As I see a lot of Grade 3s posting I thought i would starting a new heading for Grade 2s. How many of you are there? Are or have any of you had Herceptin as well like me. What are the chances of it coming back if you are Grade 2? So many questions, maybe we can pool our experiences.
Hi, i finished my rads just over 3 years and when i was on here after just starting my treatment felt abit lonely as i was 2 for everything
and also oest neg but prog pos when everyone seemed to be oest pos.
I had a 2 cm, grade 2 , stage 2 with one node.
Hope you get a good response and good luck - good idea.
Starfish,
I’m a grade 2, diagnosed November. tumour 3.5cm, 5 nodes. Her2 negative ER positive.
Scans were clear at the beginning of the year. Just started on rads following 3FEC and 3Tax.
Grade 2 is less aggressive than grade 3. But prognosis is dependent on many factors - as listed above. Being Her2 positive used to mean an increased risk of a recurrance, but the advent of herceptin cancelled that risk out.
Bright
I am Grade 2;2cm;triple negative;no nodes dx Oct 2006
WLE then 4xfec4xtaxotere and 15 rads
Hi grade 2,2cm dx oct 08 no nodes 15 rads & tamoxifen x
hi
grade 2 , 5 cm and 1.2 cm tumours and dcis, 15/18 nodes,er/pr - and her2 +. 3 more herceptin to go. i was told prognosis is 54% of coming back in 10 years
Hi starfish
I was also Grade 2 and told that nodes were clear - opted for therapeutic mammoplasty and was told would have rads after. Sentinel node was pos though and later told in was in 4/23 lymph so just had bone and CT scans- now back clear so huge relief - found out today. But not started treatment yet as although Grade 2 I now have to have mx with immediate implant. This is apparently because of the risk of recurrance later. All very confusing but would be interested to know what treatment you have had as all still very unclear at the moment, know i will have chemo and rads and tamoxifen just not when!
By the way 43yrs have 3 kids.
Denise
Hi starfish,
I too was grade 2. 1cm, nodes clear (SNB took 2 nodes), ER+ 8/8, PR+ 5/8, Her2 -ve. I had 18 rads (3 of which were boosts) and now on tamoxifen.
Eliza xx
Grade 2 for me too ! Diagnosed Jan op Feb,WLE and SNB .
15mm ,no node invovement ER and PR 8/8 , HER -VE .
Was told I was borderline for chem due to my age(44)could have it if I wanted but they weren’t pushing it, but had high 10yr survival rate of over 90% .Chemo would have given me 3% extra over that time, didn’t feel it worth it for that small increase and the risks outweighed the benefits, right choice for me at the time, have to live with what happens in the future.
15 rads and on tamoxifen for the forseeable future.Onwards and upwards.
Sandra x
Grade 2, 9mm tumour, dx Oct 2008, Oest +ve, Hert2 -ve, lymph nodes clear. Also told I was borderline for chemotherapy because of my age (34 years) but apparently it would have only given me 1% increased chance of survival - so my Oncologist decided not to put me through chemo. I consider myself one of the lucky ones.
Had surgery Nov 08 and 15 Rads in January 09. Now taking Tamoxifen. Returned to full-time work in March 09. 6 months after my treatment I’m still on an emotional rollercoaster - the current phase I’m going through is to feel angry with the world for putting me through the last 9 months! I’m usually such a positive person.
Is/has anyone else still suffering the effects of their treatment 6 months after it finished? I have no physical pain but it seems to be taking an age to get over the fatigue. I’ve never known tiredness and low-energy like it!
Didi
xx
Hi Didi and welcome to the forums,
I am sure your fellow users will relate to the feelings of tiredness you describe, cancerbackup have information which you may also find helpful, just click on this link to access the site:
cancerbackup.org.uk/Resourcessupport/Symptomssideeffects/Fatigue
Best wishes
Lucy
Hi another grade 2 here
I was dx Dec 2007 WLE/SNB 1.8mm Jan 2008 ER/PR + HER2 negative, nodes clear. Had 18 rads, been on tamoxifen for 18 months and zoladex for same time to shut ovaries down. Also borderline chemo (39 at DX)but only increased % by 0.8% so decided against.Am currently waiting for a date for an oopherectomy.
Was back in work by 1st April 2008.
It has been a roller coaster but have just done the ribbon walk in Yorkshire and made me realise how fortunate I am. I avoid the “I’m lucky” as I dont think any of us are lucky no matter how good the prognosis is, we still had/have the disease.
I am constantly tired and hot and ache a bit but its a small price to pay. The weight gain is the thing that bothers me the most(probably why I ache so much)but thats probably down to the xconstant craving for carbs. Got my backside into gear this week and hit the Wii Fit, theres nothing like knocking seven bells out on the boxing to get rid of those bingo wings.
Love and luck to you all and keep going to the ones just starting.
S x
Hi all
I’m a Grade 2 also 35mm, 2 nodes removed but clear, er+ so now on Arimidex. also had 2 shaving as not clear margin, still not 1oo% clear, going to hav 13 rads nd 3 booster, mapping out being done on 20th july.
You all talk of different dx and treatments being done but I dont understand the terms, has anybody got a list of abbreviation 
Im I the only one that doesn’t understand, I must ask more questions
sunset
not sure which abbreviations you need but here are some;
WLE=wide local excision or lumpectomy
mx=mastectomy
dx=diagnosis
SNB=sentinel node biopsy
FNA-fine needle aspiration
er=oestrogen
pr=progesterone
tn=triple negative
fec=a sort of chemo
tax=taxotere-also a chemo drug
E-CMF=a sort of chemo-the E is epirubicin dont know the others
rads=radiotherapy
IDC=invasive ductal carcinoma
IBC=inflammatory breast cancer
DCIS/LCIS=Ductal [or lobular]carcinoma in situ
Just ask if you need more
Vx
And another one. DX Dec 2008, 15mm grade 2 invasive lobular,ER+ 7/8, PR+ 8/8, HER2 -ve, WLE and axillary sampling Feb 2009, clear margins, clear nodes, no chemo (only 2.5% benefit deemed not worth the risks) 15 rads (finished 10 June), tamoxifen.
Didi, the fatigue you’re experiencing could be the tamoxifen. I struggled with terrible fatigue and other SEs on the generic tamoxifen. Onc suggested a break and within a week I felt great. Started to take Nolvadex 2 weeks ago and I’m afraid the tiredness is started to kick in again. Shame they don’t list it as a SE on the info leaflets - a lot of people seem to suffer it. PM me if you want to discuss.
Hi I was a grade 2 as well. DX Jan 09 with IDC…12mm, clear nodes, er and pr +, HER neg, Had WLE and SNB, DCIS in margins. Had further WLE …DCIS in margins so had mastectomy with immediate recon. No further treatment except Arimidex…do you have those lurverly big calcium tabs too Sunset?
Helenxx
To be honest this thread has made me feel really down as I seem to be one of only ones with lymph node involvement. I’m grade 2, tumour about 6cm, Er+, Pr+, Her2- and 9/17 lymph nodes infected. Mine was invasive lobular and went from not being able to feel anything in breast exam to this huge tumour in a matter of weeks following being put on HRT.
I had mastectomy with full axillary clearance on left and then right side risk reducing mastectomy. I had chemo first (FEC) and once I recover from surgery will be having taxotere followed by 15 session of radiotherapy.
No-one has told me my prognosis and not sure I want to know. I’m hoping there are people out there who have lived for a long time under similar circumstances.
Elinda
i’m a grade 2 dx april 09, 11mm IDC (er/pr+ Her2-)with DCIS - no nodes inv. Looks like i may be the only one under these circumstances that is having chemo(started 3rd july). I’m 35, no-one said i was borderline age-wise, was just told to expect to have everything thrown at me due to my age. Anyone else had/having chemo who is grade 2?
x
Yes pixie I had chemo because I am triple negative despite being a bit elderly for the dx and the treatment[62 at dx].Most triple negs are younger women.
Hi Elinda
Please do not feel down. That is why I started this topic. I was dx in Feb 08 with multifocal lobular had mx and full node clearance as 6/21 nodes involved. I have and am getting everything including Herceptin. I do not hear of many Grade 2s being HER2 either. Every breast cancer is different. When I was first dx a friend who was coming towards the end of her 5 years on tamoxifen and had a lump removed, no chemo and rads said dont worry it was good news for me and I know it will be for you. I had a gut instinct it would not be for me and I was right. I am coming through treatment and have managed to get away for 2 foreign holidays this year. That is only because I refused to have a line for herceptin as veins have collapsed. I do not know if that will be for much longer as they could not get a vein last time and I was told the nurse that could was leaving.