This is my brain on cancer......

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luckd
luckd Member Posts: 3
edited January 2019 in IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)

Patience......something I've never been very good at; but I am definitely worse now that I have been diagnosed with the big "C". Ultrasound, MRI, Biopsy, Genetic Testing, Lumpectomy......and now we wait. Waiting for the Oncotype DX. This may be the hardest part. Now I have time to wonder.....did I make the right choice in having only the lumpectomy? Yes, lymph nodes are clear.....but there are still cancer cells in my body!!!!! UGH!!!! What if my oncotype score is low and the oncologist says "radiation and hormone therapy only"? Can I trust that will keep me "safe"? 11 more days of wondering what the next steps will be....fretting over whether or not I made the right decision.


Dx 11/20/2018, IDC:DCIS (Left), 1.1cm, Stage I Grade 2, 0/4, ER+/PR+, HER2-

Surgery 12/31/2018 Lumpectomy (Left), Sentinel Lymph node removal 0/4

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  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited January 2019

    Absolutely, the worse part is you never know if you are cured. But the good part, if there is one, now you have been diagnosed so you will get more screening and accessments to get it early if it comes back.

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited January 2019

    Hi luckd, and welcome to Breastcancer.org,

    We're so very sorry for the reasons that bring you here, but we're really glad you've found us. As you can already see, our Community is a wonderful source of information, advice, and support -- we're all here for you!

    We can certainly understand your second guessing and your concerns for making the "right" treatment decisions -- have faith in your treatment team, knowing they will recommend treatment in your best interest. And, if you need a second opinion, don't be afraid to ask for one. You also need to be your own advocate!

    We hope things get easier and your treatment decisions become clearer soon. We look forward to supporting you throughout treatment and beyond!

    --The Mods

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  • AliceBastable
    AliceBastable Member Posts: 3,461
    edited January 2019

    With a lumpectomy, you should be getting radiation. That will clean up any stray cancer cells. The rule of thumb (or boob) is lumpectomy + radiation gets the same result as mastectomy.

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  • sheyma
    sheyma Member Posts: 9
    edited January 2019

    You are so luckly... small tumor, dcis and moderate grade, her2 negative, hormone positive. But this does not mean there is no need for treatment. You need to take adjuvant therapy. It can also be considered as "preventive treatment". And aims to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence. Because, even in stage 0 and DCIS, sometimes a small number of cancer cells may have traveled in the body. I think so that the worst part of cancer is this uncertainty. But your personal risk is really low. Goood luck :)

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  • luckd
    luckd Member Posts: 3
    edited January 2019

    Thank you all so much for your words of encouragement; I greatly appreciate you all ❤️

    Sheyma; I have IDC and DCIS. I don’t consider myself “so lucky”, but I get what you are saying... it could be much worse

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