Now told need MRI scan before told treatments

Hi, every day that passes I’m becoming more scared!.. Have had core biopsy two week ago, told I’d get call back appointment for results and treatment plan. Had phone call from BC nurse who told me I’d get a call to go in for MRI to see if there’s more going on!?.. Then wait, again, for results before appointment to see consultant team to discuss treatments next!.. She mentioned Lobular breast cancer… PLEASE if anyone has had this diagnosis I’d appreciate the support and hear of your experiences, treatment received and recovery timescale? After the biopsy (even now two weeks on ) my breast seems more misshapen, painful and I can feel more of a solid lump now??? Is this usual?? 

think I’m going to have to speak to my dr as the constant thumping and palpitations in my chest are scaring me too, as well as the feeling of a lump in my throat when I swallow… Soooooo scared!!! ? 

Hi Tandy,

 

Please dont be alarmed at the fact that you need to have an MRI. I was diagnosed with lobular cancer in my left breast almost two years ago and also had to have an MRI scan. This is because lobular cancer can occur in both breasts at the same time, but this only happens in a VERY small number of cases. The way lobular cancer grows means that it’s sometimes difficult to see on mammogram, so to make sure, they always do MRI scans on the “good” breast. Also, after biopsy, your breast tissue reacts to the site where the needles were inserted and can make you feel like the lump is growing daily. But in reality, this is just your body reacting normally.

 

I was 50 on diagnosis and underwent WLE, chemo and rads. I finished active treatment a year ago and am physically well now. After your MRI has taken place, your results will be discussed at an MDT (multiple disciplinary team) meeting which will consist of your consultant surgeon, breast care nurse, oncologists and pathologists. They will decide what will be the best way forward for you. unfortunately, I can’t tell you how long your recovery time will be because it will depend on what treatment plan you have, but If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask me. The ladies on this site are invaluable for understanding, advice and confidence boosting, so you’ve come to the right place for help. Also, perhaps you may want to phone the helpline tomorrow morning. I used it a lot when I was first diagnosed and always put the phone down in a better frame of mind than when I’d picked it up. 

 

When you’re first diagnosed, it’s such a shock and can be very difficult to take in the information that your BC nurse or surgeon give you. I took both my husband and daughter with me to appointments so that I wouldn’t miss anything they said to me (6 ears are better than 2!) Please take care and be kind to yourself over the next couple of weeks. I promise that you will feel more in control when your treatment plan is worked out. Sending you big hugs, Ann x x 

 

 

 

 

 

The questions I would ask are first and foremost the grade of the tumour and whether it’s hormone or HER positive. They should be able to answer these basic questions from the info gleaned from your core biopsy. Once the results from your MRI are known, they can see the size of the tumour and will also be able to give you a predicted treatment plan based on all of the above. 

 

Have they mentioned anything about lymph nodes? If there’s no lymph involvement, and the tumour is grade 1 or 2 and is small, then the chances are that you’ll only require surgery (probably wide local incision rather than mastectomy) and radiotherapy. If the tumour is medium size and/or you have small breasts, you may prefer to have a mastectomy meaning that radiotherapy is not required at all. If the tumour is large, then they probably will recommend chemo and this may be done before or after surgery. In some instances, chemo is given before surgery so that they can shrink the tumour prior to removal. This is the best option if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes because it allows your treatment team to see how effective chemo is at killing off the cancer cells.

 

I know how you feel re loosing hair, but I actually bought 3 different wigs and loved each of them. I had a short blond one, a long blond one and a feisty red one. Sometimes wore them all on the same day!! Used to get some funny looks from the neighbours till I came clean and told them what was happening. I had some real fun during chemo (seems really strange to be saying that!) so it’s not all bad. Hopefully you won’t need it anyway.

 

I think that BCC have a section about what to ask at appointments, so you might well want to have a read of that. There’s also help on the Macmillan site about questions too. Please just stick to this site and the Macmillan one. There’s so much unregulated stuff online and it’s very difficult to differentiate between what’s scientifically proven or not. It can lead you to a dark place, believe me coz I’ve been there!!!

 

Anyway, sorry for rambling on. I’m here to help if I can. Oh and my daughter left home for uni 9 years ago at the age of 17. Broke my heart for a whole week before I realised I wasn’t tripping over her stilettos or having to continually pick up behind her anymore!! And wooly heads are more than acceptable at the mo.

 

Hugs, Ann x x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Tandy,

 

Hows you today? Hope you’re feeling a little better than yesterday. I felt like it took forever to be given a treatment plan after diagnosis. The fact that we lobulars need MRI scans means that we wait a little longer than ductal cancer ladies for treatment to start. I worried daily that the longer the cancer was inside me, the more chance there was of it spreading and it’s perfectly normal to feel like that. But I’m lucky in the sense that I work in the NHS and was able to speak to someone who worked in the Pathology lab. They pointed out that the cancer hadn’t grown over night and that it had taken considerable time for it to reach the stage it had, so the chances of it spreading in the time it takes for treatment to start were tiny. So try not to worry (and I know how difficult it is) and although you feel you’re not coping at the moment, you will when the time comes. After diagnosis, I was a bit of a wreck for the first couple of weeks but after being given my treatment plan, I felt more in control and found it easier to think clearly. Please remember that you really are in good hands and your team will have your best interest at heart. Take care and sending big hugs, Ann x x 

Remember Tandy that you’re never alone. The ladies on this site are amazing at keeping your pecker up, and the phone line is invaluable. I cried buckets to the lovely volunteers at the end of the BCC helpline, so perhaps you could try having a chat to one of them? They were absolutely fab at making me feel better and always lifted my mood.

 

When they told me I had cancer I came home and bawled my eyes out because of my hair. I never actually thought about dying, just losing my hair. It turned out that I was borderline for chemo and chose to have it (sounds mad, I know) because I felt that if my cancer did come back I would truly know that I’d done all I could to beat it. My cancer was a whopping 37mm, so considerably larger than yours, so you may well not need to have chemo at all. And although I never want to lose my hair again, I loved my wigs!! Loads of people asked me where I got my hair done, so they had no clue that I was wearing a wig. My hair grew back very quickly and has come back really thick and strong. 

 

Hope you feel better as the days go on and remember that you’ll make loads of new friends on this site who are going through the apsame as you at the same time. Big hugs, Ann x x