Just got the call.. ER- weak PR+? Waiting on FISH
Hello everyone! I have my Dr. appointment scheduled for Thursday the 29th to go over pathology in detail I guess.. I’m so new to this. I found a small lump (9mm) and decided to get it biopsied. Lymph nodes under US looked normal but I don’t know anything for sure.
What she told me was on that tumor it was infiltrating carcinoma without DCIS, but highly suggestive that it’s of breast origin. Which means there’s another location & it has spread within the breast?? So it also came back ER- and weak PR+ (3%). Waiting on FISH test for HER2 and should know next week… does anyone have any insight? I have no idea what I’m reading and it just all looks/seems bad. I’m 43 & have a 3 year old daughter and I’m going into a dark tunnel but trying to stay strong. I’m scared of course! I also have a surgical consult on 7/10 as well… my mind is going EVERYWHERE.
Thanks for any insight ❤️
Comments
-
mssoda101 -
Sorry you are here, but glad you have found us. It sounds like you have a very small breast cancer. The good news is that it is likely very small and found early. Still not something any of us ever want to have to go through, but you will get through it!
These are the hardest days when you are waiting for all the information and don't yet have a plan. You will get some of your questions answered at your appointment and more finalized at your surgical consult. It's too bad you have to wait for that….but the holidays do that.
We are here for you. Ask all your questions, but don't spend too much time over the what ifs. It's good to be educated, but you do need to just put it all on the shelf too and focus on other things so you stay away from dark places. Breast cancer is generally very treatable these days and although none of us want to be here, you will deal with it.
Hang in there!
0 -
Thank you Mandy! I’m really trying to be positive in the mean time (as much as I can) I hope it’s early, but when they said infiltrating it just makes me think it’s already spread but I’m hoping just in the breast. I don’t know of any other lumps other than I had an asymmetry on my mammogram last year 9/2022 but they biopsied those two sites (2 really small cyst things) but now I find this. I know I have very dense breasts (I also have silicone implants) so Im sure I’m in for a huge change… I’m like one of those people who are extra cautious, I’m up on ALL my screenings and have even had a colonoscopy at 42 just because it was recommended early from my mom having a lot of polyps. I’m just so surprised that the BREAST place didn’t catch it with the ultrasounds and mammograms. But I guess they didn’t see this spot as it’s much higher up and my implant is in the way. I just don’t want it to spread before I even have a chance at fixing it. I’m just so scared! It’s like why do they drag these appointments on?! Should be like next day!
0 -
Obsolete, thank you for your kind words! It looks like I just have to wait no matter what till Thursday to better understand and will update this thread as well. It really does seem that every case is sooooo different.
I wrote down some questions for the initial appointment with the oncologist as far as what is the grade, stage (if possible) and hormone receptor if they have most of this information. Is there anything else you think I should ask?
Thank you!! ❤️0 -
mssoda,
I try not to give medical advice or interpret medical reports but I do have something that you can aim for that may help mentally and emotionally. It will take practice but focus only on what you know for certain right now. The reality is that bc is a complex disease with many possible variations and until all tests/biopsies/surgeries are completed you won’t have all the facts about your individual bc.
“It’s like why do they drag these appointments on?! Should be like next day!” This may be hard to hear as you are in the thick of it but bc is not an emergency. Yes, it should be dealt with in a timely fashion but it is very common for weeks or even a month or so to go by before all of the initial stuff is finished. Obviously this is emotionally taxing but it won’t make any difference to your overall health.Infiltrating and invasive refer to the same thing and simply means that it is no longer confined to the duct. This is one of the most common types of bc. That doesn’t mean it has spread within the breast based on the information currently available to you. Please remember that bc is generally slow growing and has likely been growing in your body for years before it became large enough to be detected (creepy but true!). Take care
0 -
Hope you're feeling a little bit better today. If any of the following begin to give you any anxiety, you may wish to hold off in your investigation on these topics until after you visit with your doctors. Just something to help you to start getting more familiar with BC terminology.
You can ask to meet with a "nurse navigator" who can be of valuable assistance in guiding you.
You may also wish to bring a close friend, partner or sister with you to your appointment. Some doctors will even permit you to audio/video record your session because it's difficult to remember everything.
The following are some basics on pathology and some terminology for future discussions with your team. Please don't let the medical terminology overwhelm you. Just skim this info for terminology definitions.
- Pathology Report
https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/getting_path_report - BRCA/genetic testing if under age 45-50?
- Molecular phenotype?
- Am I AR+? (Androgen receptor)
We're always here when you need us
0 - Pathology Report
-
So I just saw the pathology report… grade 3, ki67 80%?!? Isn’t this really bad?!
I’m freaking out. Also literally says it favors from the breast origin but can’t say for sure it’s not a metastasis. I’m just sick… ugh. I’m so upset. I have a 3 year old and I’m feeling all sorts of sadness.
0 -
Hi, any kind of cancer sucks, but generally Grade-3 BC responds the best to treatment, so early stage Grade-3 is often highly treatable today 💕
Please see below on the controversial reliability of Ki-67 scores. Your doctors will explain.
"Breast cancer is now recognised as a heterogenous disease with varied morphology, molecular features, tumour behaviour, and response to therapeutic strategies."
"Currently, certain authors report the inherent value of Ki-67 in breast oncology [27], while CONTROVERSY EXISTS AS TO THE RELIABILITY Of Ki-67 in independently predicting responses to therapy and survival."
"Consequentially, BIOMARKERS ARE NOT ALWAYS ABSOLUTE in predicting outcomes."https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8430879/
0 -
Hi MsSoda, your final pathology when you have your surgery may change. Mine did. Biopsy is only preliminary, not final. There's sometimes scary CYA medical terms used during the interim by different pathologists to cover a wide spectrum. My own pathology reports had also stated "...cannot rule out mets" and I'm still fine almost 10 years later. You can do this, but the waiting is tough. Hugs
0 -
Oh wow obsolete, you just made me feel SO much better!! I’ve been SO sick just thinking… I literally woke up super sweaty from head to toe! And man every little ache has me going down a rabbit hole. We have friends over for the week but I’m still finding it so hard to concentrate and I wish I could be my old self but I know that’s not possible at this moment, but I hope for it one day!
Thank you so much for all the information you have provided, I really REALLY appreciate it!! Thursday can’t come fast enough…0 -
Best wishes and please let us know how your appointments go.
Bear in mind BC can be local (breast), regional (in nearby lymph nodes) or in a distant area. Many of us had workups including MRI, CT, PET scans, which also serve as a baseline. Your doctor will fill you in.
" Your doctor begins to determine a cancer’s stage during surgery to remove it and looks at one or more of the underarm lymph nodes, which is where breast cancer tends to travel first. Your doctor also may order additional blood tests or imaging tests if there is reason to believe the cancer has spread beyond the breast."
https://www.breastcancer.org/pathology-report/breast-cancer-stages
0 -
Thank you so much, and I will for sure keep you posted!!! ❤️
0 -
Just wanted to come back to update this thread! Stage 1A grade 3 with KI67 of 80%, and 9 mm tumor. My petscan/CT was moved 10 days earlier and showed no lymph nodes, no cancer anywhere else other than the one spot where I found the lump. Starting chemo next week and I meet with the surgeon on Monday! Genetics haven’t come back yet, but that’ll take about 12 days… I’m EXTREMELY relieved after my PET/CT results based on the comments from my pathology report and I sincerely thank everyone for their help in making me feel better so I could get through the “unknown”! You all saved my sanity!!
0
