Sister has found lump in breast

Hello,
My sister is 57yrs old and on 23/12/10 found a lump in her breast,
She has seen a consultant today who has said it is not a cyst and has taken biopsies which may be back this week or next at the latest.
My sisters and I are obviously concerned as our mother died of breast cancer 28 yrs ago aged 50 yrs however the consultant has said he believes that if the cancers were linked she would have developed it earlier. My concern is that if it is cancer will the delay in the biopsy results affect her prognosis I am worried that the cancer (if it is that) is aggressive will develop unchecked during the time we are waiting for the results. My sisters and I are really worried.

Of course you are all worried,it would be unnatural if you weren’t. Did your sister have a mammogram or ultrasound as well as the biopsy? There are many types of breast cancer and not all are aggressive, and even invasive forms don’t necessarily spread to other parts of the body in just a few days. Your sister’s treatment, if she needs treatment, will be chosen to suit all these factors.

Read through some more of the threads: there are people here who have had secondary cancers who are still going strong years after. It’s not pleasant, but the chances of surviving long enough to die of something else are improving all the time.

Hi karbritt and welcome to the BCC forums

In addition to the support you have here please do feel free to call our helpline where you can talk your concerns over with someone in confidence, the line is open 9-5 weekdays and 9-2 Sat on 0808 800 6000.

Take care
Lucy

CherIL T…many thanks for your comments and for taking the time to answer me
My sister has had a mammogram and an ultrasound whilst she was in Tenerife (she was on holiday when she discovered the lump)
I just feel that given her age and the fact that the lump is not a cyst that all signs point to the lump being cancerous.
I do realise that until the results of the biopsy we cannot be sure.
I am trying to take comfort in the fact that she has not been rushed into hospital but I suppose the fact that my mother died of the disease is weighing heavily on our minds. We are all trying to be strong for her.

Karbritt, the waiting and uncertainty is the toughest time - but please don’t worry that the wait of a week or two for biopsy results will be dangerous - even aggressive, fast growing cancers don’t grow ‘that’ fast - most tumours have actually been growing for months, if not years by the time they are found.

My own lump was a grade 3 aggressive type - but in the five weeks between biopsy and mastectomy, it hadn’t grown more than a mm, if that. One of my lymph nodes looked suspicious at time of biopsy, and that one was infected, but no others had joined the party by the time of surgery.

I’ll keep it all crossed that the lump is benign, and it may well be - but do keep in touch if you have any questions, need reassurance, and I’m sure you’ll be helped by others on here.

Losing your mother to bc is obviously going to be weighing on your mind - just hugs xxxxx

Sophie

Hi Karbritt

The lump may be benign (non-cancerous) and she will have an operation to remove it and checks every year with mammograms - so it may not be as bad as you are imagining it to be.

My cancer was a grade 3 agressive cancer which I found in late June. I had to wait until Sept for an operation by the time they had done all the tests and results were in. It had only grown a few mm (in 10 weeks) so the short delay whilst waiting for results will not cause more damage.

It would be easy to say “dont worry” as i know you will but from the fact you have written this post - I am sure you will be there for your sister whatever the news - to hopefully celebrate as its nothing serious.
Take care
Janvis xxx

It is an extra worry because of your mother, and it probably brings back the stress and sorrow you felt when she was ill and when she died.

The two big risk factors for breast cancer are being female and being older. That said, a friend of mine had two lumps and sections of both breasts removed at the same time that I had one lump and one set of lymph nodes removed, but my friend’s lumps were not cancerous.

Waiting is the hardest, almost harder than bad news sometimes. The big shock for a lot of us was when they said ‘We want to do a biopsy,’ and waiting for the results seemed like forever. Can you do something nice together to ease the wait?

CherylILT

You have hit the nail on the head all this has brought back the heartbreak of losing our mom. My mother in law had a mastectomy ten years ago and is thank God cancer free…she is a shining example and a success story.
My sister has some what retreated into herself which is her way of dealing with the situation, myself and my other sisters are in touch every day and I feel better talking about it…I like to face up to things…The best therapy for me I find is to speak to the people who love my sister the most namely my two sisters.
Fortunately my sister has a wonderful husband who is her rock…
I pray everyday that she has been one of the lucky ones
thank you everyone for your support

Karen

Best of luck to you and your sister. This waiting is a complete bitch and I’m climbing the walls myself for results of a biopsy on a second lump, so I’m right by her side with the worrying. I know that the worry while waiting is that you’ll be pushing up daisies within a fortnight, but that is extremely unlikely to say the very least. (Doesn’t stop us thinking it though, of course!)

There are some really good leaflets on this site - click on Media centre and find them from there. Read the ones about waiting for diagnosis and I hope you will find them reassuring. There is also one about the genetic link, which you might also find helpful to read.

Your sister may find it easier to cope with the waiting by turning her back on it for now, and if that’s what she needs to do to get through the wait, then I suggest you let her, while still letting her know that you are there for her. She’s not ignoring the problem as she has done the important thing and got started on finding out, but it can be quite exhausting to have thoughts of cancer in your head the whole time, so give her the chance to be “normal” and just get on with life for the moment. IF she needs to get onto the treatment treadmill that will be plenty of time for her to do so after the results come in.

And I can completely sympathise with the additional worry from your mum’s death. I had the same, as my mum also died of cancer 28 years ago. Your sister’s diagnosis will certainly have brought all the worries and concerns to the front of your mind so you end up reliving the grieving you did all those years ago. Mums are special and you never forget them.

Best of luck to you all.

Janvis and ChoccieMuffin
many thanks for your comments and support
I have felt a hundred times better since I have found this forum
if only something like this had been around when my mom was ill
I am sure my sisters and I would have found comfort in a site like this
My other two sisters have also taken on a more positive attitude and it is a comfort to know we aren’t on our own
The human memory is a powerful thing and sometimes it can work against you
I am praying each night for happy ending…if there is such a thing

Karen

Well the results are in… unfortunately the lump is malignant and stage 3, my sister has got to have a lumpectomy on 20th Jan and then a course of chemo and radiotherapy.
I am hoping that her prognosis is good…what worries me is that it is stage 3…

Hi Karbritt

I had stage 3 and had a lumpectomy in Oct 2009. It was also in 1 lymph node so had those removed as well. I had the chemo and rads last year and I’m still here to tell the tale. It’s really tough in the beginning but it does get easier, I promise. You sound very supportive towards your sister and I’m sure that will help her to get through the journey.

Take care

Julia xx

Sorry but I just realised i said stage 3. Mine was grade 3, stage 2. Are you sure you mean stage and not grade?

Julia xx

Im so sorry for news when your sister tratment starts the days will go so quick im sure the onc know what there doin i know its a lot to take in they give you so much information all at once try and keep her occuiped over the next couple of weeks there will probably be a lot of tears and frustration and a lot of y me this is normaly hang on in there your sister needs all the help she can get tell her to be kind to herself its not her fault she never asked for this

Hi Julia

my sister has been told it is grade 3 ie fast growing…I am not sure which stage…they do not think her lymph nodes are afffected but cannot be sure until they have a look…I think because of my mom having died from the disease my natural inclination is to to think my sister has been given a death sentence…albeit my mother died 28 years ago…many thanks for taking the time to write to me it is much appreciated…

Karen

Elaine r

many thanks for your support…I am sure that there are many unshed tears…you are right time will pass quickly…

Karen x

Your reaction is understandable, but if the lump is still small, it may not have spread very far yet. The odds are much better now. I certainly hope your sister’s lymph nodes are clear, but even if some are affected, the cancer might not have spread elsewhere yet.

None of these treatments are particularly pleasant, but with the help of her family and good medical support, your sister will get through them. Chemotherapy is better managed than it used to be, for example. There will be times when you can show the love you clearly feel for her in practical ways, and by listening if she wants to moan about side effects or feeling down.

But don’t give up yet! That won’t help you or her.

Just for your own peace of mind, you might also want to get your head round the difference between STAGE and GRADE. There are some very good booklets in the Media centre of this site (click at the top of the page) that explain them clearly, and lots of other helpful leaflets that you might want to read.

In brief:

Grade = how abnormal the cells are. Usually talked about as 1, 2, or 3, sometimes they use the terms mild, moderate and (I think) severe.

Stage = how advanced the cancer is. This takes into account various things including the size, whether lymph nodes are involved, whether it’s spread outside the breast, and other factors. It is usually talked about as Stage 1, 2, 3 or 4, though there are sub-divisions of some of the stages. See the BCC publication for details.

I SUSPECT the number 3 your sis has been told about is to do with GRADE not STAGE. Your sis has probably not been told the stage yet as the treatment team probably need to have more information before they can “stage” it.

Because there are quite a few things that can be different between one person’s cancer and another’s, there is no default plan of treatment, so her treatment team will look at all the information they can gather in order to build up the treatment plan that is the best FOR HER. Things they take into account include what type it is, the grade, the stage, whether it’s likely to respond to hormones or herceptin, what your sister’s personal medical history is, how strong the family history is, and other factors.

Unfortunately that information does come in dribs and drabs, so there’s lots of waiting for news and waiting for results, and we all know how dreadful that waiting is - we’ve all done it! But the team will take the time they need to work out the best plan of action and to give your sister as much information she needs to make her decisions and will help her every step of the way.

Best of luck in this, and she’s a very lucky lady to have a supportive family. Do encourage her to come on to BCC as well if she wants to, there are lots of people who can be here for her and who understand just what she’s going through.

CM
xxx

p.s. Something I’ve been told about familial risk is that the genetic type is usually pretty obvious, in that there will usually have been loads of aunties and cousins and grannies who have had the disease at a young age, so the fact that your mum had breast cancer does not necessarily mean that it’s genetic. Your sister’s treatment team will explain it in more detail, or you can look at another one of the leaflets.

My sister had her lumpectomy last Thursday and she will get her results next Friday. Is it possible a lump can be grade 3 but at an early stage, these things confuse me. I am encouraged by the fact she didn’t have to have a mastectomy. It has worried her that the consultant has said she will have to have chemotherapy and radiation but I think of it as a precautionary exercise, am I right in thinking that?
I went to see her last night and she looked so well, how ironic is it that someone can look so healthy and be suffering from this disease.

Karen

Karen, yes, a lump can be grade 3 but not have progressed further than the breast - so I’ll keep everything crossed that this is so in your sister’s case.

I am glad she is looking well - that is the b*gger about breast cancer - the diseasse itself, initially at least, doesn’t make us feel ill… it’s all the blasted treatment that plays havoc with our health and looks!!

Chemo and rads are very often precautionary - just in case any stray cancer cells have slipped through the net - and with an aggressive tumour, this extra care is sensible, in my opinion. My tumour was grade 3, and although I also had lymph node involvement, my onc. told me she would have recommended chemo on the cancer grade alone. Chemo is do-able - it’s not fun, but it is nowhere near as bad as I feared… and it does pass. My third session is on Friday, and I’ll be halfway through, which doesn’t seem possible!

Radiotherapy is just about always recommended after a lumpectomy - less often after a mastectomy, so that sounds pretty standard practice too. And a lumpectomy (wide local excision) and rads is viewed as just as effective in clearing the cancer as a mastectomy - so if the lump was small enough, and situated right for a wle, that’s good too.

Waiting for results is always hard, but time will pass, and your sister will hear soon, and again, once she knows her treatment plan for sure, it will be eaiser to cope with.

Sophie xx