New diagnosis
I was diagnosed with DCIS in Oct 25 left breast. Had lumpectomy in Dec 25 & reduction mammoplasty in right breast & told would have radiotherapy in Feb/March on left breast. Told very good prognosis. Pathology results in Jan filled me with total panic. Told I had 11mm grade 2 invasive ductual carcinoma in left breast & 2.8mm grade 2 invasive lobular carinoma in right breast. This came as total shock. I have had a sentinel node bioposy 2 weeks ago & get my pathology results tomorrow. I am quite honestly so scared that it will be bad news. Has anyone else experienced this? I have found on internet that it is very rare to have 2 different cancers in different breasts. I also feel quite angry as I was lead to believe that it was DCIS in left breast only & once had surgery & some radiotherapy I would be ok. I am all over the place at the moment.
Comments
-
Hi @lw64cg -
Very sorry you have had to join us, but glad that you have found us to walk with you on this journey.
There are so many unknowns about breast cancer and unfortunately, it follows paths that are sometimes unanticipated. They treat and remove DCIS as it can and often does lead to IDC or ILC. When you have a very small tumor, as yours are, they often can not be spotted until after surgery. ILC is especially difficult to dx and often isn't discovered until it is very large. It is often referred to as 'sneaky'. The good news is that they were found and able to be removed while still very small. Your prognosis is still very good!
My journey started with DCIS also. In my case, it was widespread enough that a mx (on right with reduction on left) was the best option. They found 2 very small ILC tumors in examining the tissue of the right breast after surgery. I had an oophorectomy and was on Femara (Letrozole) for 8 years. I was 'good' for 19 years until my 2nd dx in the other breast (IDC this time).
Take a deep breath. I know it's hard and not what you expected, so it does take some time to process each thing, but you've got this! Really. Take things one step at a time. Regardless of the setback in your plan, I think your prognosis is still very good. I hope you get good news tomorrow. If not, take a deep breath, ask lots of questions and work on the new plan.
Take care.
0 -
Thank you for your very helpful reply & your good wishes. Sorry to hear you have a second dx. I hope all goes well for you.
0 -
Hi @lw64cg , welcome to BCO. We’re so sorry you’re going through this, but glad you found us.
While it’s less common to find two different types of invasive cancer in different breasts, it does happen. But the important thing is that both were found at a very small size. Right now, waiting for sentinel node biopsy results can be one of the hardest parts. Try to take it one step at a time, even though that’s easier said than done.
You may find these pages helpful as you process everything:
Please let us know how your results appointment goes. No matter what you’re told, we’re all here with you.
Sincerely,
The Mods
0 -
Thank you. Will check out the information.
0 -
@lw64cg —
That must have been quite a shock, but those are both small tumors and are quite manageable.
Be sure to find out if that DCIS/IDC they removed with your lumpectomy on the left side had clean margins. (Did they remove all the malignant tissue with that surgery?) If so, then lumpectomy + radiation (+ SNB) would still be the first step. They might want to do further testing to see whether the tumor cells are behaving aggressively (i.e., will they recommend chemo and/or an estrogen-blocking drug?).
As for the ILC on the right side… gosh, it's so tiny. I guess you could say you were lucky you had that reduction, or it might have been years before that thing was discovered. I'm thinking (and this isn't medical advice) your medical team will want to know whether there's more still in that breast, or did they remove the whole tumor? (Again, the margins of the tumor are key — were they clean/free of any cancer cells?)
I, too, was dx'd with DCIS from a biopsy this past December. I was relieved, because DCIS meant no chemo, low likelihood of recurrence, and virtually no chance it had spread. My DCIS was high-grade, though: "nuclear grade 3, solid-type, with comedo necrosis." That's a pretty good indication that the tumor cells would be demanding more territory, and that's why my primary care doc warned me the "Stage 0" DCIS would probably be "up-staged" after surgery. That's what happened to you, and you have my greatest sympathy. It sux. But, it's still very treatable, so hang in there — you can do this!
0 -
Thank you for your message. Yes I thought the same that I was lucky the ILC was found. The surgeon said I don't need any more surgery on either breast as they confirmed all margins clear which is a great relief. Will need radiotherapy & maybe hormone therapy. Will find out more tomorrow. I hope your treatment goes well for the DCIS. Yes must try to stay positive. Thank you for your encouragement. It means a lot.
1
