Hi I have been posting on here for abt week now, I just wondered if anyone can answer my confusion, I was told it was cancer by surgeon and I asked him how long it had been there, and he said its about 6 months old, but said if i had had have come into clinic with that lump he would have said it nothing to worry about, and commended me on finding the lump, then said abt lumpectomy and having mri to see if in lymph nodes, i was then told by bcn that it was ductal invasive grade 3, surely if it was only 6 monthd it would be lower than 3, ?? I dont really understand any of it all new tome…any advice will be welcome, thanks…love to all…xxxxx
I know exactly where you are coming from. That’s what i find confusing.They dont really explain stuff properly do they?
You and i are in the same boat and its all new to us Lisa.
Hope someone can give you the answers. I have so mamy bloody questions and rubbish going on in my head.
xx
Its a bloody nightmare…I think i might close off and think of other things hun…xxx
think i might too tbh. Its making me very tired…xx
Haya. Grade 3 means that the cells are more aggressive than grade 2, which are more aggressive than grade 1. The aggresiveness is the most important factor. Yes, your surgeon is probably right, He/she knows the size of the tumour and that it’s a grade 3, so they know how long ( roughly) it took to grow to the size that it is. For example my oncologist told me that my 2.5cm tumour, grade 2 took roughly 4 years to grow…Likewise someone with grade 1 1cm tumour it may have take 5 years to get to that size…
You can call the helpline, info is accurate and unbiased, perhaps a chat with the ladies here may help??
Good luck.x
Thanks horsie 5050, i am just confused and trying to take it all in, so i could have had this lump for years without knowing it was there, when did you have yours removed…xxx
im thinking the same…im more or less sure i didnt have a lump before as i did used to have a feel around my breasts but they do say it takes years for it to grow. So if thats the case what do they mean as early breast cancer? how do we know if weve caught it early enough? xx
There’s a difference between grade and stage. They like to confuse us! Stage 3 would mean that it was caught relatively late but grading is all to do with the actual cells. You could catch a grade 3 lump really early and be classified as stage 1.
The helpline is brilliant to explain these things if you don’t have a helpful/easily contactable breast care nurse.
Heck…it is confusing, Sandytoes. Although my view is that if they haven’t caught it at its early stages you’d most certainly be in pain. I just think we are very fortunate to have all this wonderful technology. The screening is absolutely fantastic.We are so lucky.
xx
Hi I was told four years ago that I did not have breast cancer. Four years later the same lump turned out to be breast cancer so was misdiagnosed. As you can imagin I was panicking that it had been there for so long. I was worried as they always say it’s god if you find it early , I have been told that no one ever knows how long the cancer has been there for and by funding it early they mean you went to doctor and did not leave it. It depends on the size if tha cancer and how fast it grows, I have been told the cancer was slow growing and if it wasn’t I would be dead now. So you are right thank goodness we have all these excellent people to look after us. However, I still feel like I am in a conveyor belt sometimes. Any way good luck, you will find out little bits if information as you go along an then you are better prepared to ask relavant questions when in clinic. Next time I go I am going to ask for a copy of the lab report.
Wow Suzy… I bet when they told you it mustve been a shock for you. Glad you are here to this day to tell us your story.I hope you sued the Dr…that really does make you think dsnt it? whether to trust the medical profession? I take it the lump you had increased in size, so you got it checked out…am i right? xx
That wasn’t the end if it. Last October I went to gp with another symptom of inverted nipple. Again referred to same hospital, they did another mammogram
But no biopsy this time and again said no cancer so was discharged again. Then in January this year got called back as my doctor requested a biopsy an it was only because I was allows back that they found it. I was then told that cancer cells was present in the biopsy done in 2008 so I have been very very lucky that it was slow growing. An angel must have watched over me.
Oh god yes…defo a lucky lady.poor you, what a traumatic time for you. Are you now having treatment?
I can’t believe you were misdiagnosed in the first place. It’s a total disgrace. It’s such a good thing… you must have had gone on your side…
Hope you are coping OK now though…xx
How awful for you suzy, are you actually having any treatment now, interesting about the grades as that all confuses the hell out of me, i was told i have invasive ductal grade 3, but he said he thinks its 6 months old, that throws me, i would have thought 6 months wouldn be early, just fortunate to find the lump when i did…xxx
i wonder how they knew it was 6months old without surgery?..unless they can tell by the size of it. Its weird they havent told me how long mine as been there and the type of cancer it is. Although tbh i dont think i want to know. i just want them to do what ever is best.
xx
There probably just guessing, even tho I know mine was ther for four years it was 17mm then so goodness only knows how long it took to grow that big if it was slow growing. I was told it was Lobular invasive 17 mm in 2008, 19 mm on ultrasound, 20mm om MRI and 21 mm when removed. Apparently lobular has a tendency not to show full size until MRI or removed. It was stage 2, one lymph node involvement out of 21 removed, also the cells in the sentinal node did not invade capsul and no vascular invasion. I am 4.2 on the Nottingham predictive scale so I am having FEC chemo and have already had mastectomy and axillary node clearance. I have an intermediate chance of reccurance, the breast care nurse said not to hange to much on that as some people can have a cancer just sitting there for years and years without doing to much. Only time will tell if cells traveled. All the cancer was removed during surgery and hopefully it’s watch and wait after this with tamoxifen.
Lisa123 & KB
Have a look at the booklets on this site under ‘Publications’ - in particular, ‘Treating Breast Cancer’. They explain all about types, grade and so on, and everything else you need to know. I was given them by my breast care nurses when I was first diagnosed. I found them really useful to help me understand everything and they enable you to ask questions about your diagnosis and treatment.
As others have said, once you get started with treatment it helps - the time waiting for diagnosis and waiting for treatment to start I found the worst. Although treatment is hard it’s surprising how you’re suddenly through the worst and beginning to feel much better.
Sending you my best wishes. X
Thank you, Flori…i just feel so tired and constant butterflies in my stomch…i need to think positive thoughts like i was doing before. Well at least i am having my surgery on thursday 19th so that will be out of the way.xx
Hi all
The grading and staging information you may find helpful is also on the following pages:
breastcancercare.org.uk/diagnosis
Best wishes
Lucy