

    God Bless

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  • Kgonz16
    Kgonz16 Member Posts: 6
    edited July 2016
    • I am 34 years old and just diagnosed with invasive Ductal carcinoma. I'm a grade 2/3. The path report from by biopsy of my tumor said there was no evidence of lymphatic involvement. Although, I had an ultrasound that showed a few abnormal looking lymph nodes. I know I am ER - and PR - but still waiting on the path report for the Her2. My oncologist appt is next week. My surgeon said they will definitely start with chemo first.... Is this what is most seen in regards to treatment ?? I am scared out of my mind.
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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited July 2016

    Hi!

    If you are triple negative (ER-PR-HER2-), neoadjuvant (before surgery) chemo is pretty standard. If you are HER2+, neoadjuvant chemo is becoming increasingly common. Both triple negative and HER2+ cancer are aggressive and have high rates of recurrence within a few years of diagnosis if not addressed with chemo and (in the case of HER2+ cancer) targeted therapies.

    I was diagnosed with HER2+ cancer, so I ended up doing five months of chemo and targeted therapy before my surgery. Fortunately, my cancer responded really well. Chemo wiped out all of the active cancer in my breast and compromised lymph node. As a result, I was able to get a lumpectomy rather than a mastectomy.

    If you do end up doing neoadjuvant chemo, your oncologist can "see" (through scans and later, the pathology report) whether or not chemo is working for you. Your lump should shrink if it does. If a particular chemo regimen isn't working for you, your oncologist can always try another regimen.

    Chemo seems really scary, but most women make it through treatment. Some do have to quit due to side effects, but today, oncologists focus on nausea control and addressing side effects so that most women find it tolerable. I worked full-time through chemo; it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

    Best wishes!


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  • Kgonz16
    Kgonz16 Member Posts: 6
    edited July 2016

    Thank you! I feel like there is so much information right now. It's very overwhelming! I'm trying to stay positive but it's just so hard. I appreciate your explanation on the chemo, it does make sense.

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