So, good news! The cancer although extensive (2 lobular tumours and multiple satellite deposits) within the breast was not detected on any of the 4 lymph nodes removed so it’s gone!
Follow up care involves definite endocrine and radiotherapy but they threw a spanner in the works by mentioning the possibility of chemotherapy to reduce risk of recurrence but implied it would be very much up to me once they hit me with figures. Anyone have any experience of this and advice and/or thoughts? X
Nothing in the lymph nodes is great news, means your stage is likely less than 3. Ongoing treatment could be dependent on grading and type of BC, however, so its difficult to have an opinion without that detail.
Sorry should have included more detail. It’s a lobular cancer grade 2 er+, pr+ and HER2-.
X
Treatment choices are very complex and indiviualised. Although they may give you some choice, it is wise to get your oncologists opinion.They know you the best, so know your health history age etc. There is no one treatment with x tumour takes a y path of treatment, it can even come down to personal circumstances, such are the nuances. See what they advise, its not really something that can be predicted. Take it a step at a time, its all you can do, though I get the wish to jump to the next stages and have it over and done.
lobular cancer can seem sneaky as it develops very differently from the more common ductal.
I hope all goes well for you.
seagulls
So had follow up appointment with my oncologist today. They advise I basically throw everything at the cancer to reduce the likelihood of it ever coming back. They said ultimately it’s up to me but showed me the results using the ‘predict’ tool and explained to me why chemotherapy before radiotherapy is advised. The size of the lobular tumours they removed played a big factor. I’ve to start chemotherapy as soon as mastectomy wounds are fully healed. Hopefully 2 weeks time. I was upset while they were going through everything but managed to ask all my questions and and now feeling better about the whole thing. They are proposing I have 4 rounds of EC followed by 4 rounds of T. I have still got a lot of reading up to find out what these things even mean but I thought I’d update here and ask for any advice, hints or thoughts before I embark on the next stage of my journey.
Take one day at a time. Celebrate every single day you get through and reward your bravery. If you don’t feel brave believe me you are!
Accept kind help. Ignore rudeness, ignorance or unhelpfulness. If you get miserable get on here or talk to a good friend.
All the best
Seagulls xxx
Posted an update on my introductory post. If you wish to view it there.
that is really bad news. It’s awful to think they will need to find another part of you to take a flap from. I felt quite sick and ill after left breast mastectomy and diep surgery in Sept 2022 but elated I had another breast to replace the one I’d lost.
I had already had surgery on the left breast in late December 2003 and got a wound infection after so I can remember all sorts of unpleasant liquid being removed from mine and then having to have the wound dressed every day in January 2004 when everyone was on holiday.
I was never happy with breat conservation but I went back to work as soon as possible and adapted to it, retiring as early as I could after I paid off the mortgage.I got married at 58 to an old university friend but I didn’t have children which I regret.
I couldn’t believe I had breast cancer again in 2022 but I had a completely different kind. I really can’t stand not being in control of things. First time I was 47 and second time 66. I did not think I would get breast cancer the first time and certainly not twice! I was ignorant about it all and I felt the docs were pretty ignorant about us patients and they still are maybe.
My tum split open when my husband didn’t push the shopping trolley off a Tesco moving ramp. That left me with a big open wound left of my abdomen above my pubes. Then the dissolvable stitches didn’t dissolve so I was picking them out of my skin for months -around Christmas 2022.
Now I think there’s more to life than perfect breasts. Nobody is perfect but we should behave kindly to others and try to empathise with their feelings and distress. I think you may feel better once you have a new plan for surgery, but cancer is serious stuff and there’s a lot of distressing aspects to it - embarassment, lackof dignity, feelings of helplessness, fear of dying, chemo - we all would rather run a mile from all this if we weren’t told it is likely to save our lives.
Most illnesses have pain as a symptom. Neither of my cancers was painful, but the treatment has been. I now eat a lot of luxury icecream to reward myself for being so brave.
Seagulls