Stage 1A. With aches on my tommy, ears, head, neck,

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Anonymous
Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
edited September 2016 in Just Diagnosed
Stage 1A. With aches on my tommy, ears, head, neck,
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  • JOANWILL55
    JOANWILL55 Member Posts: 10
    edited August 2016

    I just had my lumpectomy, within a month after I discovered a lump on my breast. I have been having sore throat for about a month (started even before the lumpectomy). This is not me, who had been very healthy before my cancer starts.

    I also feel aches all over my body. The could be because I am stressed out. Who would not be while falling from the pinnacle of health to the abyss of cancer? I fear that the cancer has spread. My oncologist ordered an abdominal CT scan - but she said the MRI did show my liver with a cyst, and it probably is not cancer. On the other hand, if it s, she will change my current treatment plan - which is 6 chemos in 18 weeks, then 6 weeks radiation, then a year's Hercepin, and five year's endocrine.

    My concern is, CT scan is so much radiation. Do I want a head and neck CT scan instead of an abdominal CT scan given that most pains are in my head, neck and throat?

    I heard many stories about BC advancing to higher stages. How was the spread of discovered? By patients' feelings? By blood test? CT scan? MRI?

    Please share your experience and opinions. Thanks.

    Joan

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  • Hopefloatsinyyc
    Hopefloatsinyyc Member Posts: 211
    edited August 2016

    Joan, your profile does not show your stats and DX so it may be difficult for others here to offer insight. If you update that and make it public I am sure more will assist. It seems your treatment plan is quite intense compared to some others with stage 1... Does this mean you are a higher grade? Or Her2+?

    It is far more likely that the pains you are feeling are related to stress and worry than matastes. I am presuming you were only recently diagnosed?

    Try not to panic.... I know -easier said than done.

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  • JOANWILL55
    JOANWILL55 Member Posts: 10
    edited August 2016

    Hi. Yes. Thanks for the advice. I have updated my profile.

    I don't know if I have IDC or DCIS. My diagnosis is really hard to read. It says,

    Histologic Type: Invasive ductal carcinoma.

    Ductal Carcinoma In-Situ, high grade. solid type, margin free.

    Total Score: G3: high combine histologic grade, unfavorable (8 points).

    DCIS: high grade. % of total tumor area: 5%%.

    What does %% mean?

    My oncologist said the change of recurrence is 30%. I believe her. I have done everything possible: strenuous workout 7 hours a week, extremely healthy diet (high fiber, low fat, low sodium). And I have good family genes (both my parents and their families have longevity, and no cancers.) My last mammogram was Sep. 2015, and it says calcification and 'extremely dense breasts'. I touch and feel my breast everyday (although I may not do a very thorough exam.) This tumor almost popped out overnight.

    This whole thing happened so sudden that it's almost like I got some curse (an infection) or some trauma caused my cell mutation.



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  • BarredOwl
    BarredOwl Member Posts: 2,433
    edited September 2016

    Hi JOANWILL55:

    I had some family history, but it had skipped a generation. I was very healthy and also was surprised by my diagnosis.

    You mentioned your current treatment plan "which is 6 chemos in 18 weeks, then 6 weeks radiation, then a year's Hercepin, and five year's endocrine."

    HER2 Status:

    HERCEPTIN (trastuzumab) is used for HER2-positive (HER2+) invasive breast cancer. Please check your pathology report for your HER2 status. You may see results from an immunohistochemistry ("IHC") test for HER2, with a result of "3+" (IHC positive), or from an in situ hybridization ("ISH") test for HER2 (e.g., "FISH").

    If the IDC is HER2-positive (HER2+), please update your profile from HER2- to HER2+.

    IDC plus DCIS:

    It looks like you have IDC along with DCIS, which is quite common. Ductal carcinoma in situ ("DCIS") is an in situ or "non-invasive" disease, meaning it is entirely enclosed within the walls of the duct and has not invaded the surrounding breast tissue or stroma. Typically, the local treatments (surgical excision and radiation) for the IDC will address the DCIS as well, assuming adequate margins (distances from the DCIS to edge of lumpectomy sample).

    The features of the IDC and DCIS may differ, and should be separately reported in the complete pathology report.

    - Grade, ER and PR status are typically determined for the DCIS.

    - Grade, ER, PR, and HER2 status are determined for the IDC.

    - The "margins" relative to the DCIS and to the IDC in the lumpectomy should be separately reported.

    Explanation of "margins" from this site: http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/margins

    Complete Pathology Report:

    If your pathology report is just a paragraph or two, it is probably only a summary. Such summaries are not very complete and introduce a risk of error, due to summarizing and possible transcription error.

    Please be sure to request complete copies of the pathology reports from all biopsies and surgeries, and all associated tests, for your review and files.

    Scans:

    If you are actually ER+ PR+ HER2+ or "triple-positive", the best place to ask your question about scans is the "Triple-positive Group", which can be found here:

    https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/80/topics/764183?page=1007#post_4793662

    Best,

    BarredOwl

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