Diagnosed with 2 forms of breast cancer

My sister was dx last year with 2 types of different cancer in each breast.One breast was DCIS invasive.The other breast I'm not sure of.Just remember the DCIS dx.I asked my oncologist about this and she said it's rare.She said we only see maybe 2-3% of our patients with this type of cancer and this dx.IMO just more complicated but my sister is doing fine.Had 4 rounds of chemo, no radiation but takes Armidex for 5 years.She had a double masectomy with reconstruction.They also checked her lymph nodes.I think 2 were involved.

Wishing you the best.It does make things more complicated and a worry about what to do.

Lynn Smith

PSH238 said:

Thanks alot for your history....

Did they find you Lobular on a Mammogram as a lump?   Am assuming that since you mention "speckling" , that this WAS NOT VISIBLE ON A MAMMOGRAM.  I have asked for an MRI since this Lobular was only found by accident and I have heard that it is often in the other breast as well.  I have had to totally change my research approach as I was told that I had DCIS and did all the research surrounding that............infact had been pre-approved for a clinical trial pending outcome of this lumpectomy. The clinical trial involved RADIATION .  I am feeling very UNCERTAIN AS TO THE COMPLETE DIAGNOSIS ..........Sorta  like "we can't tell you until we do the mastectomy"...The surgeon said yesterday that unless several lymph nodes are involved, he doesn't believe any chemo is necessary.  But, that's why I labeled it "creepiing" and WITHOUT FIRM DIAGNOSIS.  I want TO SLOW THIS TRAIN To mastectomy way down.............find out if it's in the other breast before I go into surgery to remove the one breast.   Maybe they will have to take Both breasts............this whole "take a wack at it" process is NOT confidence building.

 As for what they need to do to clean up margins............the surgeon says he doesn't know if re-excision would do it since he doesn't know where the lobular is exactly.  How has your recovery been with some pectoral muscle involved and how did he/she KNOW to take the pectoral muscle? Since the pathology is down AFTER the surgery.

Thanks so much for responding to my post.

 

 

 

Dear PSH238

I had a lumpectomy last Jan 15 and the pathology showed both DCIS and ILC components. My aunt (the pathologist) explained that ILC is not usually diaganosed easily using mammograms because it doesn't usually make lumps. Its cells usually hides inside normal cells and doesn't usually make lumps, that is why it is a very sneaky type of BC. She said that I was lucky because I had a DCIS component which created the original lump (or most of it). 

My Oncologist insited that I should have a Bilateral Breast MRI before I start the chemo because it is know that ILC sometimes comes in both breasts at the same time. Maybe you should discuss this option before having a mastectomy.

I hope this will help.

Faith