Hi,
Can anyone tell me if all invasive breast tumours have tentacles coming from them or is it a specific type of bc? Would be grateful for any help, thank you xx
Hi Katy
Our helpliners may be able to help you with your query, you are welcome to call on 0808 800 6000, the lines are open today 9-5, you can also send an email query to our ‘Ask the Nurse’ service, just follow this link for more details:
breastcancercare.org.uk/breast-cancer-services/ask-nurse
Best wishes
Lucy
That’s an interesting question, one I’ve not seen asked since I was dx more than 5 years ago. My oncs didn’t use that word but they have said something equivalent… my bc is ER+ PR+ Her-neg.
Anyway, whether they have tentacles or not, they are definitely treatable 
Hope you are doing well after your treatment is finished.
I believe some cancers have what are referred to as “receptors”. This is what was explained to me when I was diagnosed Her2+ 5 years ago, and I think it’s the receptors that the protein in this type of cancer bonds itself to.
Hi
Don’t know the answer but apparently my tumour was the spongy kind!
hi katy, not sure if its the same thing, but my onc referred to my tumour having “spindles”. she drew it and it looked like a squashed 8 pointed star. good luck with your treatment. alex x
Receptors are not the same thing as having an odd-shaped tumour. If an individual cancer cell has oestrogen receptors, this is at the molecular level - the receptors do not show up on a scan.
I guess those who have posted on this thread so far have had primary bc and were told something about their tumour after the pathology report, or maybe after a mammogram (as I was) or other scan. My liver mets, too, are unfortunately “not neat little spheres” (so I was told) which can make a scan a bit difficult to interpret… but I have been carefully monitored by blood tests. Just making this comment in case it helps anyone
Thank you everyone for your replies, when I saw the consultant he had the mammogram pics up on the computer and my tumour was roundish and had strands/tentacle things coming out of it, I had forgotten all about it so when I remembered I just wanted to know if everyones tumours looked like this or is that only a particular type of bc?? I never asked about it which seems stupid now but your brain doesn’t work properly when in the midst of being diagnosed!! xx
Hi katytc
my tumour was sort of star shaped wth strands coming off it . I had a tubular cancer.
Hope u r still coping ok on tamoxifen.
Alis
Xxx
I had Invasive Ductal Cancer and I was looking at the screen when they did the ultra sound and asked about the shape as it was irregular and had pointy bits poking off it. From the conversation I had cancers can look different and that is why they have to take biopsies to be sure of diagnosis - they cant rely on what they look like. Not sure if this is any help
Anne
Hi Katytc
I have ductal cancer which is not invasive and I was told I have ‘spindles’ coming from my cancer which vary in length ( my dr described them as like spikes on a sea urchin) i had aMRi today which i think will show more of what they are like, so the surgeon can plan my surgery. Dont know if that helps at all
This is really interesting, logically thinking if there are tentacles coming out of the tumour you would think that it is trying to spread it’s way out if you know what I mean! That’s why I was wondering if that’s why it was invasive but lindyloo49 does not have invasive so bang goes that theory.
Yes Alis, no more nausea, still can’t quite believe it!!! Hope you are ok too, thank you xx