When will I know what stage breast cancer I have?

Do you know the size of your tumor? That & whether there is any signs of it being in the lymph nodes are used to do a preliminary staging of your cancer.

fwiw, staging is trickier if you're going to have chemo before surgery because the chemo can shrink the tumor & then you never really know exactly what your stage was, though they should have a pretty good estimate. Traditionally, final staging is done after surgery. But you should have preliminary staging now. Your doctor should have told you all this.

I'd book an appointment and go back with a list of questions:

what stage is my cancer & what is the prognosis?

what is the hormone receptor status of my tumor & will I need hormone treatment afterwards?

why is chemo being prescribed & if it's being prescribed before surgery, what is the purpose? Is it to shrink the tumor?

what type of chemo regimen am I being prescribed?

when will I have surgery? What type of surgery will I be recommended to have?

will I need radiation?

Hi elisa,

You have a right to know about your diagnosis. I would bring a notebook with question that you already have written, so you don't forget them. Ask away anything about your tumor. They should be able to give you the grade, an approximate stage (this can change once they do surgery and they see the full picture) and your receptor status. This means if you are ER+ or negative. You will also want to ask if you are Her2 positive or negative. This test can take longer to come back with results. All this stuff is important because it will help you and the Team to decide appropriate treatment plans based on these factors. Remember you are a part of this team and not just a spectator. You have a right to voice your concerns and desires. I wish you luck on your next appt.

I was diagnosed in June and it wasn't until I went to a new doctor as a second opinion last week that she shared the results of the biopsy other than "Cancer". She was able to tell me grade and hormone receptivity. She is reluctant to discuss staging until she has the whole picture, and even then, after surgery, they can always find out more.

My doctor couldn't give staging information until more tests were completed. I just had an MRI last week, which showed the tumor to be nearly twice the size they originally thought it was. I have to go for a PET scan on Wednesday and after the results of that, she said they will have a pretty good idea on staging. Staging is harder to determine from a biopsy, so you may need additional tests to find out how big it really is. The biopsy is only showing a small sample from a small area.

Waiting is the hardest. But not all doctors know what information to give. I live in a small town, so my first dr (the only breast surgeon around) did not specialize in breast cancer. He didn't order any additional testing (blood work, MRI, PET, etc) and he didn't know what information was available, even when I asked. This may not be your same situation, but always consider getting a second opinion. Not every doctor knows everything. I am now working with a team of doctors, not just one...and I trust a team approach much more than a single health professional.