My Mother (age 61) got diagnosed

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h44
h44 Member Posts: 7
edited July 2018 in Just Diagnosed

Hello all,

My mother she is 61 years old. Everything started just 3 weeks before when my mother observed red discharge sometimes white discharge in her left breast & very rarely in right breast.Discharge in the sense just a drop in her dress.

As per doctor guidance we did Mammogram, Ultrasound scan & MRI scan. A lesion was observed in MRI scan in Right breast and dylation observed in left breast. Doctor advised for needle biopsy in right breast and today the result came as "Consistent with invasive carcinoma of no special type (Ductal,NOS), Grade 1-2 (NMBRS) ; Right subareolar nodule."

Doctor confirmed as cancer and advised to surgery and remove right breast to avoid any spread inside. We are just praying.

Even after surgery my mother requires chemo or radiation treatments?

Note: My grandmother passed away due to breast cancer in 1970s.

Thanks

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  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited May 2018

    Hi h44 and welcome to BCO.  What your Mother's treatment will be after surgery probably won't be decided until all the pathology reports from the surgery are in her doctor's hands.  It is then that he/she will know which treatment plan to recommend for your Mother.

    There will definitely be follow up treatment.

    The newly diagnosed find things pretty difficult as they are in shock but once full treatment is decided on and begun, then it gets a little easier.

    Hoping all goes well.

    Love n hugs.  Chrissy


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  • Georgia1
    Georgia1 Member Posts: 1,321
    edited May 2018

    Hi H44 and I'm so sorry about your mom. Depending on the details of her cancer, there are lots of choices to make and lots of treatments that are hard in the short run but really lifesaving for someone as young as she is. I would highly recommend getting copies of all of her reports (mammogram, ultrasound and MRI) and buying the book "Navigating Breast Cancer" by Lillie Shockney. It is a very short, helpful book by a nurse and you can get it on Amazon.

    Best wishes to you.

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  • h44
    h44 Member Posts: 7
    edited June 2018

    Hello All,

    My mom underwent surgery on June 1st. Her right breast mastectomy and left breast microdochectomy. By God's grace the surgery went well and she was discharged that week sunday.

    Today we got the pathology report of both breasts.

    1. Right Breast: No tumor in 5 lymph nodes, Size of DCIS-5% and observed only in nipple areola. Margins are uninvolved.

    Doctor feedback: Good news no spreading of cancer cell and no treatment required. But she has to take medicine for life long & keep regular

    check-ups.

    2. Left Breast: Grade 1 (Low) observed.Low grade of DCIS.

    Doctor feedback: Pre-cancer stage. He will further consult with senior doctors whether to proceed for radiation or surgery only for left breast.

    I am happy that God showed us in starting stage and we got treated.

    Doubts,

    Will she be asked for any radiation for left breast?

    After this surgery she can live a normal life or she has to be more cautious in food, lifestyle and regular check-ups?

    Thanks

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  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited June 2018

    Hi H44, I am well pleased to hear that your Mother's surgery went well and she is doing well.

    Her pathology report is a very good one and while no further treatment is required for her right breast other than medication, her left breast, because of DCIS, even though low grade may need radiation treatment. Her doctor is doing the right thing by putting her case before the cancer panel and you can rest assured that the final treatment regime decided for her will be the right one.

    Your Mother may have some side effects from the medication that she will be given but they will be quite manageable. She should definitely be able to live her normal life. The only restriction on foods would be just a healthy, balanced diet with gentle exercise. She will be followed with regular checkups and that also is quite normal.

    Wishing her all the very best with her healing and returning to her normal routines.

    Love n hugs. Chrissy

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  • nonomimi5
    nonomimi5 Member Posts: 434
    edited June 2018

    h44,

    She is not only going to have a normal life, she is going to have a healthier life. Good diet, mild exercise, and a stress free life if that's possible! You are so loving to take such great care of your mother. She is going to be fine.


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  • moth
    moth Member Posts: 4,800
    edited June 2018

    I would like to address the 'gentle' or 'mild' exercise suggestions - this is not what the studies are showing.

    The studies show that the benefit comes from at least 150 minutes / week of moderate aerobic exercise. (moderate is getting your heart rate is high enough that you're out of breath but still able to talk, but not to sing; for some people very brisk walking, like you're late for the bus, might be enough but for some, brisk walkingdoesn't get the heart rate high enough). Exercise at the right level is the single most impactful lifestyle modification, reducing breast cancer mortality by 40%

    http://www.cmaj.ca/content/cmaj/189/7/E268.full.pd...

    Furthermore, there was study of exercising breast cancer patients which showed that runners did better than walkers:

    "Significantly greater reduction in breast cancer mortality from post-diagnosis running than walking"

    https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ij...

    While she's recovering from surgery, exercise of course needs to be appropriate. But I encourage everyone to take these studies to heart & start sweating, hard.

    Regarding diet: the CMAJ study above indicates that there's no one single diet that has shown a clear benefit but avoiding gaining weight is important. Also maintaining cardiovascular health - as heart disease is more likely to kill her than breast cancer. So all the 'heart smart' diets would be something to look at.

    Most people have increased monitoring after breast cancer treatment. Regular check ups are required with either the oncologist or the family doctor. You can see the American Society of Clinical Oncology recommendations here in Table 1
    https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.3322/c...

    best wishes to your mom & you

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  • h44
    h44 Member Posts: 7
    edited June 2018

    Hello All,

    Thank you all for your support.

    My mom is doing good in her health but little down mentally. So talking with her more on positive things so she keeps her spirits up. I will update you next week about doctor advice for left breast as it is precancer.

    General question if you can please help me. I am her son so am I also prone to breast cancer? Because I read that male also face breast cancer.

    Thanks

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  • Wendysch
    Wendysch Member Posts: 8
    edited June 2018

    h44 I was diagnosed a year ago and have been through three surgeries and chemo. I can not begin to tell you how much exercise helped me mentally. Moth is absolutely correct. I work out lifting weights among other things three times a week for an hour each time. When I was going through chemo I tried to go as often as I physically could. The people at my small gym helped lift me up and after I exercised I always felt so much better.

    As far as you and your risk, I think it would depend on more of your families history not just your mom. Sometimes these things are just random. They did tell me that being overweight contributes to your risk. So if you are worried that would be one thing that you can control.

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  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited June 2018

    H44, as it is your mother who has been dx that makes you higher risk than the norm. Keeping a regular check on yourself will be a good thing. If you have a doctor that you see as your own family physician it would be a good idea to let him/her know of your mother's dx.

    Love n hugs. Chrissy

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  • h44
    h44 Member Posts: 7
    edited June 2018

    Hii all,

    First my Mother is fine. She prepares me a cup of coffee daily and she is back doing her normal activity. I thank God.

    Today she met the doctor for her left breast as it is precancerous. So after discussing with cancer board today doctor advised to remove the left breast + harmone therapy. The reason he mentioned was not to take risk because my grand mother had breast cancer. So next week she will be having her surgery.

    We thought surgery will be the end but could not understand why harmone therapy required? Will it cause any side effects? Is it like she is vulnerable for some other cancer in her body after few years is that the reason for harmone therapy?

    Sorry for asking but I did not expected doctor will suggest harmone therapy, maybe I am wrong with my assumptions and knowledge.

    Thanks

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  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited June 2018

    Hi h44, your mother will need the hormone therapy as a precaution and is standard treatment for early stage hormone positive cancer or precancer.

    The side effects for most hormone therapy is hot flushes, fatigue (exercising will help this) and general aches and some joint pain. Understand, these are common side effect but not everyone has them all.

    Feel free to ask questions, we are happy to answer.

    Good luck for your mother's surgery, I hope she heals quickly.

    Love n hugs. Chrissy

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  • h44
    h44 Member Posts: 7
    edited June 2018

    Hi Chrissy,

    My mother is doing good by God's grace. Her stitches are removed and she is coming back to normal life. Sometime before I remember that doctor mentioned need to do BRAC test before harmone therapy.

    Is BRAC test really required after removing my mom both breast?

    If result positive what doctor will advise?

    Thanks

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  • pupmom
    pupmom Member Posts: 5,068
    edited June 2018

    h44, sorry about your mom's diagnosis. I was diagnosed 10 days before my 62nd birthday. 7 years out and doing great! Wishing the same for your mom!

    I would check out the Male Breast Cancer thread here with questions about your risk. Men do get bc, so there's reason to be at least somewhat concerned. The BRCA test is almost more for other family members than the patient. I was tested for it, and had it come back positive (it didn't) I would have had a double mastectomy and oophorectomy. Turns out I "just" had a lumpectomy.

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  • h44
    h44 Member Posts: 7
    edited June 2018

    Hi pupmom,

    Thanks for the reply.

    So the BRCA test is for the family members but not for my mom?

    I have a sister as well. So I think we both should do BRCA test in future?

    Thanks

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  • pupmom
    pupmom Member Posts: 5,068
    edited June 2018

    h44, the test is for patient and family. I do have a family history, so was very worried about my daughters, who would have had a chance to inherit the gene. Of course, it seems we are nowhere near identifying all the genes. But since their aunt, grandmother and mother all got bc they will be vigilant.

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  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited June 2018

    Hi h4, the BRAC gene test is done for you Mother primarily but as a consequence, if she has it, it will mean that her family will need to be tested also as the mutated gene can be inherited. The outcome would mean that as a family member the risk of you developing breast cancer is much higher. Always remember though, that not all members will have inherited the gene should your Mother's test come back positive.

    The test itself is a simple blood test so it is not a horrible thing to have done.

    Hoping your Mother is clear so in turn all of your family is also.

    Love n hugs. Chrissy

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  • moth
    moth Member Posts: 4,800
    edited June 2018

    I was tested for BRCA and it was just a saliva collection. If I had tested positive, my kids would have been tested then.

    Hormone therapy is to try to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back. Even when it's removed surgically, it sometimes comes back and it can come back in other parts of the body (metastatic cancer) and then it's often inoperable; and while there are treatments for metastatic breast cancer to prolong life, it's ultimately a terminal disease. So hormone treatment is important to try to prevent it from coming back.

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  • h44
    h44 Member Posts: 7
    edited July 2018

    Hello all,

    Thanks for all your love and advice.

    By God's grace my mother is doing good.

    For hormone therapy doctor has advised to take her Altraz 1mg daily morning and asked her to come for review after 1 month with blood test report for CBC, Urea, creatinine, serum bilirubin.

    I understood from internet there can be mild side affects. It is been almost 10days but no side effects by God's grace.

    My mom decided not to do BRCA test because if the result is positive then it will be stressful in family. So she decided not to do.

    But anyway myself and my sister will keep our health check-ups every year.

    For male (myself) what kind of health check up I need to do releated for breast cancer?

    Thanks

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  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited July 2018

    Hi h44, so good to hear that your mother is doing well. Those side effects sometimes do come straight away and sometimes after some time has passed.......your mother may be one of those who never have any side effects at all.

    As for what checks you need to have annually for your own health is much the same as you would normally with a breast ultrasound added. Have a talk with your doctor and go with what he/she recommends for you. Self awareness is so important, as quite often we find our own lumps by self examination and then follow up with a doctor's visit.

    Good luck to you and your family, hopefully things will continue smoothly for you all.

    Love n hugs. Chrissy

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