DCIS with Microinvasive calcifications
I was diagnosed in April 2017 with DCIS with miscroinvasve cells which I believe were removed during my biopsy. I have since had a lumpectomy and I'm currently waiting to meet with the radiation oncologist. I did meet with a medical oncologist at Sloan and was told because of the microinvasive calcification I should consider Chemo (12 weeks of Taxol and 1 year of Herceptin) I was told I'm in a grey area so there is no hard rule. At the recommendation of my doctor I have scheduled an appointment with another Oncologist for a second opinion. This is my first post, just wondering if anyone has any suggestions.
Thanks, Ann Marie
Comments
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Hi Adella,
I'm sorry you have to be here but I'm sure you will find encouragement from the ladies and men on this site. I had pure DCIS although there was initially an area suspicious for micro invasion. It sounds like a second and maybe even a third opinion may be helpful. I think because of the grade 3, the er-pr- and HER2+, that is why your oncologist is suggesting chemo even though it is only a micro invasion. I'm sure others will be along to give you imput. Wishing you the very best.
Edited to add that there is a thread for DCIS with micro invasion that is HER2+. I'm going to try and link it here for you and maybe it will be helpful:
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/111
This link is specific to her+ micro invasion:
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/111/topics/748406?page=15#top
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Hi Sitti,
Thanks so much for the input. I will definitely check out the link. This is all so new to me. I really can't wrap my head around it.
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If I knew then, what I know now.....Her2 is so sneaky. I would do it now. My opinion only but, protocol at the time of my initial diagnosis was that mastectomy would take care of it. My oncologist had the slides reviewed for size 3 times. ....did not think that chemo worth the risk. 2 years later I had multiple her2 lung tumors.
Mets is no fun. Best of luck with whatever decision you make. It has to feel right to you. A second opinion is always a good idea.
Brenda
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Adella, I completely understand. I had no idea there were so many different types of breast cancer before being diagnosed and finding this site. As you read the second link in particular realize it was started years ago and I'm sure treatment has changed so you'll want to be sure to go to the later pages to see what people are currently doing/saying/being recommended to do.
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hi,
Based on my dcis experience, treated w mastectomy, if I had known I would be looking at stage 4 with bony mets a couple of years later, I would have taken the Herceptin trial that was offered to me. At the time it was not considered a necessity.
My gyn thought the mastectomy for my 6.8 cm dcis was over treatment. I was glad to be able to have surgery and not have to face chemo. I was told my dcis was a one time stroke of lightning by my surgeon and that I was unlikely to ever face anything like it or worse again.
But then I got a lump at the surgical site and one lumpectomy (where there was no breast tissue remaining, no nodal involvement) and PET scan later I became stage 4 club member.
That's my experience, hope it helps. Thanks for reaching out and asking.
Good luck to you!!
So that's my experience, hope it helps.
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Hi Siegelinde....Thank you so much for sharing and I'm so sorry to hear that you are in stage 4 with mets to the bone. It's so scary and hard to decide what to do. I went for a second opinion and also talked to my radiation oncologist and both seemed to think that chemo with Herceptin would also be over treatment. They said my DCIS was so small and the microinvasive cells were less than 1 mm. I agree it's small but, as I'm sure many people on this site have felt, I'm afraid it will come back. Even with that I have decided to skip the chemo and move on to radiation. I can only hope for the best. I wish the best for you. This experience has changed me in so many ways. Maybe because it's all so recent but I feel overwhelmed most of the time.
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lumpies and rad and an al for 5 years was the recomendation of my onco
Worked fine for 8 and half years years but now stage 4
Wish now i had stayed on the al for 10 years
Sure aint fun, doing more rads now and likely chemo
Found new hospital and onco also
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