Confused with the report

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sylva
sylva Member Posts: 80
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I'm done with the chemo, and this friday they're going to remove the port. Monday was my first day back to work after 4 months of diagnosis and treatments. I have this feeling of "not knowing what now". It's so weird, but I cannot feel happy now that things start to get back to kind of "normal".
Talking with another survivor, she asked about the grade and stage of the tumor. She also asked me about the markers.
It's a shame but I don't know. The only thing that the report says is:
INFILTRATING DUCTAL CARCINOMA, BRE GRADE 2.
DUCTAL CARCINOMA IN SITU NUCLEAR GRADE 2.
LYMPH NODES NEGATIVE FOR TUMOR.
I know that the most trouble was the Infiltrating ductal carcinoma, this means "metastatic"?
I have to speak again with oncologist, but if someone can help... Thank you thank you!!

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  • mgm42
    mgm42 Member Posts: 491 Member
    #2
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    Slyvia, call your oconologist and request a patient copy of your pahtology report. It should contain a lot more information. Then ask the oncologist to sit down with you and explain just what everything means. That's what I did and it was very reassuring. In the meantime, don't fret. You've finished your chemo and are back at work. That should be the most important thing on your mind right now. Congratulations. Marilynn
  • RE
    RE Member Posts: 4,591 Member
    #3
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    Hello Sylva,

    Here is a bit of info I dug up for you. Copy the link i have listed below and check out that page there is a lot of information on how breast cancer is staged.

    http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_1_2X_Staging.asp

    Grade
    Tumor grade describes how different the cancer cells look when compared to normal ones. The grade is assigned after the doctor looks at a biopsy of the cancerous tissue

    G2 Moderately well-differentiated (cancer cells look somewhat like normal cells)

    Metastic means that it has spread beyond the original site. Here is a proper definition:

    me·tas·ta·ses (-sz)
    1. Pathology Transmission of pathogenic microorganisms or cancerous cells from an original site to one or more sites elsewhere in the body, usually by way of the blood vessels or lymphatics.
    2. A secondary cancerous growth formed by transmission of cancerous cells from a primary growth located elsewhere in the body.

    This does not sound like what you describe. You say your lymph nodes are negative which is great! Cancer can spread through the lymphatic system that is why they are so concerned with the nodes. I think the bre grade 2 means you are a stage 2 which is not too bad as well. I just finished treatment and was diagnoised as a stage 2. I have had cancer 3 times and at one time was a stage 4 because the cancer did move.

    I understand your feelings of "what now and not being too happy" it's really normal. You are in a kinda shell shocked state, I've been there.

    Cancer.org has a lot of great information that I am sure will help you to better understand your situation. Obviously talk to your doctor and tell him to explain it to you in lay man terms so you can get a clear picture of your situation. Time will help you to feel more normal. I will be keeping you in my thoughts! Hugs to you!

    RE
  • sylva
    sylva Member Posts: 80
    #4
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    Thank you for the info and the support. Some days I seem to loose control over all this.
    (as I'm sure everyone does sometimes)
    I didn't want to know too much in the begining, but now I realize we need to investigate and learn and know and then we start loosing the fear over the big "C" word. Thank you!!
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #5
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    Sylva, it sounds like you may have a report like mine. I had two tumors. The biggest one was in situ, that is had not broken from its boundaries and was contained. The second one was infiltrating, and had broken from its boundaries. I was given staging according to the size of the infiltrating tumor, and not the in-situ one.
    But don't take my word...make an appt. with your onc. and have him/her explain your report to you.
    In addition, you mention not being able to feel happy now that treatment is over. I am at that stage now and have found that reading some positive healing books helps as well as listening to some positive healing imagery tapes. After the fury of the fight is over, we need to process the experience. And I have found that in doing that I am processing a lot of things in my life. My illness aint gonna grow, but I am! I wish you peace and healing. Love, Joyce

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