Topic: My sister has breast cancer

I am sorry about your sister. Mine was too, over a year ago. I do not know about the chemo with triple negative. My sister was estrogen/progesterone positive. She did not want chemo, even though it was recommended( she was grade 3). She made the decision herself, and I have supported it, even though I don't know if I would have made the same decision. It is her body, she would have to deal with the treatment. I remember my sister telling me that she was in such a fog just dealing with the diagnosis that it was difficult to even think about what her options might be. She took some time and came here and learned a lot and made the decision that she felt was best for her in her situation. I was proud of her resolve in such a difficult time. I worry more about her now, then I did then because she has other things going on that although were probably not caused by her cancer, were really made worse because of it. Good luck to you, sorry I could not be more help with the technical stuff.

Thanks for the reply Shokk. Also the fact that the pathology says poorly differentiated can't be good, right? and how about nuclear grade 2? what does that mean?

Thanks 

grade 2 goes on a scale of grade 1, 2, or 3.  It looks at the cells uder the micrscope and grade 1 the nucleus is still in tact-- think back to 10th grade bio- when you have the circle with the clearly defined center.  Grade three is poorly defined, and tends to be a faster growing cancer. 

I agree with everyone here, that a second opinion is worthwhile.  If she's triple negative, depending on her age and the size of the tumor, chemo may be a good safeguard.

Please let us know what happens.

My sister was diagnosed with bc last month.  Following a lumpectomy, the margins did not look good and the sentinel node biopsy came back positive.  She will now be having a mastectomy with reconstruction (in mid-June).  She will then have 5 months of chemotherapy, with treatments every two weeks.  I need advice on how best to help her and prepare for what lies ahead.  What can my other sister and I do to provide the best support? help? assistance?  She is a single mom with four kids (ages 6-16).

Thanks for any input, wisdom and advice you can provide.   

Hello, My sister was diagnosed in January with bc and had a lumpectomy. Now it has gone to her bones. She is taking Zometa. Sometimes I can't breathe in and out and I feel like I'm choking. Morbid thoughts come in to my mind and I try to shake them out. I ask everyone I meet to pray for her. I try to be very upbeat when I am around her. She has small children and I go every night after work and help with what I can and just sit with her and live her life. At times I wish I wasn't alive so I wouldn't have to be dealing with this and then I think how she must feel. Is this my purpose in life to help her through this. Is there a place where I can talk to people on the drug Zometa? thanks, Robin

Hello everyone.  I just registered at this site although I have visited it a number of times over the past 18 months.  My sister was diagnosed with breast cancern in January 2007 and has had several ups and downs along the way.  Right now she is returning to a new normal in her life; she's returned to work and has resumed all activities she loved prior to diagnosis.  Her tumor marker was up last week, so a PET scan was performed and we will learn the results tomorrow.

It is so difficult to watch my sister, who is a year younger than I am, go through this journey.  Yet she has done so with optimism and grace and peace.  I love her so very much.  I'm sure that is true for all of you as well.

My best wishes to you all.  ~Arleen

Breast cancer is a baffling disease in that no two are truly alike. Things like age, background, size, grade, hormone receptors, her2 positive or neg...btw what was the fish results, environmental factors, margins clear or close, lymph node status. Then the bottom line comes down to a woman's choice.

I am reading with interest the feelinghelpless writing on what you can do for your sister. My sister was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at age 37 and lived 6 months. I moved her in with me as she was not married and her son lived with her ex. One of the things that she appreciated was touch...massage her feet, her hands....feel her energy and allow her to feel yours. This reciprical energy exchange is powerful. Mindful walks and really enjoying each other. We did not have a lot of money, but the laughter was priceless. Additionally, she slept a lot and I got her 800 thread comforter and sheets. She said it felt like heaven

This past april, I was diagnosed with Invasive ductal carcinoma, grade 3, 6mm, estrogen 90%positive, progesterone 20% positive, her 2 neg....although fish came back positive which puts me in line for chemo along with that grade 3 knee slapper of aggressiveness...lymph node negative. The way I understand it through the folks at MOFFITT cancer center in Tampa, is that sometimes the grade and the Her2 status can be predictors of recurrence.