Hi
Some of you may remember me positing before.
I’ve just had the worst day . After finding a lump three weeks ago being referred to the breast clinic 2 weeks later I was told that there was nothing to worry about. They did a fine needle aspiration and ultrasound and was then told that neither of these indicated cancer. The gave me the results an hour later. The consultant also said that the lump did not feel ‘cancerous’. They only did the fine needle thing because I insisted.They just said they wanted me back in 6 weeks time.
However that was two weeks ago. Today I had a phone call from the clinic when I was at work, out of the blue.They said they needed me to go back in as they had had another look at the cells from the fine needle thing and saw some that were suspicious. So I rushed in hhad a mammogram,ultrasound and biopsy. The consultant said that neither the mammogram nor the ultrasound were fully conclusive but that it was highly likely I have cancer and must wait for 2 weeks for the reulsts of the biopsy.
I am now shell shocked.I’m not sure how I’m feeling at all! I’m 37 with two young children and all I can think of is them.
Please help.
Freddiecider
Hi Freddiecider
I am sorry to read that you are having this worry, please feel free to call the helpline for support over the next few days/weeks on 0808 800 6000 Monday to Friday 9-5 and Saturday 9-2.
Take care
Lucy
Huge big hug for you Freddiecider,gosh no wonder you are shell shocked,you have been through the mill ! I was told my lump was suspicious and needle biopsies inconclusive but had the core biopsy result in 48hours, I really feel for you ,is there anything that you can do to hurry up the results bearing in mind how they have handled things so far. My children are 12 and 10 and we just dealt with one stage at a time,whatever the outcome you will always find someone on here to offer you help and support and words of wisdom,or info or to give you a big hug and hold your hand.We are all in this together,good days and not so good days. I know my head was spinning from it all and even when I was in hosp it felt very surreal as if it was happening to someone else, hmm still feel a bit like that actually. If there are any questions you have no matter how big/small or daft you may think they are then ask away, keep chatting on here,it does help.
Sandra x
Hi
Thanks for all your thoughts.
One of the reasons I have to wait for two weeks is because they only do the clinics on a Weds and the consultant is on holiday next week.He suspects it is lobular but not sure yet.
Do you think I should try and get this moving fasteR? Not sure of they’d be able to and the onsultant is meant to be renowned in the area as being excellent so in a way I don’t want to change consultants.
Freddie xx
Hi Freddiecider
I can’t imagine how you must feel, I am sorry you are having to go through this. My kids were in their early 20’s so I wasn’t so worried about the future for them.
I thought you having wait so long was outrageous and I would be tempted to try and hurry things along, I always did when I was waiting for results and treatment. However on reflection could the wait be so long because they have to run a series of checks because of the inconclusive tests they had previously done?
In the end I can only advise follow your gut feeling. Ask for a quicker appointment and see what they say.
I truely hope all the worring was needless, take care
Carol
Hi Freddie. I have lobular cancer and one of its characteristics is that it tends not to form a definite lump, so it’s difficult for them to tell by looking at it whether it is cancer or not. It also doesn’t show up too well on mammograms/ultrasounds etc.
I do sympathise with you regarding the waiting. I had a two week wait for a biopsy and then I had to have an mri as well. As it was Christmas, that took ages, the mri showed another suspicious area and I had to have another biopsy. Six weeks in all from diagnosis to having the final decision on what surgery I needed. However, in the end, I was happy to have undergone all that because I ended up just having a lumpectomy and four lymph nodes removed. But the waiting was sooooo hard and at times I felt I couldn’t stand it. However, it’s important to feel comfortable with your surgeon. Mine didn’t want to proceed with a mastectomy and then find out it had been unnecessary and I’m glad he cared enough to do that. Also, my bc nurse told me that sometimes they have to do certain tests that the path lab at my hospital don’t do, so that takes longer.
If you have queries, do speak to your bc nurse. Mine are great and very reassuring. Everyone knows how hard the waiting is. Even on the day of my op, they were explaining again why I’d had to wait so long, so they do understand and do their best to minimise delays. Also, all the ladies on this forum are wonderful.
I am really sorry to hear about your news and the waiting must be awful. I was dx with lobular, stage 2 in 2006. Lobular best shows up on an MRI scan, so when you go back, insist on having this done.It is not always readily offered because it is so much more expensive than a mammo or ultrasound. Mine did not show up on the mammo, needle aspiration or the ultrasound. Had a core biopsy which showed it in one area only. The MRI picked it up as multifocal, so I had to have a mastectomy. Unfortunately, I have been dx with bone mets last month, so I feel cheated at the moment, having been through radiotherapy, chemo and was on hormonal treatment for 2 1/4 yrs when this thing raised its ugly head again! Got to be poaitive to get through this.
The support you will get from all of us will see you through this tough time. I feel for your family. My son was 11 when I was diagnosed.
Maybe you could talk to your brcare nurse and see if you can persuade them to see this great consultant’s registrar a little earlier or at least if they do a request for an MRI, then that result would be given to you with the other result. that way, the waiting time is less. Am I making myself clear? Feel a bit groggy as I have just had an injection of zoladex to induce the menopause, so that i can start a new regime of medicine.
All the best and hang in there.
Dee xx
Hi This is my first visit to site. I am 38 and have a son of 11 months. I was told I had BC at the end of Nov.I had found a lump after I finished feeding my son. The consultant told me without needing to wait for biopsy results but i had to wait 10 days to find out what happens next. I am sorry that you are going through such a tough time. I found sticking to the same routine the biggest help.It enable yu to cope and ‘hde’ in normality if you need it. You have done the best thing in contacting this site and talking to people that know. I have missed that so far in my treatment and recognise I need it now. I’ll keep everything crossed for you and hope you get the all clear.
Hi
Thanks for the thoughts and ideas.
I’ve been doing some research about lobular breast cancer and I wonderered if anyone else had any expreiences. I have read that it is often quite advanced once found and this is horrifying me. How would I know if it is advanced?
Also when will I know the stage etc. Is it after the lumpectomy?
Thanks
Freddie
Yes Freddie - staging comes once all the facts are in after surgery - when they know how large it is and particularly if the nodes are affected.
Don’t torment yourself unduly with things you read on the internet - deal with the facts as they materialise. One very valuable piece of advice I got at the beginning is that each of us is unique and no two cancers are the same. Don’t get sucked into other people’s cancer and prognoses.
Take care.
Hi freddiecider - I fully feel for you just now. Good advice from msmolly about each cancer being unique. Its true and i found myself realising this very quickly after being diagnosed with invasive breast cancer last month. some things I have experienced are just like others have had, but equally, some of my experiences so far have been very different. Problem is there’s such a lot to take in. Especially when you feel as though you have heard enough already but you just feel the need to find information so you can get some sort of perspective on the whole thing. Dont try too hard sweetie, just deal with it as it comes if you can. Good idea to stay online cos there are some brill people on here who know all too well what you are going through. GOOD LUCK & keep us posted with your progress - it does help. XXX
Freddie so sorry to hear the news…
Can only agree with the others - take it one step at a time and keep posting…
Theresa x
Freddie, lobular cancer is sometimes found late, but not always. My cancer is stage 1 (ie, very early). Unfortunately, the docs are only able to give you really definitive results after your surgery. They can give you some information after your biopsy, (I had information about what sort of cancer I had, the fact that it was grade 2 and that it was ER+) but it’s not until they have gone in and taken out the lump that they can really know exactly what is what.
Lobular cancer is unusual - about 10% - 15% of cases of breast cancer, so most of those posting on here do not have it. But as others have said, everyone is different anyway.
I was dx on 12 Dec 2008 and I can honestly say that although I had a long wait until surgery on 12 Feb, the team at the breast clinic were fantastic. They really do understand what you are going through. Also, if there are any things that you don’t want to talk about publicly on the forum, you can send messages directly to any of us as individuals and that is sometimes a really good way to go.
Sending you hugs.
Sal x
Freddie,
My tumour was said to be lobular, had been there at least a year and was still only 1 cm and grade 1. However after the surgery the pathlogist said it was ductal and the surgeon said “take your pick!” I was 36 when I was dx last June and know what an awful shock it is. You will get lots of support here xxx
Hi Freddie
It is good to see folks on the site giving you their advice through personal experience. I would advise you stop reading too much at this stage, you could scare yourself senseless and end up confussed.
I do think it is good to get some information so that you can prepare questions to ask and take a proactive role in any treatment you MAY need.
I guess you just need to feel as informed as possible. I did the same, unfortunatley I asked a question that I would have preferred to to have heard the answer to because I have a statistic in my head that won’t go away even though I have passed the line it drew.
Cheers
On a completely different note, referring to my last post is there any way we can check our spelling before submitting? I just noticed a mistake!
Carol
I have lobular cancer grade 3 with 19/24 lymph nodes infected and am currently undergoing chemotherapy after masectomy. I found a lump in october and went to doctor who said that he didnt think it was anything but would do tests. Beading was best description i could describe as the feeling. Two weeks, later after find needle asp and mamo and ultrasound, they were sure it was cancer and then did biopsy. Biopsy confirmed cancer and then i was given mri which showed multi foci - two lumps one well hidden. This meant a masectomy. At this time, the doctors were sure it had not spread to lymph nodes, nothing on ultra sound and no lumps but they were, unfortunately, wrong. Good news was after bone scan and cat scan, no spread showing anywhere else and so i am undergoing chemo and then rads and hopefully my life will be my own although never the same!!! It was a big shock because i went straight to gp when i found the lump and i expected my ordeal to be much less than it is turning out to be. I have two young boys of 12 and 11 who i have been quite honest up to a point about it and they are taking it well.
Although the original doctor was wrong, i cant fault the attention they gave me and running all the tests.
All the best
Linda
I too was dx with lobular cancer on 6/2/08. A mammogram 15 months before had shown nothing. An inverted nipple sent me to the doctor who referred me immediately. I too was told no evidence of being in lymph glands and had sentinel node biopsy. Unfortunately after mastectomy it was found in 3 out of 4 so I went back in for full clearance. I was dx with Grade 2 lobular, multifocal and in 6/21 lymph glands. I have had mastectomy, 4 FEC/4 taxotere, 12 rads, am also unfortunately HER2 so having herceptin until October this year and Arimidex. Lobular is hard to defect on mammograms. Am just starting to feel better. Have no had much tiredness apart from on taxotere.
Carol - don’t worry about the spelling. I think confussed is a great word. lol
Sal