ILC in several locations at diagnosis?

My ILC was multi-focal.  7.5cm and found in all four quandrants of my right breast.  They didn't distinguish how many areas of invasion there were, just the largest was 7.5cm and the ILC was multi-focal. Therefore they staged me at IIb

Joining the multifocal train, right breast biggest one measuring 2.5 cm multifocal involvement was in in 3 quadrants.

I had at least 3 places on my breast as well as lymph nodes - so stage 3.  Two were found on US and the other one and lymph on MRI.   Prophy side came back atypical lobular hyperplasia.  Karen

I was wondering how your ladies cancer was found - since lobular is difficult to diagnose on a mammo.

My sister had been having mammo's for yrs. This yr they decided that a bx was needed because of a calcification. They said nothing to worry about because only 20% are + for cancer.

She then went to a different well known facility for her bx. They told her all her previous mammo's were pretty much s*** - overpenetrated too dark and undiagnostic so they didn't really have anything to compare them to. (Nice! You think you are doing the right thing by having a mammo, and you find out you wasted 10 yrs because they were s***)

Well that calcification turned out to be ILC? I have read that it is not typical for ILC to be from calcifications. Does any one know the answer. I am thinking that by the grace of GOD this was found by accident because of the calcification. Anybody have an idea?

We haven't spoke with the Dr yet because everyone and their brother is on spring break. They called her Fri told her she had cancer - she is having her MRI tomorrow and won't be able to find out anything until next wk because everyone is on vacation. Where is the justice? I feel bad for the poor thing.

Your info would be greatly appreciated.

Patelia - How's your sister doing?

Thanks for getting back to me.  I am still sitting on the fence regarding breast conservation, radiation and close follow-up, and bilat mastectomies because of the LCIS.  I too fear what could be hidden, but just can't quite get there, one hour I am considering the mastectomies and the next I am back to conservation, sometimes I wish I didn't have the choice.  Oh and then to choose the type of reconstruction is another ordeal (implants or my own tissue) there are pros and cons to everything.  Why does it have to be so hard?

Hi 

My name is Susie.  I have just been diagnosed with ILC.  It was originally diagnosed as an infection.  One that didn't respond to antibiotics.  There are at least 2 locations, one of which is 6-7 cm.  I was told that the lymph node is involved, although they haven't told me the extent of involvement.  I am terrified.  I have an appointment with a surgeon on Monday or Tuesday, and will possibly have more tests.( Shouldn't they be doing a CAT scan or MRI to find the extent of the cancer?)  Knowing you are all out there and are either cured or fighting successfully is a great help and a comfort for me.  I feel I must hide most of my fears as I have 4 loving daughters and I have a great difficultly handling their reaction to my condition.  Any advice will be gratefully accepted.

My prayers are with us all.

Susie 

Dear skstrand,

I am 52 years recently diagnosed with ILC just before xmas. For the past 10 years I never missed and a mamo. ILC is very hard to detect , I was very lucky to get a begnin lump which on removal uncovered a small 1mm ILC. My breast is clear but my lymph nodes where almost all positive 21/23 metastases ,my stage jumped from stage I to stage late stageIII till now my body is clear of metastes it is only confined in the breast. I am ER+PR+ and HER2 negative. I am already on Chemo and will undergo bilateral mastectomy after chemio and hormones supressors later and radiotherapy. I have an only son 15 years old and a wonderful husband.What I want to tell you is that don't despair, this is the worst for your cancer and don't be afraid , I told my son, it was hard but it also helped him feel part of the family and respected. Have fatih in God and yourself and fight it . Praying is helping me a lot and is giving me the strength, I am living a normal life and going about my duties. I firmly believe that your state of mind and fear effect your illness and i believe in God this will help a lot. I wish you the best and wish that someday you will look at this only as bad cloud which passed through your life and laugh. Good luck

Hi all,

My ILC is multiple foci in the right breast.  Biggest is in the outer quadrant, 2.8cm.  Three smaller ones in the inner quadrant, close to each other, around 1cm each.

Is multi-foci masses common among ILC cases?

Thank you,

Laureen Romero

I had two areas at diagnosis, 1cm and 4mm. Pathology after lumpectomy found yet another 6mm tumor within the excised tissue. Sentinel node biopsy showed 1 isolated tumor cell in my sentinel node and nothing in two other nodes that were removed -- so I'm still considered node negative and stage 1, but in light of the additional tumor that was found and not picked up by any imaging test including MRI, my surgeon is recommending MX. I am considering bilateral because I have no confidence that the "good breast" is really cancer free.  If imaging didn't pick up on the bad side, it could have missed areas on the good side.   I understand that multi focal ILC is very common. 

Hi. Mine was multifocal as well, two tumors, one 2cm and the other 9mm, remote from each other which meant that a mx was really my only option. This is what MRI showed and exactly this and no more was confirmed in pathology. I opted to hold onto my healthy breast as I feel I have access to very good MRI imaging and a really great radiology team. They feel that by watching me very closely (MRI each year and yearly mammogram 6 mos later, with BS exams in the intervening 3 mos.) I feel I can always lop off the other one but didn't want to move so quickly. I know that I am trading breast conservation for peace of mind, but there are cases where women have a unimx and that is the end of the story. This is a highly personal decision, but I just wanted you to know that there are a few of us that are choosing to not do bmx. To each her own and may we all debate this healthily for the next 50 years!

I went for mastectomy with possibility of two cancers and to everybody's surprise third one was found also. I had prophylactic mastectomy on my good breast which turned out to be not so good. Not cancers there yet, but it was full of precancerous cells. I also had oophorectomy last month. I am 43 now, was 42 at the time of diagnoses.