Recently Diagnosed - Help!

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Celand
Celand Member Posts: 264
edited November 2016 in Just Diagnosed

Hi, recently diagnosed - pathology report:

Left Breast, Stereotactic Core Biopsy of Mass:

Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, Moderately Differentiated (Nottingham II, Tumbles - 3, Nuclear Score-2, Mitotic Score-1, Measuring at least 0.4 CM.

No Lymphovascular Invasion Identified

Ductal Carcinoma In Situ, Solid and Cribriform Patterns (Intermediate Nuclear Grade) with Rare Calcifications and Without Necrosis

Comment: Breast receptors have been ordered and will be reported separately.

Very scared - have appointment with surgeon next week. Radiologist says that I am excellent candidate for lumpectomy and radiation because it is small, but I am afraid of it returning, any thoughts appreciated.

Thank you.

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  • Luckynumber47
    Luckynumber47 Member Posts: 397
    edited October 2016

    Hi Celand, so sorry you find yourself here. Getting a diagnosis like that is just the pits, isn't it? I understand the scared part. This whole thing is terrifying. Trust me, it gets better. Once you have your whole treatment plan worked out and the surgery behind you, you'll feel more in control again.

    From what you've posted it sounds like you've got the kind of tumor that is the most treatable. My dr called it the good old garden variety cancer, cancer with a small c, slow growing and it sounds like yours is very small. All good things.

    Can't help you decide between lumpectomy/radiation vs mastectomy. That's a completely personal decision and you will have to do some soul searching to decide what is best for you.

    Be sure to take someone with you to your appointment with the surgeon to write down all the information. It can be pretty overwhelming.

    I hope you'll come back and share with us as things move along.

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited October 2016

    Hi Celand,

    We want to send you a warm welcome to the community forums.

    Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but we're really glad to see that you found the community and decided to reach out to others.

    We have some information on the main site here on IDC in the link below:

    IDC

    You can also check out the forum below to connect with others with the same diagnosis to share experiences and knowledge.

    IDC Forum

    Let us know if you have questions or comments at any time by sending us a private message.

    Wishing you well

    The Moderators.

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  • Celand
    Celand Member Posts: 264
    edited October 2016

    Hi and Thanks to all who have responded so far.

    The doctor who diagnosed me kept stressing that my mass was very small and that it was definitely treatable. She said that I was ideal candidate for lumpectomy and radiation. They made me an appointment with a surgeon, which is Monday, Oct. 24. The oncology nurse was very nice and helpful - she actually talked with me a long time after the doctor left and had a binder already prepared for me - they also made me an appointment with a surgeon.

    Not sure what this appointment will entail other than scheduling my surgery (the breast center has already sent my medical records to him).

    We will find out more once surgery is done and what direction my treatment will be.

    I will post more as my journey progresses. I do like reading forums on my particular diagnosis - makes it seem less terrifying. It seems that mammogram is catching more breast cancers at earlier stages when you have more options available.

    I feel fortunate in many ways, I live in a supportive community with many resources available, as well as understanding boss, co-workers (I have worked at same job for 20+ years and have many sick leave hours), also have good medical insurance.

    Things have happened in a whirlwind for me - I went in Oct 12 for what I thought was a routine screening mammogram that turned into a diagnostic mammogram after radiologist saw the tiny mass on my left breast. She could not get a sample thru ultrasound biopsy, so they set me up to do a sterotactic biopsy (which was horrible but I did get through it) - what I thought would take an hour ended up taking three hours! But I am so glad that I didn't wait to schedule my biopsy the next week like the doctor suggested (my line of thought was, no, I am here now, so lets get this done.

    Anyway, I received my diagnosis Oct 17, the Monday following the biopsy. I feel so fortunate that mine has been caught early and I want to remain positive (although I have been going back and forth emotionally as I have let certain family and close friends know).

    Glad to have found this online community and I will share my journey like so many others - hope to be just as helpful.

    Will post more as my story unfolds.

    Celand

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  • Celand
    Celand Member Posts: 264
    edited November 2016

    OK had post-op appointment with surgeon today, healing fine. I was told that my 2nd pathology report looks good - my final dx is:

    Left Breast Lumpectomy:

    Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, Well Differentiated (Bloom-Richardson Grade 1), 0.8 cm

    Margins Clear.

    (ER, PR and HER2-NEU studies were performed on prior biopsy, but results were not in yet)

    Also mentions DCIS being present.

    Next step is an appointment with medical oncologist and radiation oncologist. On this 2nd biopsy, my IDC was downgraded from 2 to 1 but size was larger (from 0.4 cm to 0.8 cm)

    Is it common for tumor to be downgraded from 1st biopsy to 2nd biopsy?

    Guess that I won't know more until my hormone status test results are in as from what I have been reading will determine my course of treatment.


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  • 123JustMe
    123JustMe Member Posts: 385
    edited March 2018

    Hi Celand,

    Your DX sounds almost identical to mine but I did not have DCIS in the mix. Pathology reports do vary from biopsy reports because they have a larger sample to look at. Tumors are heterogeneous.

    I had a lumpectomy, radiation, and now am on hormonal therapy. Doing well. I am sure you will too

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  • Celand
    Celand Member Posts: 264
    edited November 2016

    123JustMe,

    Just trying to make sense of things - this still all seems surreal to me from dx to present - I thought we would find out today the hormone status of my IDC / DCIS with the 2nd pathology report.

    Good to know of someone with similar dx to mine, glad to hear that you are doing well!

    Thank you for responding to my post.

    Celand

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  • mustlovepoodles
    mustlovepoodles Member Posts: 2,825
    edited November 2016

    Celand, your path report looks very good. Your tumor is still quite small, less than 1cm, and the cells are well-differentiated.  It is not uncommon to find DCIS and IDC in the same area.  The treatment will be based on the IDC, rather than the DCIS, by the way.  Unless you get some kind of complete bizarre surprise, it looks like LX and radiation might be the way to go (studies show that LX, plus rads, has equal or better outcomes to BMX.)

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  • Celand
    Celand Member Posts: 264
    edited November 2016

    OK, I am slowly finding out more information regarding my breast cancer. As I noted below, after visiting with the medical oncologist yesterday, I found out that my tumor is ER+/PR+/HER2-. My menopausal status is presently unknown, because I was on a progesterone only (mini pill) BC pill for a number of years and my gynecologist had mentioned to me at my last appointment that I needed to pick a day to just discontinue taking them, which I had originally planned for Jan 1. But now that I have stopped taking them and had a period a couple of weeks ago, I am going to have to wait a few more weeks before she can order a blood test that will tell us whether I have gone through menopause (she told me that BC pills mask menopause symptoms).

    The medical oncologist told me that hormonal therapy would depend on my menopausal status. However, we still don't know whether or not chemotherapy will benefit me, we are waiting on results of Oncotype testing that he ordered yesterday. That takes 10 to 14 days, he thinks that my score will be low - I am hoping that he is right.

    How accurate is this Oncotype test in predicting recurrence of cancer? I know that radiation and hormone therapy will be a must in my situation, but was really wanting to skip chemo if at all possible.

    Celand

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  • SSInUK
    SSInUK Member Posts: 245
    edited November 2016

    this is a horrible shock - we all know it - but there's EVERY reason to believe you're going to be totally fine, honestly. Its terrifying to have your life threatened - but I f you have to have breast cancer, yours is the type to choose! Deep breaths - soon this will be an experience to look back on. I hope It will give you a warm and empathetic sisterhood and a new relish for every day of the healthy life you will get back. Meanwhile be very kind to yourself and lean on friends and family for all the love they want to give you. Good luck x

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  • Profmom1
    Profmom1 Member Posts: 4
    edited November 2016

    Hi, all

    I was diagnosed with stage 1 this past Monday after a routine mammogram found a lump. The lump is 12mm right near the nipple.I think the diagnosis was a bit of a surprise for the surgeon. I had the MRI yesterday, but the doctor is out for the holiday next week, so I won't see him until 11/28. I was okay--tense but okay--until the MRI yesterday when I had a meltdown there. I am terrified of the MRI finding something else.

    Maybe this sounds childish, but I am pissed as hell and just want somebody to say that I am not going to die. How do I deal with these feelings? Are they normal?


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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited November 2016

    Profmom1, oh, your feelings are VERY, very normal! Not sure if this helps, but maybe take a look here: Stages of fear after a bc diagnosis

    Hang in there. You are amongst people who really get it!!


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  • Celand
    Celand Member Posts: 264
    edited November 2016

    Profmom1,

    I was diagnosed this past Oct. 17 with DCIS/IDC - yours sounds similar to mine. I was diagnosed following a routine mammogram that turned into a diagnostic mammogram when the radiologist noticed a tiny mass on my left breast. Biopsy followed and I was given my diagnosis. One thing that both of us have going for us is that our masses were small (mine was 0.8 cm near my nipple). Although the radiologist and oncology nurse stressed that when they told me, I only heard the "C" word, so it didn't immediately sink in. Here is what has happened with me:

    Things moved pretty quickly for me after that - I chose to have a lumpectomy on Oct 28 - because it was so small, the surgeon was able to get all of it out with clean margins and there was no lymph node invasion. Now, it has been about 3 weeks past my surgery and I have met with my medical oncologist and radiology oncologist - specific treatment plan for me will be dependent on my Oncotype dx score - if low, then chemo will be taken off the table as an option and I will go to radiation - about 6 weeks, 5 days per week. Then I will have to take a hormone blocker, since my cancer is ER+/PR+/HER2-, depending on my menopausal status.

    Like the Moderators mentioned in above post, your feelings are normal in these circumstances - I felt some of the same, as well as going through the 5 stages of grief. I am feeling a bit better now that this has sunk in and as my treatment plan emerges, I am feeling like I am slowly getting back control of my life!

    Although this is a club that no one wants to join I am glad that I found this online community (and you have too) - this has been a wealth of information for me - I really like reading Survivor stories.

    Celand

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  • Profmom1
    Profmom1 Member Posts: 4
    edited November 2016

    Thanks, Celand and Moderators! I am waiting now on the MRI results. This really does help. Sometimes I forget completely about all this and sometimes I am panicking. But your words really do help!

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  • Celand
    Celand Member Posts: 264
    edited November 2016

    Profmom1,

    You are welcome - although this is a new journey for me, I hope that I said the right words to be as helpful and positive as I can be. Since my diagnosis, I am trying to remain positive (which is a message that has been relayed to me via several friends and co-workers who have walked this very same path - had lunch the other day with a former co-worker who is 19 years out from her dx of breast cancer - she told me that positive attitude absolutely has a healing effect). We live in a time where there are more treatment options for ladies who are diagnosed with breast cancer.

    A book that I am reading is a Chicken Soup for the Soul series titled "Hope & Healing for your Breast Cancer Journey" - I have not been able to put it down - absolutely a good read with positive stories. I find that I still go back and forth with emotions, forgetting all about it and then panicking. But I guess this will happen until I know with certainty what my treatment plan will involve. I go back to Dr.'s office for blood work next week and then meet with medical oncologist next to determine if I will do chemo+radiation+hormone blocker OR radiation+hormone blocker. Until then, I remain in limbo. .I know your MRI results will yield important information for you and your medical team to make decisions regarding your course of treatment. Lots of good info on this board regarding treatment plans that you can read about. Celand

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