A "NewBe" to the Group
Comments
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Welcome, KK
There is a lot of information out there -- and alot of it is confusing. Though of course you would rather not have a cancer diagnosis at all, it is good news that it is DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) and not IDC (invasive ductal carcinoma). Your cancer is not invasive and is extremely unlikely to spread. Great news.
The Grade refers to how similar the cancer cells look to normal cells. The more similar, the less aggressive the cancer is. Grades typically go from 1-3. Grade 1 means that the cancer cells look very similar to normal cells and are therefore not very aggressive. Grade 3 (what I have, incidentally) means that the cancer cells are very atypical and therefore aggressive.
Nodes refer to the lymph nodes under your arm. That is typically the first place where cancer will spread in an invasive situation. So doctors want to know if the cancer has gotten to the nodes yet. Yours is not invasive and I have never heard of DCIS spreading to the nodes.
The Oncotype DX test is a test (for women with cancers that have an estrogen or progesterone component) to determine the risk of recurrence. If the risk is intermediate or high, chemo is often recommended. Again, with your DCIS it is very unlikely that such a test would even be done since chemo is usually not recommended. I can't advise you on the MRI. Discuss this with your onc.
I know this is overwhelming, but you'll get through it. Don't be afraid to post anything and everything here. Hugs to you.
Mimi0 -
Welcome to this discussion
Welcome to this discussion board. I was dxed with DCIS in July, had lumpectomy & 33 rad treatments. Today was my 6-month check up & everything looks good. So I hope you can have the same good news. Keep reading & looking up info on this website. Also, I am on taoxifen for 5 years.
Hugs & prayers sent your way...0 -
Hi KKmimivac said:Welcome, KK
There is a lot of information out there -- and alot of it is confusing. Though of course you would rather not have a cancer diagnosis at all, it is good news that it is DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) and not IDC (invasive ductal carcinoma). Your cancer is not invasive and is extremely unlikely to spread. Great news.
The Grade refers to how similar the cancer cells look to normal cells. The more similar, the less aggressive the cancer is. Grades typically go from 1-3. Grade 1 means that the cancer cells look very similar to normal cells and are therefore not very aggressive. Grade 3 (what I have, incidentally) means that the cancer cells are very atypical and therefore aggressive.
Nodes refer to the lymph nodes under your arm. That is typically the first place where cancer will spread in an invasive situation. So doctors want to know if the cancer has gotten to the nodes yet. Yours is not invasive and I have never heard of DCIS spreading to the nodes.
The Oncotype DX test is a test (for women with cancers that have an estrogen or progesterone component) to determine the risk of recurrence. If the risk is intermediate or high, chemo is often recommended. Again, with your DCIS it is very unlikely that such a test would even be done since chemo is usually not recommended. I can't advise you on the MRI. Discuss this with your onc.
I know this is overwhelming, but you'll get through it. Don't be afraid to post anything and everything here. Hugs to you.
Mimi
Mimi explained everything very well. I found some info on the ACS site so I will post it to help too.
Breast Cancer Grade:
A pathologist assigns a grade to the cancer, which is based on how closely the biopsy sample resembles normal breast tissue. The grade helps predict a woman's prognosis. In general, a lower grade number indicates a slower-growing cancer that is less likely to spread, while a higher number indicates a faster-growing cancer that is more likely to spread.
Oncotype DX Test:
The Oncotype DX test may be helpful when deciding whether additional (adjuvant) treatment with chemotherapy might be useful in women with certain early stage breast cancers ( stage I or stage II estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers without lymph node involvement ) after initial surgical treatment. The test looks at a set of 21 genes in cells from tumor samples to determine a "recurrence score", which is a number between 0 and 100.
Women with a recurrence score of 17 or below have a low risk of recurrence.
Women with a score of 18 to 30 are at intermediate risk.
Women with a score of 31 or more are at high risk.
Nodes:
To determine if the breast cancer has spread to axillary ( underarm ) lymph nodes, some of these lymph nodes may be removed and looked at under the microscope. This is an important part of staging and determining treatment and outcomes. When the lymph nodes are affected, there is an increased likelihood that cancer cells have spread through the bloodstream to other parts of the body.
Compression Sleeve:
A compression sleeve is used to help with Lymphedema which is swelling of the arm due to buildup of fluid which may occur any time after treatment for breast cancer. Any treatment that involves axillary lymph node dissection or radiation to the axillary lymph nodes carries the risk of lymphedema because normal drainage of lymph fluid from the arm is changed.
I hope this helps you a little bit more. Please ask all of the questions that you want. We have a great group of bc survivors here that will support and help you in anyway that they can.
Also, I had a MRI before my lumpectomy to verify that the bc was contained in my right breast and that it wasn't in my other breast. It also gave the plastic surgeon a better idea of how small it was.
Wishing you all the best of luck!
♥ Noel0 -
Great book to get:
In addition to the info that Mimi and Noel have provided, you might want to check out or find the current edition (4th) of "Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book," which is really helpful in explaining all the terminology with which you will be confronted throughout your treatment.
I'm a little curious--who told you not to surf the web for info regarding breast cancer? That seems inappropriate to me. Your doctors should want you to be very well informed, not ignorant. They should be willing to explain all the terminology they are using so that you understand it, too.
It's great that your BC is in situ, as Mimi explained. We wish you all the best in your treatment decisions--ask LOTS of questions. When I was diagnosed 9/30/09, I formulated a list of questions for the doctors and interviewed three different doctors until I found one who was telling the truth (the first one did not! She exaggerated the difference between lumpectomy with radiation and mastectomy without radiation by citing statistics based on different time periods after surgery--a major NO-NO! I learned later that she really likes to do mastectomies, and most of her patients opt for mastectomies--DUH.) and with whom I felt comfortable.
You're going to want to know a lot more about your cancer--what type it is and the best treatment options for it--though a lumpectomy and radiation are commonly used for DCIS, they are not necessarily ALL that you might need.
Best wishes, KK! Welcome to a wonderful group of supportive, caring warriors!
Sandy0 -
KK, welcome to the group.
KK, welcome to the group. It's not one you wanted to join but we're a group of very caring, encouraging, supporting and knowledgeable survivors. We'll be here to share our experiences and help you in any way we can. Surfing the web is good but just be careful where you are getting your information. The American Cancer Society has a lot of informtion and the Susan Love Breast Book is also very good. Continue to post and we'll help in any way we can. Good luck with your treatments and take care.0 -
Hi KK, The lovely ladiesLadyParvati said:Great book to get:
In addition to the info that Mimi and Noel have provided, you might want to check out or find the current edition (4th) of "Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book," which is really helpful in explaining all the terminology with which you will be confronted throughout your treatment.
I'm a little curious--who told you not to surf the web for info regarding breast cancer? That seems inappropriate to me. Your doctors should want you to be very well informed, not ignorant. They should be willing to explain all the terminology they are using so that you understand it, too.
It's great that your BC is in situ, as Mimi explained. We wish you all the best in your treatment decisions--ask LOTS of questions. When I was diagnosed 9/30/09, I formulated a list of questions for the doctors and interviewed three different doctors until I found one who was telling the truth (the first one did not! She exaggerated the difference between lumpectomy with radiation and mastectomy without radiation by citing statistics based on different time periods after surgery--a major NO-NO! I learned later that she really likes to do mastectomies, and most of her patients opt for mastectomies--DUH.) and with whom I felt comfortable.
You're going to want to know a lot more about your cancer--what type it is and the best treatment options for it--though a lumpectomy and radiation are commonly used for DCIS, they are not necessarily ALL that you might need.
Best wishes, KK! Welcome to a wonderful group of supportive, caring warriors!
Sandy
Hi KK, The lovely ladies here at this site have a wealth of information, wisdom, comfort, support and love. You have already been posted much info and I can't really add anything. I researched out bc, got second opinions and read Dr. Love's Breast Book, which is quite helpful. I have invasive bc, stage 2A, estrogen positive. I believe the type of cancer you have is very early stage and its good its caught early. You will have highs and lows, feel like you on a roller coaster but you will get thru this. We're here for you at all times so post as much as you want to and keep us up on what's happening with you. You'll be in my thoughts and prayers.0 -
Looks like you have all ofMyTurnNow said:KK, welcome to the group.
KK, welcome to the group. It's not one you wanted to join but we're a group of very caring, encouraging, supporting and knowledgeable survivors. We'll be here to share our experiences and help you in any way we can. Surfing the web is good but just be careful where you are getting your information. The American Cancer Society has a lot of informtion and the Susan Love Breast Book is also very good. Continue to post and we'll help in any way we can. Good luck with your treatments and take care.
Looks like you have all of the information KK. I will add my welcome to you, though sorry for the reason you are here. Someone is always on, 24/7, if you need help. Good luck!
HUGS0 -
Welcome KK! Wishing you theTux said:Welcome to this discussion
Welcome to this discussion board. I was dxed with DCIS in July, had lumpectomy & 33 rad treatments. Today was my 6-month check up & everything looks good. So I hope you can have the same good news. Keep reading & looking up info on this website. Also, I am on taoxifen for 5 years.
Hugs & prayers sent your way...
Welcome KK! Wishing you the best of luck!0 -
Welcome to the board,survivorbc09 said:Looks like you have all of
Looks like you have all of the information KK. I will add my welcome to you, though sorry for the reason you are here. Someone is always on, 24/7, if you need help. Good luck!
HUGS
You have been given excellent info already. I just want to add that I don't give a care what "they" say about not looking info up on the internet...there is great info out there and we need to level the playing field and educate ourselves so no one trys to pull the wool over our eyes. Sandy just brought up a good point about one of the surgeons she went to. Google in DCIS and loads of info pops up...I always liked the info from the Mayo Clinic. But I compared info from different sites. When I went to see my surgeon, he was right on with everything I had read. Actually he liked that I had done my homework. You can Google in "Cancer Tumor Grade" or anything you have a question about. A dx (diagnosis) of DCIS is a terrific one that everyone wants (if we have to have a dx at all). After the lumpectomy, you will get all the info on type and grade. This website has excellent info as well.
Please keep us posted as to your progress and your surgeon etc. This is a very stressful and fearful time for you and no question or thought is too trivial for this board. This is, I think, the worst time, the waiting for the final answers from the docs. Everyone is here for you to answer questions or to listen to venting, whatever you need.
Hugs, Judy :-)0 -
As you see, you have been
As you see, you have been welcomed warmly by an absolutely amazing group of women; Kindred Spirits all!
I (with deference to our sweet Lady Parvati!)understand and also caution about using the Internet to find out about our cirucmstances as far as cancer is concerned. There are, of course wonderfully intelligent sites, this ACS site being one of them! Many hospitals also have fine information on their web-pages, etc etc. That having been said, the Internet is also un-regulated, and SOME information out there can be wrong, frightening, self-serving, money-driven, and a host of other negatives! I think it is wise to err on the side of caution~ we can scare ourselves half to death by reading some of the articles on the Internet!
Mimi did a fine job of explaining !!! This is an incredible place ~ you are now surrounded and nurtured by such intelligent women who will help you maneuver your way through this maze called cancer.
I hope you have someone to go to your Dr appointments with you; it is so hard to either remember what has been said to us, or to ask questions, isn't it? Another set of ears is invaluable!
My name is Claudia, btw, and I am a 7 year BC surivor. I like to say thiere is Life After Cancer ( and yes, even during cancer!) and we stand at the ready to help you realize that too!
Hugs,
Chen♥0 -
Welcome KK
You are at the worst stage off diagnosis, the beginning. You are in for a lot of information and you will no dought be confused, we all were. My best advice to you would be bring someone with you when you meet with your doctors ( you won't remember a thing they tell you ). Make a list of questions for all doctors who will be involved with you. Stop surfing the web, except for this site. You will only get more confused and scare yourself. Take one day at a time. I know this because this is the advise I got last April when I was diagnosed. Believe me it's all doable. Hugs0 -
WelcomeNoel said:Hi KK
Mimi explained everything very well. I found some info on the ACS site so I will post it to help too.
Breast Cancer Grade:
A pathologist assigns a grade to the cancer, which is based on how closely the biopsy sample resembles normal breast tissue. The grade helps predict a woman's prognosis. In general, a lower grade number indicates a slower-growing cancer that is less likely to spread, while a higher number indicates a faster-growing cancer that is more likely to spread.
Oncotype DX Test:
The Oncotype DX test may be helpful when deciding whether additional (adjuvant) treatment with chemotherapy might be useful in women with certain early stage breast cancers ( stage I or stage II estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers without lymph node involvement ) after initial surgical treatment. The test looks at a set of 21 genes in cells from tumor samples to determine a "recurrence score", which is a number between 0 and 100.
Women with a recurrence score of 17 or below have a low risk of recurrence.
Women with a score of 18 to 30 are at intermediate risk.
Women with a score of 31 or more are at high risk.
Nodes:
To determine if the breast cancer has spread to axillary ( underarm ) lymph nodes, some of these lymph nodes may be removed and looked at under the microscope. This is an important part of staging and determining treatment and outcomes. When the lymph nodes are affected, there is an increased likelihood that cancer cells have spread through the bloodstream to other parts of the body.
Compression Sleeve:
A compression sleeve is used to help with Lymphedema which is swelling of the arm due to buildup of fluid which may occur any time after treatment for breast cancer. Any treatment that involves axillary lymph node dissection or radiation to the axillary lymph nodes carries the risk of lymphedema because normal drainage of lymph fluid from the arm is changed.
I hope this helps you a little bit more. Please ask all of the questions that you want. We have a great group of bc survivors here that will support and help you in anyway that they can.
Also, I had a MRI before my lumpectomy to verify that the bc was contained in my right breast and that it wasn't in my other breast. It also gave the plastic surgeon a better idea of how small it was.
Wishing you all the best of luck!
♥ Noel
Welcome to the site. You are in great company here. Great post, by the way, Noel.
P0 -
Nuclear Grademimivac said:Welcome, KK
There is a lot of information out there -- and alot of it is confusing. Though of course you would rather not have a cancer diagnosis at all, it is good news that it is DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) and not IDC (invasive ductal carcinoma). Your cancer is not invasive and is extremely unlikely to spread. Great news.
The Grade refers to how similar the cancer cells look to normal cells. The more similar, the less aggressive the cancer is. Grades typically go from 1-3. Grade 1 means that the cancer cells look very similar to normal cells and are therefore not very aggressive. Grade 3 (what I have, incidentally) means that the cancer cells are very atypical and therefore aggressive.
Nodes refer to the lymph nodes under your arm. That is typically the first place where cancer will spread in an invasive situation. So doctors want to know if the cancer has gotten to the nodes yet. Yours is not invasive and I have never heard of DCIS spreading to the nodes.
The Oncotype DX test is a test (for women with cancers that have an estrogen or progesterone component) to determine the risk of recurrence. If the risk is intermediate or high, chemo is often recommended. Again, with your DCIS it is very unlikely that such a test would even be done since chemo is usually not recommended. I can't advise you on the MRI. Discuss this with your onc.
I know this is overwhelming, but you'll get through it. Don't be afraid to post anything and everything here. Hugs to you.
Mimi
Mimi-
Thank you so much for all of the helpful information that you gave me. I did talk to my surgeon this afternoon and found out that I also have Grade 3 even though I have DCIS. I am meeting with my surgeon tomorrow to come up with a game plan. HE did tell me that I would have to take Tomoxilin for 5 years after all of this - that seems like a long time!! Hope to get more info tomorrow.
Sunshine and Hugs,
Kathy0 -
Welcome! You will be ablechenheart said:As you see, you have been
As you see, you have been welcomed warmly by an absolutely amazing group of women; Kindred Spirits all!
I (with deference to our sweet Lady Parvati!)understand and also caution about using the Internet to find out about our cirucmstances as far as cancer is concerned. There are, of course wonderfully intelligent sites, this ACS site being one of them! Many hospitals also have fine information on their web-pages, etc etc. That having been said, the Internet is also un-regulated, and SOME information out there can be wrong, frightening, self-serving, money-driven, and a host of other negatives! I think it is wise to err on the side of caution~ we can scare ourselves half to death by reading some of the articles on the Internet!
Mimi did a fine job of explaining !!! This is an incredible place ~ you are now surrounded and nurtured by such intelligent women who will help you maneuver your way through this maze called cancer.
I hope you have someone to go to your Dr appointments with you; it is so hard to either remember what has been said to us, or to ask questions, isn't it? Another set of ears is invaluable!
My name is Claudia, btw, and I am a 7 year BC surivor. I like to say thiere is Life After Cancer ( and yes, even during cancer!) and we stand at the ready to help you realize that too!
Hugs,
Chen♥
Welcome! You will be able to get a lot of support and answers here as we have all been there, done it.
Noel wrote a lot of info for you and I know it will help you to understand.
Good luck to you in your treatments!
Hugs, Megan0
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