Newly diagnosed

Dear TBORE,
I don't know
Dear TBORE,
I don't know what all of it means, but really all the stuff they find out and name determines the treatment you get I think.
Invasive Ductal Carcinoma means it is inside the dicts inside your breast tissue. My doc told me that it is like a pipe system. Sometimes the cancer is in them, sometimes out, mine was both.
Sorry I am not sure what the other stuff means, hope you hear from the doc soon. I am sure others will post more info for you
Also, I found the first week the worst. After talking to my doc and figuring out the course of treatment I felt better even though I needed a mast and chemo and rad. Don't think the worst, there is so much treatment out there now for all of us. LEt us know how you make out.

Hi Tbore and welcome. So
Hi Tbore and welcome. So sorry that you found us due to your having bc. But, this is a wonderful site. You will find a lot of support to help you thru this.

My advice is to keep calling your doctor for the information that you want. Don't you have an appointment setup to meet with him? If not, make one as soon as possible.

These are things you need explained to you, by your doctor.

Good luck! Noel

Welcome, Tbore
First, take a deep breath. You're going to be all right. It's terrifying and confusing at first, all these unfamiliar terms and no one to tell you what they mean. I second the suggestion to see your doctor as soon as possible to get some answers. Make sure to bring a notebook to write down both your questions and the doctor's answers. It usually also helps to bring someone with you who can help you keep track of all the technical information. Selective hearing during emotional times is very common. What I am about to way is no substitute for your own doctor's assessment. I'm just interpreting your pathology report according to my own layperson's understanding.

Invasive ductal carcinoma or IDC is the most common form of breast cancer. It means that the cancer cells are capable of invading surrounding breast tissue and reside in the ducts of your breasts. Most people have this type of breast cancer.

The Nottingham grade refers to several factors, but basically measures how different the breast cancer cells are from normal cells and how fast they are capable of multiplying. A grade three means that they are poorly differentiated and therefore quite different from normal cells. I also have a grade 3 breast cancer. Many people do.

.9 cm is probably the size of the tumor. This is a very small tumor and very good news. For comparison, my tumor is also considered on the small side and it was 2.6 cm.

Ductal carcinoma in situ or DCIS is non-invasive cancer that doesn't have potential to spread to surrounding breast tissue. You have a mixture of both IDC and DCIS, invasive and non-invasive. High grade DCIS is DCIS with cells that look quite a bit different from normal cells. See discussion of Nottingham grade above.

Estrogen and Progesteron are receptors. You are very positive for both, meaning that the tumor is fed by the hormones estrogen and progesterone. This is good news because it means you'll be a candidate for cancer drugs like Tamoxifen and the like. These drugs prevent the body from using estrogen and progesterone to make breast cancer cells.

HER2/neu is also a receptor, but it's a gene rather than a hormome (I believe). HER2 positive breast cancer is generally more aggressive, so it's good that you're negative.

Again, please talk to your doctor. You'll get through this. Come back and let us help you.

Mimi

mimivac said:

Welcome, Tbore
First, take a deep breath. You're going to be all right. It's terrifying and confusing at first, all these unfamiliar terms and no one to tell you what they mean. I second the suggestion to see your doctor as soon as possible to get some answers. Make sure to bring a notebook to write down both your questions and the doctor's answers. It usually also helps to bring someone with you who can help you keep track of all the technical information. Selective hearing during emotional times is very common. What I am about to way is no substitute for your own doctor's assessment. I'm just interpreting your pathology report according to my own layperson's understanding.

Invasive ductal carcinoma or IDC is the most common form of breast cancer. It means that the cancer cells are capable of invading surrounding breast tissue and reside in the ducts of your breasts. Most people have this type of breast cancer.

The Nottingham grade refers to several factors, but basically measures how different the breast cancer cells are from normal cells and how fast they are capable of multiplying. A grade three means that they are poorly differentiated and therefore quite different from normal cells. I also have a grade 3 breast cancer. Many people do.

.9 cm is probably the size of the tumor. This is a very small tumor and very good news. For comparison, my tumor is also considered on the small side and it was 2.6 cm.

Ductal carcinoma in situ or DCIS is non-invasive cancer that doesn't have potential to spread to surrounding breast tissue. You have a mixture of both IDC and DCIS, invasive and non-invasive. High grade DCIS is DCIS with cells that look quite a bit different from normal cells. See discussion of Nottingham grade above.

Estrogen and Progesteron are receptors. You are very positive for both, meaning that the tumor is fed by the hormones estrogen and progesterone. This is good news because it means you'll be a candidate for cancer drugs like Tamoxifen and the like. These drugs prevent the body from using estrogen and progesterone to make breast cancer cells.

HER2/neu is also a receptor, but it's a gene rather than a hormome (I believe). HER2 positive breast cancer is generally more aggressive, so it's good that you're negative.

Again, please talk to your doctor. You'll get through this. Come back and let us help you.

Mimi

Welcome Tbore, I have DCIS
Welcome Tbore, I have DCIS and IDC. I am Er and pr positive and her2 positive. 2 weeks ago I had surgery. ( lumpectomy ) You need a doctor who you can talk to, who returns your calls, who explains everything to you even though you will probably be lost anyways and come on this site to have the others explain it to you. You will not get all the answers right away. Waiting is a big part of your DX and treatment, as I have learned. The information does come just maybe not as fast as you would like it to. I was told to breath, when I thought I was going to go crazy. Good luck, and we will be here every step of the way.

TBORE.. Welcome to the
TBORE.. Welcome to the group, though I am so sorry that you are here, I am glad you found us. You have already had a wealth of information thrown your way. So, all I will add is, take a deep breath, exhale... and take it one day at a time... not only day to day, but moment by moment... use this site.. the group here is a family like no other... you will find information, support, acceptance, and a group that will go the distance with you. Get in to your doctor... then let us know how you are.

Hugs..

~T

mimivac said:

Welcome, Tbore
First, take a deep breath. You're going to be all right. It's terrifying and confusing at first, all these unfamiliar terms and no one to tell you what they mean. I second the suggestion to see your doctor as soon as possible to get some answers. Make sure to bring a notebook to write down both your questions and the doctor's answers. It usually also helps to bring someone with you who can help you keep track of all the technical information. Selective hearing during emotional times is very common. What I am about to way is no substitute for your own doctor's assessment. I'm just interpreting your pathology report according to my own layperson's understanding.

Invasive ductal carcinoma or IDC is the most common form of breast cancer. It means that the cancer cells are capable of invading surrounding breast tissue and reside in the ducts of your breasts. Most people have this type of breast cancer.

The Nottingham grade refers to several factors, but basically measures how different the breast cancer cells are from normal cells and how fast they are capable of multiplying. A grade three means that they are poorly differentiated and therefore quite different from normal cells. I also have a grade 3 breast cancer. Many people do.

.9 cm is probably the size of the tumor. This is a very small tumor and very good news. For comparison, my tumor is also considered on the small side and it was 2.6 cm.

Ductal carcinoma in situ or DCIS is non-invasive cancer that doesn't have potential to spread to surrounding breast tissue. You have a mixture of both IDC and DCIS, invasive and non-invasive. High grade DCIS is DCIS with cells that look quite a bit different from normal cells. See discussion of Nottingham grade above.

Estrogen and Progesteron are receptors. You are very positive for both, meaning that the tumor is fed by the hormones estrogen and progesterone. This is good news because it means you'll be a candidate for cancer drugs like Tamoxifen and the like. These drugs prevent the body from using estrogen and progesterone to make breast cancer cells.

HER2/neu is also a receptor, but it's a gene rather than a hormome (I believe). HER2 positive breast cancer is generally more aggressive, so it's good that you're negative.

Again, please talk to your doctor. You'll get through this. Come back and let us help you.

Mimi

Wow Mimi. That was an
Wow Mimi. That was an excellent explanation.
I don't think anyone is going to explain it better. Hope it helps.
Dee

Just want to welcome you to
Just want to welcome you to this site TBORE. I can't tell you what that means. You need to go see your doctor and they will explain it to you. Good luck!

iceberg73 said:

TBORE
Hello TBORE and everyone.

I also have been just been informed that I have breast cancer. In reading your message I was a amazed at the lack of response of your medical staff. I have always thought that here in Alaska we were way behind the times and because of that many people still opt to go out of Alaska for treatment.

I assume that your doctor is not part of a cancer treatment center. We have a new Cancer treatment center here that opened last year at Providence Hospital. They work hand in hand with The Fred Hutchinson Center in Seattle. I was told I had cancer on a Friday when my doctor called me she had me set up an appointment with a surgeon that specialized in cancer surgery the next Monday morning. I was schedualed for out patient surgery within two weeks. In the mean time they sent me to a radiology oncologist and set up an appointment for me with a medical onocologist. I saw her yesterday. I had a very small tumor less then .9 cm. It was not there on last years' mamogram. I start radiation today.

I was a little disappointed because I tried to be able to have the balloon treatment which is two radiation treatments a day for 5 days. Unfortuneately there is not enough tissue in the area to protect the chest wall. So they are giving me a boost treatment today and will then remove the balloon. Then I will have to go for radiation treatments for five weeks. After that I will be treated with a estrogeon inhibitor for five years. At least that is the plan for now if nothing changes in the mean time. After hearing your story I won't complain any more about having to go and see all of these different doctors. I am very thankful that my treatment is progressing very quickly.

Can any one give me some tips on a good diet to follow during radiation?

Thanks.

TBORE my prayers are with you. I hope they get your treatment going for you right away. This situation is scary and the longer you have to wait the stronger your fear becomes. I think that once you know that something is being done about it even though you may feel like you are on the set of a science fiction movie during some of this stuff. You are relieved that something is being done and it helps to remove that helpless feeling of not being able to do anything.

God bless.
Nancy

Is there a cancer center close to you that you could go in for another opinion?

TBORE, let us know what you
TBORE, let us know what you find out after you see your doctor!

Warm welcome, TBORE
It's good that you found us, though I'm sorry for the reason. I hope that, by now - a day later, you've been able to speak directly to your own doctor.

We're all here to support and encourage each other. Please visit often, whenever you'd like.

Best wishes to you.

Kind regards, Susan

cwestbro said:

I was diagnosed with
I was diagnosed with invasive ductual breast cancer last July. After surgery I was told I had two invasive tumors and multiple non-invasive. None showed up on any of the testing except the largest one. My largest was about your size, maybe a tad smaller. When they say your are estrogen positive, that means that you will probably be treated with tomoxifin (or a similar drug) HER 2 positive too, right? That also means that you can be treated with another drug, other than chemo. You will probably have the chemo option too, but the way I understand it's always better, if there can be a better breast cancer to have options other than chemo. I was HER 2 neg and estrogen/prgoesterone neg. My only option for treatment was chemo...Are you scheduled for surgery soon? You will get even more info after that...but keep asking questions to your dr. or nurse until they are all answered! IF there are issues with them explaining so you can understand get another dr!!! You have to know what you're dealing with and you are your only advocate!! Best wishes! ~ Cherri

OK, #3 here! Warm welcome to you, also, Cherri/cwestbro
I'm glad you found our group, though I'm sorry for your diagnosis.

We'll be here for you, to share each step along the journey.

Best wishes.

Kind regards, Susan