Waiting... is over
The radiologist told me that they had found a lump about 2cm and that she wanted to do a biopsy. She also said that the lymph node on the other side was enlarged, which she felt it would be strange if they were related. She showed me on the film where the lump was and how it was pulling other tissues towards it and was irregular in shape and said that she was very worried. I was shocked and really did not ask any questions at all.
Monday I went in for a biopsy, we found that the lymph node was just a cyst, or she is 99% sure since the fluid looked like that of a cyst. She took five biopsy samples of the lump and will have them read. In the end she told me she is not worried about the lymph node, but is very very worried about the lump.
Do radiologist know if it is cancer? Should I be preparing for the next step based upon her concern? She is supposed to call me today with the results, but I am so nervous and scared
Comments
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HI there..
Most radiologists
HI there..
Most radiologists know if it is cancer or not. Did the radiologist suggest a breast surgeon? I noticed you said that the radiologist wanted you to have a biopsy done. I will note, too, that a pathology report does take a few days. However, the surgeon can tell you the findings before the report. Usually, a sample is sent to the pathologist while you are still under sedation. I pray that you get great news. Looks like the news is pretty good already. NO node involvement. That is the major concern with breast cancer. It means that the cancer has not spread to other organs.
I know it's hard to wait. That seems to be the one thing we all agree on.
Let us know how things turn out. This board is a great place to live and learn. The ladies and men here are a wealth of knowledge. I am still pretty much a newbie here but I feel much wiser with the help of the PINKS.
Stop in and read often. You will feel better about what is going on in this world of breast cancer. It's scary. But once you get start to understand that life continues no matter what, you will breath easier and smile easily.
Sending gentle hugs,
Mary0 -
Waiting is the worst!eihtak said:Waiting...
Waiting for definate results is so hard. You will be in my thoughts and prayers for good news. Please keep us posted, we are all here with helpful support.
I had a similar experience 3 1/2 years ago. The radiologist said it was very suspicious. I did some research before the biopsy and found out that blood in the sample was not a good sign. I watched as they took the samples and there was definately blood. So while I waited a few days for the results, I hoped for the best but prepared for the worst. I bought books, cds, etc. I could return them if they weren't needed but would have them handy if I did. Unfortunately, I needed them. The good news is that I'm still here! No evidence of disease. Just had my mammo 2 weeks ago and all was clear.
Try to stay sane while you wait. Watch funny movies and do anything you can to distract yourself. I listened to guided meditations when I was trying to fall asleep. Others have asked for medication for the anxiety. Do what you need to do for yourself to get through this difficult time. Whatever the results, know that we will be here either to celebrate the good news or to guide you through the process if you get a diagnosis of bc.
Hugs and hope!
Roseann0 -
We've all been there.
We know how hard it is to hear the word "cancer". Hopefully it will turn out to be nothing but if not, we will be here for you. We can share our individual experiences so you have some idea of what to expect but I used the word individual because we are all different and our bodies react differently to chemo and/or radiation. I hope your biopsy will be conclusive. In my case, I had two biopsies but didn't get an official cancer diagnosis until the lumpectomy. I'm praying you get good news today! Please let us know.
HUGS!!!
Jamie0 -
The wait is over ..jamiegww said:We've all been there.
We know how hard it is to hear the word "cancer". Hopefully it will turn out to be nothing but if not, we will be here for you. We can share our individual experiences so you have some idea of what to expect but I used the word individual because we are all different and our bodies react differently to chemo and/or radiation. I hope your biopsy will be conclusive. In my case, I had two biopsies but didn't get an official cancer diagnosis until the lumpectomy. I'm praying you get good news today! Please let us know.
HUGS!!!
Jamie
I talked with the radiologist and she has confirmed that the biopsy came back positive for breast cancer. She said that as far as cancer goes I am lucky as we caught it early thanks to the 6th followup ultrasound. It is small 1-2cm and is a Stage 1.. she said that it might be a good candidate for a lumpectomy.
She gave me several oncologist and surgeons that she works with and told me not to rush into anything... but.. that is not really an option anyway.
The reason I even know about CSN is because my husband has Prostate Cancer and we are leaving next Tuesday to go to Florida for him to have surgery. I believe we have really upset God or there is something in the water out here. I need to concentrate on my husband now so will have to worry about myself when we get back.
Thank you all for being there.. any 'next steps' would be appreciated0 -
Bad news, but semi good news (size I mean)piptisoph said:The wait is over ..
I talked with the radiologist and she has confirmed that the biopsy came back positive for breast cancer. She said that as far as cancer goes I am lucky as we caught it early thanks to the 6th followup ultrasound. It is small 1-2cm and is a Stage 1.. she said that it might be a good candidate for a lumpectomy.
She gave me several oncologist and surgeons that she works with and told me not to rush into anything... but.. that is not really an option anyway.
The reason I even know about CSN is because my husband has Prostate Cancer and we are leaving next Tuesday to go to Florida for him to have surgery. I believe we have really upset God or there is something in the water out here. I need to concentrate on my husband now so will have to worry about myself when we get back.
Thank you all for being there.. any 'next steps' would be appreciated
1-2 cm is not too bad, but the caveat is this. Until it is taken out and sent to a pathologist what you hear from the radiologist may be a preliminary report as far as stage is concerned. That being said, it still looks pretty good as far as treatment is concerned. If the pathologist determines that you truly are stage 1 there is a good chance you will not need chemo. Chemo is the toughest of the treatments we endure. None the less it is still do-able. I worked throug chemo with a minimal of abscence. Pathology will also tell you what type of breast cancer you have.
Go to the blue half of this site and under cancer information put breast into the blank for the type of cancer. After doing some looking around you will find that there are some short movies on breast cancer. It really helped me understand what was comming up and allowed me enough information to look at things from a hopeful perspective. I hope it will serve you the same way. If you go out on the internet at other places looking for information you may get discouraged so at least for now I would stick with information from the American Cancer Society.
By the way welcome. I will put you and hubby in my prayers.0 -
So sorry it is cancer!piptisoph said:The wait is over ..
I talked with the radiologist and she has confirmed that the biopsy came back positive for breast cancer. She said that as far as cancer goes I am lucky as we caught it early thanks to the 6th followup ultrasound. It is small 1-2cm and is a Stage 1.. she said that it might be a good candidate for a lumpectomy.
She gave me several oncologist and surgeons that she works with and told me not to rush into anything... but.. that is not really an option anyway.
The reason I even know about CSN is because my husband has Prostate Cancer and we are leaving next Tuesday to go to Florida for him to have surgery. I believe we have really upset God or there is something in the water out here. I need to concentrate on my husband now so will have to worry about myself when we get back.
Thank you all for being there.. any 'next steps' would be appreciated
I'm also sorry your husband has cancer. As far as 'next steps' I believe most of us had different scans to see if there was cancer anywhere else in our body. Different doctors rely on different scans. I had a bone scan and a CT scan. I have noticed some of us get MRI's, and some get PET scans. Whatever scans you get will help them determine the stage of your cancer. Your biopsy is most likely being tested for ER/PR/HER2 and that test takes a little longer but is important in determining how to best fight your cancer. I would also think they would want to do a sentinel node biopsy because another part of staging the cancer is to know if it has spread to any of the lymph nodes. I know your radiologist told you not to worry about the lymph node but my radiologist told me my lymph nodes looked okay but, in reality, five of my nodes had cancer cells. I'm not trying to scare you but I hope you don't put off seeing a doctor too long. I'm praying for you and your husband.
HUGS!!!
Jamie0 -
Ask about having the OncoTypedx test on your tumor sample.jamiegww said:So sorry it is cancer!
I'm also sorry your husband has cancer. As far as 'next steps' I believe most of us had different scans to see if there was cancer anywhere else in our body. Different doctors rely on different scans. I had a bone scan and a CT scan. I have noticed some of us get MRI's, and some get PET scans. Whatever scans you get will help them determine the stage of your cancer. Your biopsy is most likely being tested for ER/PR/HER2 and that test takes a little longer but is important in determining how to best fight your cancer. I would also think they would want to do a sentinel node biopsy because another part of staging the cancer is to know if it has spread to any of the lymph nodes. I know your radiologist told you not to worry about the lymph node but my radiologist told me my lymph nodes looked okay but, in reality, five of my nodes had cancer cells. I'm not trying to scare you but I hope you don't put off seeing a doctor too long. I'm praying for you and your husband.
HUGS!!!
Jamie
Perhaps that can be done while you are away taking care of your husband's surgery. It will tell you more information and helps with choosing the best treatment. Mine was done after the lumpectomy but maybe yours can be done with your tumor sample. Great book for early stage breast cancer, "Just Let Me Get Through This". Written by a bc survivor and includes some humor which we all need at a time like this.
Hugs and hope,
Roseann0 -
I am so sorry to hear ofpiptisoph said:The wait is over ..
I talked with the radiologist and she has confirmed that the biopsy came back positive for breast cancer. She said that as far as cancer goes I am lucky as we caught it early thanks to the 6th followup ultrasound. It is small 1-2cm and is a Stage 1.. she said that it might be a good candidate for a lumpectomy.
She gave me several oncologist and surgeons that she works with and told me not to rush into anything... but.. that is not really an option anyway.
The reason I even know about CSN is because my husband has Prostate Cancer and we are leaving next Tuesday to go to Florida for him to have surgery. I believe we have really upset God or there is something in the water out here. I need to concentrate on my husband now so will have to worry about myself when we get back.
Thank you all for being there.. any 'next steps' would be appreciated
I am so sorry to hear of your news. I still clearly remember when I first heard about my mammogram (read probable carcinoma at age 33). Such a shock! The next week was a whirl...a biopsy one day, a mastectomy the next (mine was Stage 3 with 4 nodes), chemo shortly after that.
The shock makes it hard to digest everything. My best advice is to find a surgeon and an oncologist that you trust completely. I also got a second opinion oncologist just to make sure my course was reasonable and I understood everything the first onc was saying. Then fight with everything that you have. BTW, I am still here 25 years later.
I am also so sorry to hear about your husband. Sometimes bad things just seem to happen in weird clusters, don't they? Praying for you both. Please let us know how you are doing.0 -
I am so sorry Piptisoph.piptisoph said:The wait is over ..
I talked with the radiologist and she has confirmed that the biopsy came back positive for breast cancer. She said that as far as cancer goes I am lucky as we caught it early thanks to the 6th followup ultrasound. It is small 1-2cm and is a Stage 1.. she said that it might be a good candidate for a lumpectomy.
She gave me several oncologist and surgeons that she works with and told me not to rush into anything... but.. that is not really an option anyway.
The reason I even know about CSN is because my husband has Prostate Cancer and we are leaving next Tuesday to go to Florida for him to have surgery. I believe we have really upset God or there is something in the water out here. I need to concentrate on my husband now so will have to worry about myself when we get back.
Thank you all for being there.. any 'next steps' would be appreciated
I am so sorry Piptisoph. Sending lots of prayers and hugs for you and your husband.
Hugs, Diane0 -
I'm so sorry to hear yourDianeBC said:I am so sorry Piptisoph.
I am so sorry Piptisoph. Sending lots of prayers and hugs for you and your husband.
Hugs, Diane
I'm so sorry to hear your news--about you and your husband. My husband was diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer in June 2011 and I was diagnosed with Triple Negative BC in Dec 2011. Do you like your husband's oncologist and does he/she treat both Prostate and Breast Cancer? Ours does, so we have a "family oncologist." If that's the case, you could have your records sent to him/her and they could have additional tests set up for you for when you get back. That could eliminate some waiting. And if it hasn't been done, they could go ahead and order Estrogen, Progesterone, and Her2 testing on the biopsy sample.
Good luck in fighting on 2 fronts--it can be done. Just try not to neglect yourself in the process.
Angie0 -
I am so sorry that it turnedroseann4 said:Ask about having the OncoTypedx test on your tumor sample.
Perhaps that can be done while you are away taking care of your husband's surgery. It will tell you more information and helps with choosing the best treatment. Mine was done after the lumpectomy but maybe yours can be done with your tumor sample. Great book for early stage breast cancer, "Just Let Me Get Through This". Written by a bc survivor and includes some humor which we all need at a time like this.
Hugs and hope,
Roseann
I am so sorry that it turned out to be cancer. I will be praying for you and your husband. Keep us updated when you have the chance.
Hugs, Angie0 -
I'm very sorry to read this.AngieD said:I'm so sorry to hear your
I'm so sorry to hear your news--about you and your husband. My husband was diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer in June 2011 and I was diagnosed with Triple Negative BC in Dec 2011. Do you like your husband's oncologist and does he/she treat both Prostate and Breast Cancer? Ours does, so we have a "family oncologist." If that's the case, you could have your records sent to him/her and they could have additional tests set up for you for when you get back. That could eliminate some waiting. And if it hasn't been done, they could go ahead and order Estrogen, Progesterone, and Her2 testing on the biopsy sample.
Good luck in fighting on 2 fronts--it can be done. Just try not to neglect yourself in the process.
Angie
I'm very sorry to read this. My positive thoughts and prayers for you both.
Keep us updated.
Hugs, Lex0
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