I’ve found out today that my cancer is in the ducts rather than anywhere else.
It was/is aggresive at Stage 3 when diagnosed and just wondered if others have experience of this type of cancer. I don’t seem to read so much about it on here.
Hi Peacock
I was Stage 3 invasive ductal cancer which proved to be HER2 positive. My tumour was 6cm.
Had mastectomy with immedite reconstruction which I am still finding uncomfie.
Have you had surgery ?
Liz xx
Mine is Invasive Ductal grade 2 I was told that IDC was the most common type.Vx
Hi Peacock
I was dx with this in September last year, I think that this is the stage after DCIS(ductal carcinoma in situ) (I could be wrong) as invasive indicates spread to lymph nodes. I’d be happy to share my experience with you if you wish, send me a private message and we can take it from there.
Dawnflower
IDC accounts for 70% of breast cancers so is fairly “common”.
Invasive doesnt mean it has spread it means that unlike DCIS it has the potential to spread if untreated-mine hadnt.Vx
hi there i was diagnosed with invasive ductal cancer grade 3 too dont really know much else about it sorry having a wle on the 12/08
but if i find stuff out will let ya know but will keep looking on here .x
what treatment are you having by the way?
Hi Peacock
I was dx with IDC and had a WLE and node sampling on the 15th July. My consultant told me DCIS is when its confined to the ducts. IDC is when it has begun to ‘bleed’ outside of the duct. It doesn’t mean it has spreed to the lymph nodes. I won’t know if any of my nodes are affected until I go back for my pathology report in a weeks time.
I hope this makes things a bit clearer for you.
Catherine x
Hi Peacock, I was dx in May this year with a grade 3 idc. I had a mastectomy on the 25th June as the tumour was too big for chemo to have any detrimental effect in shrinking it. I had 4 lymph nodes sampled and unfortunately they showed cancerous cells so unfortunately am awaiting a further operation date for the rest of nodes to be removed.
Remain positive and you will get through this difficult time. The people on here are a wonderful source of support so please use this site as and when you need it - not just the bad times but the good as well.
Lizzie52, I was very much like you , 6 cms mx but without immediate reconstruction as healing time is longer and I need chemo as soon as poss. I would be interested in hearing how you have been coz this is something I may seriously consider in the future,
Have a good day all
Sharon xx
Hi,
ducts are good as less likely to go to the other breast and it is the average type most people have. You could look up the stage bit to understand more. A bigger tumour with no nodes can be the same stage as a smaller one with nodes, so you get different people in the same stage. It is not too scarey to read.Thn you have to look at if hormone receptive or HER2. It is not always a clear cut case as treatments like chemo and herceptin have evened the differences between thw types out more. One article will make you feel better and another won’t be so good so I would say either read a lot or just ask the BCN so you only hear the positive bits for you. I read a lot and can see how opinions vary and can give the wrong view.
Good luck
Lily x
Hi Peacock,
I have/had invasive ductal grade 2, they took out 45mm tumor by wle on the 6 June, results came back no lymph node involvement but no clear margins, pre-cancerous within 1mm of outer margin so my surgeon said to have a mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. Had that done 14 July and going back for results today at 2.50.
Invasive as Dawnflower said is where DCIS has broken through the walls of the ducts and has the POTENTIAL to spread it does not mean that it has spread anywhere else.
There is a lot of information on breast cancer on the web but as I found out this can scare you, all people on this site are diffferent, but they will give you the support you need to help you get through this, as will your BCN (if she’s good, unlike mine)
Take every step as it comes and you will get through this.
Keep your chin up!
Essie xx
Thanks Lily200, you’re from Chelmsford aren’t you?? so am I.
sharon xx
Hi Lily, Liz, April, Sharon and everyone and thanks for replying.
My treatment so far:
Dx on 4 June with aggressive stage 3 when surgeon was meant to be doing a “microdectomy” because of mass of swelling to breast and bleeding from the nipple. He didn’t know until I was opened up that it was cancer (consequently I am not going to go back to see him again).
Saw Onc a week later and started chemo first as the cancer was too big for either a mastectomy or lymph node test.
Had 2 of taxotere, 2 more to go and then 4 of something else.
This will be followed by mastectomy then radiotherapy then Herceptin.
When I asked why the initial surgeon didn’t do a mastectomy and check lymph nodes I was told “it wasn’t the right time because the cancer was too big”.
I would really like to know how long this has been growing inside, I only first found a relatively small mass at the beginning of April and acted very promptly. My earlier postings would explain how I was misdiagnosed initially so it was a real shock.
You’ve all been very helpful, isn’t it strange though how some have mastectomy first and others like me chemo first? I am in France so perhaps thats just how they do it here. It is difficult to ask questions, and get answers because of the language problems.
xxx
Hi All
Sharon - I was diagnosed on routine mammogram in May last year and had mastectomy in June. After much consideration I opted for the immediate reconstruction. I was against it at first and the surgeon told me to think about it. The skin was saved and had the LD reconstruction with a tissue expander in. I started chemo, 3 FEC and 3 tax on 1st August. Then had radiotherapy in February for 5 weeks and I am now on Herceptin for a year. The reconstruction is still very uncomfie but everybody is different. As said, mine was grade 3, 8/14 nodes involved and HER2 positive.
My niece’s friend was exactly the same and had a delayed reconstruction and has just had it using the back muscle and she doesn’t seem to be as uncomfortable as I am. I’m not a wimp where pain is concerned so I just wonder what is going on. I think the chemo and radiotherapy affected it as it seemed to tighten after each one so maybe reconstruction after treatment is best.
Like everybody you just wonder how long it has been growing as I was told IDC is quick growing. I had actually gone to my GP many months before my mammogram because my boob was half the size again of the other. Lady doctor examined me and said it could be hormonal so you accept this. I am not sure if something was going on then and haven’t looked into it. My tumour was a thickening and half size of boob.
liz xxx
Hi Liz
How strange, my GP said it was hormonal too and gave me a cream to rub on it to ease the discomfort!
My boob swelled massively and was full of a hardened area, top sides and underneath so not really a lump as such.
Did anyone else have bleeding from the nipple?
Gosh - that makes you wonder doesn’t it ? You think you’ve done the right thing and accepted what the GP says. I am not quite sure when I went to see her.
I did start getting an itch behind my nipple which I believe is a sign of breast cancer and then after core biopsy I was in real pain with my boob. I went for my mammogram because of age on 19th March and 4 weeks later I hadn’t heard anything so rang them and they said the scan hadn’t been looked at because they were short of consultants. So I got recalled in May and op on 15th June. 3 months after mammogram and growing quickly? Wonder how small it would have been if recalled straight away.
How are you on taxotere?
Liz xx
Hi Peacock,
Sorry there was so much confusion about your dx.
I was dx 7th April with BC, I had a WLE excision and full node clearance, this showed invasive ductal carcinoma grade 3. The grading used indicates how different the cancer cells are from your normal cells, so some say grade 3 is the most aggressive. 3/10 nodes removed were involved so I am going through chemo at the mo, 6 in total. My lump was 2.5x3cm in size, the margins weren’t good after the first op so they did a re-excision which showed only healthy tissue. I am er+ sp after chemo and rads I’ll have tamoxifen for 5 yrs.
Invasive was described to me that it has leached slightly from the duct but not necessarily spread but in my case it had. DCIS seems to mean that it is in place or can be used for pre-cancerous cells, well that’s what the BCN told me as I was querying re critical illness as they don’t pay out for in situ carincomas.
Best of luck hunny with it all
xoxo
Because my lymph nodes weren’t checked, obviously one of my questions/worries is, after having chemo will these give an accurate result? Will it matter? What I’m trying to say is, surely if any nodes were involved then won’t the chemo be getting to them too or am I still likely to face nodes being affected?
Sorry, questions, that you probably can’t answer - I suppose I am just thinking aloud.
Hi Peacock
I too had chemo prior to surgery, my onc was very persuasive that this was the way it needed to be done (he said it gave a better prognosis longterm). My chemo was 4x epirubicin and cyclophosphamide and then 4x taxotere.
After I had felt the lump in the shower, a few days later I felt a lump in my armpit so deduced that it had gone into my lymph.
I had an MRI scan, CT scan and bone scan prior to chemo and then MRI and CT scan again half way through chemo . As chemo is systemic, I hope it gets the lymph nodes sorted.
Dawnflower