Waiting for results of core biopsies - Calcification???

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Hello everyone, not sure how this forum works exactly but i need to just witter on as i am really confused and fearful.

I had pain in my breast 2 weeks ago and then felt lumps GP sent me to the Nightingale Centre in Wythenshawe which is fantastic but i am in shock.

I had a mamogram, ultrasound and stereo core biopsies 6 cores in two places yesterday so very sore and shocked. I get my actual results on Thursday but the Doc said its eaither precancerous change or cancerous and either way i would need an operation. He said he couldnt tell exactly what it is but sent me away with a breast care nurses number and a load of information about the procedures i have had.

He said an area of 8cm had calcifications which usually hid cancer. This sounds enormous. I feel like i will go mad from waiting.

I feel so weird, i think its almost certain i have BC but he kept saying we cant tell what treatment to offer until we get the biopsy results.He said the tests were definitely “suspicious” so it doesnt take a genius to work out that he is trying to prepare me.

How did / do people cope with this waiting time?

I am being v upbeat and pos for my husband and family - I’m 53 with grown up kids my daughter is 22, and sons with children of their own of 29 and 31. They may be grown ups but they will still hurt. Have only tld eldest son so far younger one is on holiday and so is my daughter.

Sorry to ramble on but I’m still in shock - horror. I will pull myself together I’m just one of those people who are strong usually and am always positive but this is really hard. I know how to be strong for others but for myself this is new.

Good Luck to everyone else and I do hope all treatments are going well.

Thanks so much

Dulcie

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Hi Dulcie

Hope you are still on line. Sorry to hear your news and that you have had to join us. You will get lots of support here. The waiting is in my opinion the worst bit. Your mind goes on overdrive and you keep thinking what if with no real facts to go on. I always hated the waiting and I think most people do.

Calcifications are sometimes DCIS, ductal carcinoma in situ, some doctors called these pre-cancer. My understanding is that this is a cancer which has not developed the ability to travel outside the ducts. I’ve had this. Depending upon the grading and area covered by the DCIS different treatments are offered. Some calcifications are not any form of cancer and one of my friends has these.

Your children will be there to support you and when you are usually the strong one this is a new situation for you.

I can only empathise with you and say that I will be thinking of you on Thursday.

Take care, love
Cassiex

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Thanks so much cassie for coming back to me. I can feel the lumps or thickening along a duct a bit like a string of beads but the doc said that was nothing to do with it just lumpy boobs and that the calcs were tiny albeit 8 cms long - which does seem huge. As you say i just have to wait. Its just that i think if i keep saying it differnt ways someone will magicall say, oh its all a mistake and thats quite normal when ofcourse i know it isnt. Im just talking rubbish now as Im so fearful, but thanks very much for your kindness.

What stage are you at Cassie?

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Hi Singinglady,

I had a similar diagnosis following my second routine (age 53) mamogram at Easter. It was a huge shock to me too!

My suspect area was 6cm x 4cm and the consultant showed me the xray pic to explain the calcification stuff … it looked a bit like a dandelion gone to seed, or like a paint splat … i.e. it had lots of good tissue in between the suspect stuff!

I’ve had surgery, and have now started chemo … but I think the worry of waiting for the biopsy results at the beginning were the worst time!

Hope it goes well for you,

sheLAgh

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Hi Dulcie

We’re both insomniacs!!

I had surgery last year and am now having regular check ups. I could never feel anything in the breast. You are not talking rubbish, we are all afraid when we think we might have cancer. Just a quick look at the titles of threads on this site will show you that you are not alone. I found it difficult to say the word and it is a fear of the unknown. Be kind to yourself. There are lots of us who have had this disease.

Cassiex

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Hello Dulcie,

You are right - the waiting is the worst bit. You are also right that the doctor is preparing you for surgery - with such widespread calcification then ‘an operation’ is most certainly on the cards. Your diagnosis therefore may seem a little irrelvant - DCIS is sometimes called pre-cancer - as Cassie says it is the cells lining the ducts having cancerous changes, but not yet travelling around the body. The problem is that these cells can develop that ablity at any point, hence ‘the operation’.

I had an exact same situation in March but my diagnosis was delayed due to easter etc, so it took until May 12th before my surgery - and a whole other barrage of tests prior to that too to ensure that the surgeons knew exactly what was happening. DCIS alone doesn’t need chemotherapy, but sometimes radiotherapy is needed if the area is close to the skin.

I would suggest making a few notes and ringing your breast care nurse for more information. The type of thing you may want to know (or you may not - you may prefer to wait for thursday) is ‘do I have DCIS’ ‘do I need any more tests’ ‘when will i have a treatment plan’ ‘what type of treatment will i need’

If you ask these questions be prepared for the answers. I asked them because I needed to be prepared when i went into see the surgeon. I felt that I wouldn’t be able to ask the right questions at that consultation if I was reeling from shock or unable to assimilate the information. I’d also say ring in the morning so that you can ring again later if queries arise in the day.

Telling family is very very difficult because we want to protect them however old they are. With my kids (15,13 & 3 so a different kettle of fish) I explained that I had early cancer changes in my breast and needed an operation and treatment to ensure that the cancer didn’t spread. I also explained that it would take a long time and that we’d need to work as a family to get me better. I do wish I’d explained it the same way to the adults in my family who seemed to just look at it as a little blip!!

Keep posting - I’ll look out for your progress!

Big Love Td xxxx

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Wow thanks so much Girls (I’m assuming we are all girls??) for the help and advice, i am still reeling but somehow its slowly sinking in that i almost certainly have cancer and will need an op. I guess it will mean a mastectomy but i will ask on Thursday.

I have made an appointment to see the breast care nurse tomorrow and will ask the questions that Waiting angel /Td suggested. I know thay will all say that they cant tell exactly til the biopsy results on Thursday and prob even then only when im opened up for a look… aaarrrgggghhh

What treatment/surgery did u all have? If you think im presumtious pls dont be offended. I dont think i could cope without boobs so will have to try and have a reconstruction if they can do one.

Jeepers i feel like this is someone else talking my life has just pivoted in another direction andit was pretty stressful before !

I am worried now about work, money, tiredness, what can i do and not do… my mind is in a spin and its exhausting pretending to be fine.

How are you feeling with the Chemo Shelagh - we are the same age so it willmgive me an idea. I do hope you are recovering well.

Cassie did u need other tratment than the surgery? how long before you got your old energy back - if you have ?

Td your op must have been very recent May did you say, how are you feeling? will you need more tratment do you know?

Where are you all based in the country? I am near Manchester. Sorry for so many questions I am just trying to feel secure in very insecure territory.

Love and thanks to you all

Dulcie

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Morning Dulcie,

I empathise entirely with all of those reeling feelings. When I had eventually got my treatment plan I sat to take stock and decided that the only really important thing was getting better. I’m still finding my way financially, but the other stuff has sorted itself out. It will depend on what adjuvant treatment you need (if any) as to how long you will be off work and how tired you are. If you have ‘just surgery’ you can expect to be off for at least 3 months. If you need radiotherapy or chemo it will depend on how you react to the treatments - some people work through, most don’t.

Your bc nurse may have access to your results today, but probably not as the biopsy was done on friday. Once the result is reported, there will be a team meeting of all the medics involved and then they will see you on the thursday to discuss it with you. If you need to know that information before going to see the consultant, ask your bc nurse if you can speak to her before your appointment.

You will probably need some more tests - after my core biopsy I had an MRI scan, then further core biopsy of another area spotted on MRI before there was a complete picture of what was going on. And then as you say, some things come to light after the operation, such as cells in lymph nodes. If the team has a complete picture before surgery then they can plan the surgery to be the right surgery for you.

My original plan had been for a left mastectomy with full LD flap & implant reconstruction and sentinel node biopsy. In the event, I had LD flap reconstruction with no implant and full lymph node clearance. This was because before my operation, an area of grade 3 cancer was found so it known that I would need adjuvant chemo & rads. I will need more surgery to ‘complete the job’ next year. In the meantime, at 7 weeks post surgery I am well, completely mobile and driving with no problems pertaining to the surgery at all. I have started my chemo, and I’m also doing ok with that. It’s no picnic though!!!

Being informed and organised is also my way of coping - a lot of women wouldn’t want so much information. If you have times of wobbliness outside of bc nurses hours, remember that you can ring the helpline here - they are reassuring and helpful.

I’m in Bristol. There seem to be very few people from the south on this site, but in Bristol there are 250 women diagnosed every year…!! I attend a local support group and am trying to set one up for younger women (I’m 44) - so that gives you an idea of tiredness - not tired enough to stop everything!

Good luck to day -
Td xx

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Well Waitingangel you certainly seem on top of things and yet I’m sure you have your moments. You seem to be doing great - dont want to patronise.

I am still reeling and learning the bc language, I was always one to stay away from medical squelchy bits , ie blood and guts, but now its mine i will have to get informed - I hate to feel like a victim and whilst I have very little control, information makes me feel less powerless.

Thankyou so much for sharing your story with me, it does help to have akind of guide even tho i am sure each womans cancer journey is different. I do hope it all goes as successfully as possible for you…and me too!

Do you have kids?partner? and how are they coping?

My husband is shocked and very supportive but I can see that he is struggling with it, as anyone would. He also has work worries so its a real pain in the ar*se - well t*ts to be honest.

I havent got as far as looking for a support group but i will do. My mind seems to have turned to sawdust, even tho i keep rereading the posts you have all kindly sent me, I cant retain a thing, so i will copy down the various suggested questions for the breast nurse (bn) am geting lingo now hehe Please excuse me if I repeat myself or ask the same question twice i am a bit mental at the mo.

How weird there arent more Bristol ppl around, maybe you are all just naturally reserved??? Probably not maybe they will all emerge and be really glad you have set up a support group.

Right am gonna go and get my hair done as I cant get in the shower yet that should cheer me up. The plan so far is to be the most glamorous cancer patient I can be if this is whats on the cards for me… Remind me i said that when my hair falls out and i cant be a*sed getting dressed. Anyhow better look like a Ladyboy than give in completely.

Thanks again to everyone for their support and support i dont know what i would be like without this outlet.

Love and good thoughts to you waiting angel and everyone else on the forum

Dulcie

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Yes, I did glamour Dulcie!!

I bought the nicest pyjamas I could find (which took days in town!) and I had my makeup on the day after surgery. My friend I met in hospital had her eyelashes dyed before her op!!

I also made sure that I was wearing the clothes I liked most when I went to my consultant - I felt that if she understood how much I valued my appearance (and my boobs) she would be more inclined to do what I needed. It worked - though not without a bit of a battle as she had wanted to also reduce my ‘good’ one to get a size match. I had to be quite strong in stating that lopsided was fine for a while thanks and we’ll deal with the equalization next year!

Td xxx

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Hi waitingangel and all

saw the bc nurse today and its certain im in for a mastectomy to establish if the cancer is DCIS only or has become invasive too. Arrrggghh am so tired of being brave, but want to protect my sons and hubby. Now every pain i have that i would have ignored previously mean that i am actually dying and will be riddled by the time they open me up. Sorry for the drama queen shoite but thats how my imagination is playing games on me. I ricochet from calm pragmatism to massive fearful fantasies. Is this normal?

Sorry to vent

Hope you are doing better than me…

Love
Dulcie

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Hey – yes it’s normal!!

Mastectomy ( I can say now that it’s done) is not as bad as I thought. in fact, today, for the first time, I haven’t given it any thought. my 3 year old passed me something as we left for nursery - she said ‘mummy, you forgot your breast’ and handed me my prosthesis.

DCIS can become invasive. that’s why we have it removed. If it has you will get appropriate treatment to get the buggers before they do more harm. Hurrah for routiene mammograms!!

I had a whole day crying to this computer once. More than once probably. My OH knew what was up, I told my kids I 'd developed hayfever… but it worked at the time!

Wine is not a banned substance. Neither is whine.!!

Love Td xx

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Thanks for the support am just overwhelemed Td

I dont drink … but i do like strong coffee ! Costa and I are good friends…what is a banned substance?

Love
Dulcie

xx

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Nothing is banned yet !!!

When you take lots of medicine though, alcohol usually doesn’t agree… and if you ever end up with steroids, coffee makes you gaga!!

Sleep well
Td x

ps. I am not on line all the time… just relaxing before bed!

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Hi Singing Lady -

I have been through the very same thing as you, I am 67, never had an operation or even been in hospital, I was told in Oct.2007 after one of my three yearly mammograms, which I am so thankful that I had. That I had a non-invasive tumour, DCIS, and was advised to have a mastectomy. which I had on the 5th Dec,I was given the choice of implants or reconstruction, I chose immediate reconstruction as I just felt I couldn’t face looking at myself in the mirror without a breast. My PS and his team were brilliant, my op went well, and the after care both in hospital and at home could not be faulted. I live in the Worcestershire area, but had my op done at City Hospital Birmingham.

Everything was done so quickly, I was seeing doctors and PS teams on almost a weekly basis, my longest wait was three weeks whilst waiting for my op date. I had to have dressing done on a daily basis, even on Christmas Day, when the family came to spend time with us on Boxing Day,and I met my daughter in law at the door, I was wearing a low V neck jumper, she could not believe how I looked, making the statement “you look wonderful, strangers would never know that you had had your breast removed.” What a compliment. I have been blessed with a size 38 bust, and I still have a 38 bust, a smaller cup size thats all.

I marvel at what our wonderful surgeons can do, to think thay can remove the bad from your breast and use back muscle to reform your breast,still using your breast skin, and other than feeling a little uncomfortable I didn’t experience alot of pain. On Dec.13th I was given the all clear, and didn’t have to have rad. or chemo,treatment nor even have to take Tamoxifen.

I am due to see my PS in August to arrange comestic adjustment to my left breast and a nipple for my right breast.

Because of all the attention that I received during and after my operation, when my PS said at my last appointment in Jan, that I wouldn’t have to see him until another six months, I found it abit scary, I suddenly felt lost, but this forum has helped me such alot, a lot of my questions have been answered.I have felt very positive all the way through, and it helped
me, I never looked on the black side, always look on the bright side, dealt with things as they came along.

My family were a great support, and I kept them in the picture with everything.I have two sons and one daughter,who has been there for me all the way. My husband suffered a stroke five years ago, so naturally I was anxious not to get him too worried.

I am sure everything will go fine for you.

Hilary x

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Thanks Hilary

its really kind of you to pass on your experience, i am just trying to take on board this whole new world of Illness that i have never been part of. I am one of those people who ignore illness (not clever huh?) and just try to pack as much into my life as possible.
Its such a bizarre situation that your whole world is totally changed overnight, one day u are buzzing along dealing with lifes ups and downs and the next you are a cancer patient … aarrgggh… I dont intend to become Mrs Cancer but my goodness it is taking up all my waking thoughts at the moment.

I just hope one day it will be just part of my life and not my whole life.

I agree that being positive is a real help towards recovery but i think permanent positivity is a really tall order just at the moment.

I am not thinking about cancelling work commitments, holidays, visitors, and its very stressful and worrying, still I am definitely going to try and be as pos as poss !

Does life ever settle down?

Thanks again to everyone and Im thinking good thoughts for us all

Love
Dulcie
xx

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My life has settled down. I often think ‘it’s amazing what you can get used to…’ as I wait for my hair to fall out I’m thinking it again!

My life has settled down not just because I don’t think about the cancer much, but because I am forced to take a rest- I am not allowed to work through chemo etc and infact am still only 7 weeks post surgery, though i feel I could quite easily work now… but as I’m ‘not allowed’ I’m making the most of the opportunity to do all those things (like sorting out the piles of debris you accumulate ofver the years…)you never get time to do.

I can’t get into this world of illness - I don’t feel ill (not absolutely true - I’ve had some shocking days in the past few months, but only a handful) and it’s hard to reconcile that I have cancer… I have this little sneaky devil who says ‘Do you?? are you SURE?’ - I’m just getting on with it. My life’s too busy to dwell!

Have a good day!

Love Td xxx

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Hello Dulcie,
I’ve never written on a forum before but felt I had to contact you as your experiences are very similar to mine. I was diagnosed with multiple invasive carcinoma and widespread DCIS in May. I had a left mastectomy and axillary clearance operation on June10th and I’m now at home recovering from the surgery. At my follow up appointment I was told one of my lymph nodes may be affected so I may need chemo as well as definitely needing rads and Tamoxifen. All of this will be discussed with an oncologist on Friday.

I am nearly 52 with 2 daughters of 12 and 15 and we are getting through all of this by keeping upbeat and by using my wacky sense of humour. I must admit that the waiting time for results is the worst time. Now I’ve had the op I feel more chilled as I know the cancer has been taken away and from now on we will be treating the risk!
I still have weird dreams and some sleepless nights tho!

The only thing that bothers me at the moment is the swelling around my wound which looks like a mini boob and the soreness in my left arm and I am still very reluctant to show my very lovely and supportive partner my deformed chest! I don’t know when I’ll be ready to do that.

As all of this is very recent to me please fell free to ask me absolutely anything about the surgery, staying in hospital etc

I live in West Yorkshire by the way

Love Gina xx

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Hi Gina and Waiting Angel

thanks so much to both of you for sharing your recovery with me. Its so distressing and shocking to be catapulted from a normal life into this parallel medical universe.
I am usually an ignorer of pain and illness - not so clever now it seems as i have 8cm DCIS, but i never realised anything was wrong and my last mamogram 3 - 4 months ago was clear - so they said.

Anyhow i do hope that you are both recovering well, ts really helpful to hear about how you are and energy levels etc.

I am 53 and everyone who knows me calls me high energy, enthusiastic etc, they all say if anyone will “beat this” it will be me, i will give it my very best shot, but today every ache pain, has been terminal. I have been having pains in my armpits, other breast, and the poorly breast. I have just stopped my HRT for obvious reasons and that may be causing the pains, but anyhow listen to me I have aged 40 moaning years in the last week! me me me self self self, its awful, sorry hopefully will be back on form tomorrow - just very tired.

On a positive note been to see the new Indianna Jones film tonight - gotta love Harrison Ford even if he is ancient… very easy on the eye.

Gina, I can imagine how you feel about showing your breast op to your partner, i would feel the same its a very scary thing. Wait til you are ready and it and you have healed a little more. I know some women are more body conscious than others. I dont mean some care more than others its just that some are more sensitive about how they look and I’m definitely one of the, I have to have my make up on abnd hair done, not because I am vain but actually it helps my self esteem. Anything like hair and breast loss is bound to affect our self confidence, i guess we just have to make as much effort as sposs with the other stuff if we can find the energy. anyhow what the hell do i know, Im brand new to this. 2 weeks ago i had no idea my life would be turned upside down like this…only trying to help tahnk God for a snse of humour ! Must remember where i put mine. My mind is sawdust at the mo but will ask questions when i can think - thanks

Waiting angel - you are so right, keeping busy is the way forward but instead of staying in and sorting out i just keep going out shopping or drinking coffee, cant keep still !

Thanks again girls and good positive thoughs to us all

Love
Dulcie
xx

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Hi Dulcie,

Glad to read you are coming to terms with the shock now. I was told straight away to expect surgery, so they did know before the biopsy results for sure. I am/was lucky I have ‘ample boobs’ so was offered Wide Local Excision rather than mastectomy, even though the area affected was large. I subsequently had a further WLE as they found the tumour was larger than expected … but I’ve been left with a reasonable sized though slightly deformed boob. I’ve been promised a breast reduction to even things out … but have to wait till all other treatment has finished. Unless you know I’ve had it done though it doesn’t notice too much, I just have to be careful which clothes to wear!

As for the chemo … so far it has not been too bad, and definitely not as bad as dreaded/expected. I hadn’t originally expected to have it, as I had a Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy when I had the first WLE, and it came back clear. So that was another shock!

Hope you’re keeping positive,

Shelagh x