Just diagnosed with invasive ductal adneocarcinoma

Not Sure
I just looked up your diagnosis - and it sounds similar to regular invasive ductal carcinoma -
the definition said that adenocarcinoma is of the ducts or lobules - and they said "ductal" - so I'm guessing your diagnosis is similar to many here. My cancer was detected in mid-August - and my surgery was September 11th - so I don't think 2 weeks is too long. There's not a whole lot you can do before the surgery. Once it is removed, they will biopsy the tumor and check your lymph nodes - the information that comes from all that will lead to a treatment plan. You might check into a test called the Oncotype-DX test - it would be performed on the tumor and it gives valuable information on recurrence and whether chemo therapy is indicated for your particular tumor. It is an expensive, genetic test - so if your doctor thinks it is a good idea, check with your insurance. (Although the company does work with you if you don't have the $ if your insurance won't pay.)

I am sure others will be posting - giving more info. Just know that this website is a great resource for info, experience, humor and comfort! We know what you are going through! And you will get through it, too!

Lori

Making the 'right choice is most important!
Like Sandy, I felt it was more important to feel 'comfortable' with the decision I made. It's all about 'how you deal with things' that is most important. I, too, went for three different opinions and ended up going with my third. The first surgeon was a local doctor and although he specialized in breast, I didn't feel comfortable that he was a 'cancer' surgeon and that he would be qualified enough to deal with 'getting it all and doing it right'. My 2nd opinion was the head of breast cancer at a well known cancer center and he scared me to death! He felt the tumor was attached to a muscle and that would put me at stage 3b. He wanted to start me on chemo immediately and told me that 50% of women die from this (he couldn't say 50% of women 'survived' this, as being a positive person I felt I would have taken a little bit better). I then went for a 3rd opinion at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. He said that it very obviously was not attached but did not want to do an immediate reconstruction as the first surgeon wanted to do. I opted for that choice as I felt he was very knowledgeable and I wanted to do the right thing. I am very happy that I made this choice. Many who have seen my scar have said what a wonderful job he did and I am so convinced I made the right choice.

Just be comfortable with whatever you opt to do and don't stop coming here. You were brought here for a reason and you will NEVER be sorry to ask ANYTHING you are concerned about. There are such strong, wonderful and caring people here!

Good luck and please keep us posted.

Hugs ~ Mar

jbug said:

Not far ahead of you
I'm not that far ahead of you in time from diagnosis...you found a great source of help at this site w/these women. A small word of caution, don't read ALL the scary stuff first...I, of course, did this! Scared myself silly with the worst possibilities!!! The waiting for the unknown is the hardest part. I had an MRI guided biopsy that was actually negative for cancer, but had some cells that were concerning and so had a local tissue excision 5 Nov 09, never expected anything other than negative biopsy results. I was (and still am) in shock, having gotten my cancer diagnosis on 12 Nov. I've been in the process of learning the language of breast cancer. Just got my hormone receptor news...all good HR/PR + and HER2 negative. Had my sentinal node biopsy on 25 Nov and now am waiting again.

Read all the information you get and give yourself time to digest and make an informed decision. Unless I receive more challenging information from the oncology folks (like BRAC1 positive), I'll not go back for mastecomy but have a course of radiation. For me, that was the right decision. Let us know how you are doing...

God Bless...Julie

I am not sure of your
I am not sure of your diagnosis, but, want to wish you good luck.

Debby

LadyParvati said:

It's OK to take time to ask questions!
Two weeks is not too long. You can take time to ask questions, to seek second or even third opinions. I did, and I'm really glad I did, as the first doctor with whom I spoke really wanted me to do a mastectomy--so I thought I would do a mastectomy--until I spoke with a second doctor and found that the first doctor had given me misinformation, apparently in order to bias me toward choosing mastectomy.

I was diagnosed on Sept. 30. I spent the next three weeks interviewing doctors--3--and ended up choosing the 3rd one. I had a lumpectomy on Nov. 6 and will begin accelerated partial breast irradiation on Dec. 7--that's five days of radiation twice a day. I would never have had that option with the first doctor, as she said I wasn't eligible for any clinical trials. Turns out I'm eligible for three different clinical trials. First doctor also did not offer dose-dense chemotherapy, which I've read is better for my cancer (I'm triple negative), but the third doctor does.

All in all, I am VERY glad I took time, asked questions, and talked with different doctors.

Good luck with your decisions! Sandy

I am also pretty new to this site, and I just read about you. and you have triple negative also... this is all to scary for me... im 37, and I guess i should stop reading so much on the computer. I was diagnosed in Sept. and had a lumpectomy on Oct. 26th and I have to go in for another surgery next week.

LadyParvati said:

It's OK to take time to ask questions!
Two weeks is not too long. You can take time to ask questions, to seek second or even third opinions. I did, and I'm really glad I did, as the first doctor with whom I spoke really wanted me to do a mastectomy--so I thought I would do a mastectomy--until I spoke with a second doctor and found that the first doctor had given me misinformation, apparently in order to bias me toward choosing mastectomy.

I was diagnosed on Sept. 30. I spent the next three weeks interviewing doctors--3--and ended up choosing the 3rd one. I had a lumpectomy on Nov. 6 and will begin accelerated partial breast irradiation on Dec. 7--that's five days of radiation twice a day. I would never have had that option with the first doctor, as she said I wasn't eligible for any clinical trials. Turns out I'm eligible for three different clinical trials. First doctor also did not offer dose-dense chemotherapy, which I've read is better for my cancer (I'm triple negative), but the third doctor does.

All in all, I am VERY glad I took time, asked questions, and talked with different doctors.

Good luck with your decisions! Sandy

dose-dense?
Hi Sandy, My wife has just been rediagnosed with triple negative, she was originally diagnosed estrogen positive and then changed by the results of the oncotype test to estrogen neg. My question is what is dose-dense chemo?
Jerry