Just diagnosed invasive ductal carcinoma...trying to understand

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Oceanlove25
Oceanlove25 Member Posts: 28
edited February 2019 in Just Diagnosed

Hello,
I've read quite a bit of this wonderful site and am so grateful for the education!. I was just diagnosed IDC with a small mass 5mm, grade 2. ki-67 came back at 18%. Biopsy showed er and pr + and her2/new-.
Lumpectomy scheduled Feb. 5th. In looking over my past mammos I found calcifications mentioned that they felt were benign. I can't help but wonder if they might be positive. I have an enlarged auxillary lymph that has grown. It was biopsied in 2013 and found benign. The plan is lumpectomy, sentinel node biopsy and axillary node biopsy. I know I have to wait for the results but the plan now is radiation and hormone therapy.
I'm interested to see if anyone had a small tumor that ended up being way more than they thought from the mfi, biopsy, etc. Just trying to prepare myself for anything.Any help is so greatly appreciated!!!

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  • windingshores
    windingshores Member Posts: 704
    edited February 2019

    When the node was biopsied in 2913, how did they explain your symptoms?

    It's difficult but there isn't any way to tell in advance for sure. Distraction helps. Netflix!

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  • octogirl
    octogirl Member Posts: 2,804
    edited February 2019

    Welcome to this site, you will find lots of support here!

    The waiting is the toughest part, once you are through surgery and have a plan you will probably feel more in control. In the meantime, I highly recommend checking out the 'Lumpectomy Lounge' thread: it was SO helpful and supportive for me and I made some good friends there. I also agree that distraction is helpful: you are doing what you need to do and soon enough you will answers and a plan.

    I can't say that the tumor was a lot more than expected, but I did end up needing chemo, which wasn't discussed much before surgery. It was doable.

    I will also pass along the very best advice I got, both from my MO and from this board: exercise! walk! keep active! (other than for a few days after surgery, when you should rest, and do pay attention when they tell you no heavy lifting for a period of time). Exercise kept me sane, and made me feel a lot better, even during chemo.

    All the best;

    Octogirl

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  • Oceanlove25
    Oceanlove25 Member Posts: 28
    edited February 2019

    Winding shor, There was no explanation at all. They biopsied it , said it was benign and that was it. Also it's very sore. I am glad they are going to biopsy it. I think a lot can change since it was biopsied 5 years ago. Thanks for writing.

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  • new2bc
    new2bc Member Posts: 559
    edited February 2019

    Oceanlove25,

    Did you do an MRI as well as biopsy? MRI will reveal more information. My mammogram also showed small calcifications that were suspicious which led to a biopsy and later to an MRI. Ask for an MRI if you have not done so. I hope this helps.

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  • Oceanlove25
    Oceanlove25 Member Posts: 28
    edited February 2019

    Windingshores, thanks for writing.  There was no explanation, just benign with some fatty tissue, but that was 5 years ago.  It appears to me to have grown and it's sore.

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  • Oceanlove25
    Oceanlove25 Member Posts: 28
    edited February 2019

    Octogirl, thanks for your reply.  I will check out Lumpectomy lounge! I agree that keeping busy is vital...we started doing jigsaw puzzles and when I want to get stressed I can lose myself in the puzzle!  I am so glad for this site and so grateful!

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  • Oceanlove25
    Oceanlove25 Member Posts: 28
    edited February 2019

    New2BC, thanks for writing.  They did do an MRI and the navigating nurse pretty much just said they didn't find anything.  I think they were primarily looking at the other breasts.  I only realized in going back through my mammos that they had found calcifications.  In Dec 2016 it says scattered benign-appearing microcalcifications., Oct 2017 it says scattered round and punctate calcifications, and Dec 2018 benign calcifications noted bilaterally and vascular calcifications are present.
    Of course my breasts are really dense.  I'm just trying to prepare for everything before my surgery tomorrow.  Thanks for your help.

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  • michelelf
    michelelf Member Posts: 5
    edited February 2019

    OL25, I had a small 1.5 cm tumor (and have very dense breasts as well) that was diagnosed as IDC. Had an MRI and it showed no evidence of other cancer or suspicious lymph nodes. However, after my lumpectomy, cancer found in 3/5 sentinel lymph nodes. Chemo was now required. I opted to not have ALND as I was going to have radiation,,, have been second guessing myself for a while, LOL, but so far NED.

    Scattered calcifications are typically not cancerous. But the results of your surgery will tell you more. Good luck to you!!

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