I am so sorry to be so stressed. I posted already explaining my situation in another post ’ terrified in shock’. I just went in for an ultrasound to inset a clip into my lump and to check my lymph nodes. They felt that the lymph nodes liked a normal size but they found another small lump measuring 4mm and biopsied it. I am even more terrified now.
It was close to the original 8mm lump. Has this happened to anyone here. What does it mean? The original lump was Her2 negative, grade. 2 and Er+ and Pr +. I am worried this one will be completely different. I am started crying my eyes out at the appointment.
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They found another area to biopsy with me, too. It ended up being benign. It happens a lot. It doesn’t mean there is cancer there. And even if it is, it doesn’t mean a worse prognosis. You already have cancer. One more small area of it doesn’t usually change anything.
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Thank you for replying. I don’t know much about it but it is a shock. I think it will be cancer because it was very close.
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Hello eb13. Have you been told which type of cancer it is? I was diagnosed with grade 2 invasive lobular cancer in March, ER+ PR+ HER2- . My initial mammogram and ultrasound showed a 24mm mass but a subsequent MRI revealed 2 further lumps close to it - the same type, slightly smaller. It’s very common for ILC to be multi focal, which makes me wonder if that’s perhaps what you have? (Also difficult to detect on mammograms…) But please don’t panic, your lumps are very small and if they are close together (and if cancerous) its highly unlikey to be a different type and it’s unlikely your treatment will be any different. Unfortunately for me the 3 lumps covered a significant area and I had to have a mastectomy, but it sounds to me like you’re more likely to have a lumpectomy. The fact that your is also also ER+ is a good sign as it can be treated with hormone therapy and possibly able to avoid chemo if small, and grade 2.
I know it’s terrifying when you don’t have all the facts, or a treatment plan, but once you know what’s what, you’ll find a strength. Treatments are amazing these days, and so much can be done. Please know there are so many lovely ladies on here too who will offer support every step of the way - you’re not alone and we all know how you feel. Take care and please let us know how you get on xx
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Thank you so much for replying. I really find it helpful to hear from other people who have been through this. I am in a very dark place right now. I gave been told that the original tumour is invasive ductal carcinoma.
I am trying to find out whether the prognosis changes if you have more than one tumour.
I had a benign condition that took months to investigate and nothing showed up in mammograms and MRI that I had just a few months ago. So this is completely shocking for me.
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It’s unlikely your prognosis will change with another small area, but I completely understand how scared you feel right now. It’s such a shock and all sorts of things go through your mind. Be kind to yourself and try to do things that will take your mind off of it if you can. TV comedies work for me!
Sending hugs 
🩷xxx
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They found a second lump with me also, like yours Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, both were small and caught early, removed both with lumpectomy and SLNB in May, radio in august all done now. Try not to stress about it, just focus on getting shot of it, all the best x
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Thank you. I still have my MRI to come so I am nervous of what they will find then. I think I have dense breasts which makes it harder to read some scans .
I also have read a few things about pre menopausal women being more likely to get aggressive cancers that’s why I wonder whether this second lump might be different ( I have just turned 42).
I am truly useless at this waiting around and I think it will be a bit prolonged with Christmas
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Do any of you take anything to help with anxiety. I pretty much haven’t been able to eat or sleep since my diagnosis on Friday. Today I managed to eat two slices of garlic bread and a banana. I had about two hours sleep last night and haven’t slept at all tonight. I spoke to the GP today and she suggested that I could take an anti anxiety medication but it would take six weeks to kick in. Just wondering if anyone has any advice.
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Hi eb13
Sorry you are having difficulty sleeping, totally understandable. Many of us have the same issues, I did from 1st appointment, was prescribed sleeping tablets & am just weaning myself off Promethazine now (10 weeks after op)
I was initially given zopiclone by my gp, it is a sleeping tablet that really works, however some doctors don’t like you to take it for more than 3 days in a row as it can be addictive. I was given 2 x 7 days then moved to Promethazine (it is an anti histamine that can be used to help with insomnia) it worked for me.
I would recommend you talk to your surgery again & say you aren’t sleeping, it’s affecting you during the day & need something to help now.
It’s not going to be helpful for you to have to be like this for 6 weeks while you wait for the meds they’ve given you to work
Good luck
Laura
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So awful isn’t it? The waiting, the what ifs all of which is adding to your sleeping issues
Do Not Google if you want answers its your team, the GP or nurses on here
All i can add is to also keep talk to your team and GP , you aren’t alone and they deal with all manner of reactions and worries
Macmillan cancer charity have free counselling support ( you may have to wait)
Not sure what part of UK you are but some hospitals have complimentary therapy resources too
Pick up the phone today and if the support isn’t immediate distract yourself with tv, good books, short walks or even long walks, coffee with friends, baking, downloading audio books, take a yoga or pilates class or a mindfulness app
Look good feel better charity have some amazing free workshops and of course YouTube have loads of exercises you can do at home but you might need company to keep you distracted
Whatever you do just take a day at a time and at night have a bath, switch off your phone, try and relax
Good luck, your team and us have got you so be kind to yourself
Hugs and blessings xx
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They found another with me too on my MRI, I chose not to have a further biopsy on it as I presumed it too would be cancerous, and didn’t want to delay things. I just went ahead agreeing to a mastectomy as I “just wanted it gone”. When I came round and the surgeon visited me, he said you made the correct decision, you were right. As Kay said, it doesn’t really change much, it’s just a bit bigger than initially thought.
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I am having my MRI on Thursday (I had one in August for a benign condition that was normal.) I didn’t realise that a masectomy rather than further biopsies was an option. I think I would definitely go for that. I was so nervous about a masectomy at first but now I think it might be a better option for me .
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So sorry you are going through this. I was diagnosed on Friday and went into complete shock even though I was expecting it as my ultrasound was Birads 5. I didn´t eat for 3 days as went into a state of what I can only describe as terror and panic, made worse by the fact I don´t have my full lab reports yet so don´t know exactly what type I have other that HER2- . I started to feel a bit better yesterday and was able to eat something which helped so do keep trying with the food, even if its just something tiny at a time. I got some Rescue Remedy drops and some homeopathic calming meds and this definitely helped but I also went to the doctor yesterday as was prescribed some strong meds to help with the anxiety. I haven´t taken these yet as I do feel a bit better and the really dark thoughts are being replaced by some more positive/hopeful ones but I might take one today as I have my MRI later and hoping might help me relax. I also bought some Sleepeze tablets from boots, the 50mg ones and have been taking these at night and getting 7 hours sleep. They are only an antihistimine but work really well for me so maybe worth a try, sleep is so important and will help ease your anxiety if you get a good nights sleep. But if you are really struggling I would defo recommend asking your doctor for something to help you, I think it is very normal for us to be feeling like this during this awful waiting period and they are happy to give you something to ease this horrendous feeling.
I hope you get your treatment plan soon and start to feel better xxx
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Hi eb13.
I had a similar scenario, i was told i had two lumps & one lymph node will be removed as a precaution, which also turned out to have a trace of cancer in it. Then, when my consultant operated on me, as he was cutting away, he found yet another lump near the original one i found, I’m glad he did. Then obviously i went through chemo & radio.
So basically, It’s not that unusual.
I wish you well.
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I thought BIRADS was a measure of the density of breast tissue. But maybe I am wrong. Dense breasts make it more difficult to see cancer tumours on mammograms. I may have got the wrong end of the stick but it seems you know you have breast cancer and that it isn’t the kind of cancer that responds to treatment by herceptin. Most breast cancers are oestrogen positive and HER2 - I was very anxious at my first diagnosis as I was told I had a benign fibroadenoma, and it was only when I had the lump out which I was very keen to do that I got the bad news it was cancerous. That was on 5 December 2003, exactly 20 years ago today! I had come from work and intended to do my Christmas shopping after as I had thought I had come to a post operative appointment for my benign lump but no I was told I had cancer and would have a further operation on 19 December to remove a quarter of my breast as the margins weren’t clear. I was horrified that no one had told me they had discovered cancer at my original op. I had to take diazepam and all sorts of horrors went through my mind.
After I absorbed this information I found out that after my operation, I would need to have radiotherapy for fifteen days. I was drip fed as no doubt they want to have as little opposition as possible. Years ago you were expected to sign an undertaking that if they found cancer while you were being operated on, you would have a mastectomy immediately, there and then. They would do the pathology tests while women were under anaesthetic.
In 1983 or so, a friend of mine told me she was not allowed to leave the hospital because she refused to sign. She did not have an operation and she probably did not have breast cancer as she’s alive now aged 84 or so. Eventually they did let her out of hospital. Luckily since then women in USA campaigned for lumpectomy and surgery has advanced. They know women do not want to have mutilating operations and offer reconstructions which are a great improvement on the old ones the surgeons did. Not perfect but better. If you are not happy please say so and don’t sign anything to have surgery unless you are happy to do so.
Breast cancer surgery isn’t the medical emergency you may think but Government targets mean surgeons are rushed into doing ops within two weeks of diagnosis. You don’t have to meet their deadlines if you feel you need more time.
I wish I hadn’t had the second op on 19 Dec 2003 as I was back in hospital on 24 Dec 2003 with a wound infection and round the clock antibiotics. I was now in a ward full of old women with dementia one of whom was called Joyce. A few nights on she Joyce started shouting " Get me a cab to Romford!".
As I was living to the east of St Pauls Cathedral which is next to Barts hospital, I felt like shouting, " Take me with you and drop me off in Forest Gate!"
It was not to be but I did get out shortly before New Year’s Eve.
I wouldn’t recommend an operation near Christmas as if you do need to go back in, it could be awkward. But don’t take my experience too seriously. 19 years later I found another lump in the same breast so it went last year - mastectomy and diep reconstruction in Autumn, well before the Festive Season!
Seagulls
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I was so nervous too and would have had a reconstruction at the same time, but as mine was during lockdown it wasn’t an option.
I would have had to go to a different hospital to have my 2nd biopsy under an MRI and I didn’t want to waste time. I was v lucky that I didn’t have any side effects/issues from my operation and healed really well and quickly. Just rest all you can and do your exercises, they are so important.
Seagulls I Can´t tell you how much your message has improved my positivity this morning, thank you for sharing your experience and advice. what an awful experience for you and I am so thankful that care and treatment options have improved so much over the last 10 years. I hope you are fully recovered from your mastectomy and have a wonderful Xmas! I had my MRI yesterday and hope to have full lab and MRI results tomorrow evening. This will then give me time to make some decisions on surgery etc if I need to but I definitely don´t want to risk ruining my daughters Xmas if I don´t have to.
Birads is the score of the scans finding, 1 being nothing abnormal, 2 cysts, 3 cysts or benign lumps with recommendation of regular follow ups, anything 4a, 4b, 4c is suspicious and needs biopsy, 5 is more than 95% chance of being malignant and even if lab results come back negative they will treat it as positive and do a lumpectomy to be safe. My first ultrasound was 4b and measured 11mm x 9mm, my 2nd ultrasound when I went for biopsy 6 days later they changed it to 5 and also that it measured 2.7mm x 18mm. Obviously this freaked me out as then I pretty much knew it was going to be positive and I still can´t understand how the measurements could be so different and I know a lump can´t grow that quickly. Anyway, MRI should show a more accurate measurement and really hoping its more like the first ultrasound!!!
xxxx
Dear Rose4
Thank you very much for your great description of what each Birads “score” means.
Seagulls