Hello,
my mum was told she has BC a few weeks ago. Today she got her results back and doctor told us her tumor is grade 3, measuring approx 3.5cm. Doctor said she needs chemo before surgery. Mum has been very strong until she heard her cancer is the highest grade and now she is worried sick that whilst she is waiting for chemo, the cancer will spread. At the moment we have been told there doesn’t seem to be any spread as her CT scan came back clear and the biopsy on her nymph nodes are clear too. She is having her sentinel node biopsy later this week.
Please tell her not to worry as all the preliminary signs are good - clear CT scan is excellent, and initial thoughts on her lymph nodes are also encouraging. She will know more after her sentinel node biopsy (SNB), and not long to wait for that.
How fast grade 3 (or any other grade) spreads is not an exact science and can’t be measured as it varies so much from person to person. She is in good hands.
I am also grade 3.
If no evidence of c in lymphs then that is good.
i am no expert but I think this means it hasn’t spread!
you sound like a wonderful young lady who will be a great support to your mum. But you will need support to, so don’t hesitate to ohone the helplines, this one and also Macmillan.
All the best x
Please don’t worry. I was dx with a grade 3, 3.5cms tumour plus 3 out of 24 nodes. That was over 5 years ago and I’m fine.
Thank you everyone for your replies.
My mum was so hoping to have surgery ASAP as she just wants the lump out! Just hope the Chemo will start soon!
i’m fine too,grade 3,nearly 3yrs down the line…x
Inadvertently, the other ladies who have replied have helped me too! I love hearing survivor stories!
I am halfway through chemo. Doing well as it is nowhere near as bad as I expected… In fact I have been very lucky as my depression in the worse thing z( I was depressed before chemo).
Don’t worry. One day at a time. I reckon your love will be a brilliant help to your mum
also like to add i have a lady on my facebook friends that is 20yrs bc free!she had grade 3 with lots of nodes involved.x
I was diagnosed with grade 3 invasive lobular breast cancer 2 years ago. 11 out of 13 lymph nodes tested positive and all were removed. I have no reason to think that it will come back or spread. I am just enjoying being here and living life as it should be lived.
What wonderful replies to Kat to give to her mother so encouragment to everyone on here as well
Thank you again for all your replies. It gives me so much hope reading them.
Is there a time line for when Chemo should start? Mum just want the treament to start now so that she feel something is being done to beat this disease. I have just tried to call my mums BCN to see if when we will get an appointment to see the oncologist, but couldnt get through to her. The waiting is getting unbearable.
Kat xx
Poor Kat and mum. You are in the Waiting Room, where we have all been. It is the worst place to be, believe me. Once she has the SNB and a proper treatment plan you will both feel so much better. I promise you. All you can do before then is be good to yourselves. Have some days out to favourite places, eat chocolate, go shopping together, give yourselves plenty of special treats. You deserve it. You are worrying about the unknown, which is such a waste of energy, so concentrate on nice things for now.
Things will move quickly. There are time limits, and your hospital will do its level best to keep to them. Keep nagging the BCN though. They do need a bit of nagging to reply to calls!
xxx
Hi Kat
I was grade 3 too, about the same size and unfortunately it had already spread to liver & lungs. Chemo is very powerful though and together with Herceptin, shrank my liver & lung lesions so much they’re no longer detectable on CT scans. My breast tumour had reduced in size by about 70% - and had reduced in strength to grade 1!
I’m sure they won’t hang about, but the SNL biospsy results may change the treatment plan (eg different chemo drug), so worth waiting for.
Good luck to you and your mum.
Sarah
Hi Kat
Just to add my two pennyworth, I was diagnosed in October 2012 with ductal invasive, grade 3. I didn’t have chemo before surgery, but had surgery first (mastectomy) but not until December 12th 2012. The lump was 3cm, three nodes removed and one contained cancer cells. Chemo didn’t start until February 5th - but there was no sign of any other spread apart from the one node that had already been removed. I also had vascular invasion, but chemo sorted that out. So there is no reason to believe you lovely mum will have any spread either.
By the way, my ocologist’s secretary rang me to arrange my appointment a few days before the appointment actually took place. But as Lola said, keep nagging her BCN.
Good Luck
Poemsgalore xx
Hi Everyone! I glad that I found this website!
I was dignosed on Tuesday with DCI grade 3 its so confused .
Cannot talk to my nurse start craing all she did give me booklets .
I haveing operation soon and I hope it will be fine, what the CT scan?
appology for bad speling.
I try to be positive most of the time but it very hard at the moment because i did not expected this if my life.
Hi euvitt
I’m sure the BCN are used to patients crying (after all, it’s a big shock to be told you have cancer…probably the biggest shock any of us will get) but, if you really can’t get along with yours, perhaps you could ring the nurses on the helpline here?
(((hugs))) Maggie xx
Mum had her SNB today. They have kept her in overnight as her oxygen level was low. When I saw her after surgery she looked so pale, it was really upsetting to see her look so vulnerable.
Now back to more waiting for the result.
Hi Kat. So sorry to read about your Mum. The waiting, like Linda( Lola) says is the worst part. Once you have a treatment plan it will be better. The onc tends to wait a while before surgery or chemo as they need to get all the test and scan results in order to plan best treatment. The patient also has to have time to come to terms with things, its too much to take in all in one day. I was originally told I’d have chemo then a mx but once the results from my scans were in that changed as I had 5 lumps in different quads and spread in my nodes, so I had a mx and ANC however this wasn’t until 6 weeks after my initial biopsies. I am now having chemo, which was 8 weeks after my op. So lots of waiting!
I know its hard but try not to worry. Take heart from the lovely positive posts you’ve had from women who have been through this journey and are out the other side. Good luck to you and your Mum xx
Dear Kat
6 months before my diagnosis of a grade 3 triple negative tumour, I had a chest CT for a lung condition. I remember thinking ‘if this solid feel to my breast is something nasty, the radiologist will see it and let me know’. Nothing was reported and when I later did get diagnosed and had a mastectomy and node clearance, all were clear. I did eventually ‘own up’ to my Oncologist about my delay in seeking advice about my breast. He said cancers can be growing for years before they become obvious. So although once you get into the system, everything does seem to get moving at a pace, giving the impression that everything has to happen superfast, I think the urgency is more in our eyes than in the medics. So I wouldn’t worry too much Kat.
ps I was diagnosed Sept 2006, so coming up to 7 years and no evidence of disease.
Liz
Hello,I have just been diagnosed with 10mm lump in breast and lymph node cancer. I have to have chemo to shrink tumour then surgery at a later date. My consultant is very good, he explained that the chemo will shrink tumour first whilst zapping any stray cancer cells that may attempt to travel round my body hence protecting from spread. His explanation made perfect sense. I too am scared, butnow I know what it is, I am determined to get the “beast” and then resume normal life. So keep strong, everyone I know, knows someone who has had breast ca, and they are still ok 5, 10, 15 years on as treatment and drugs are so good nowadays. Good luck.