What type of breast cancer do you have?

@Courtney_J well I’m quite new in my diagnosis, I just found out Monday 10-25. I can tell you all I do know. It’s stage 3 “invasive ductal carcinoma” both my primary physician & the womens clinic that performed my mammogram, ultrasound & biopsy both are saying surgery but I’m not certain if that means removing the lump, my breast or both, either way I’m eager but not enthused to get the ball rolling, I wanna get past all this so I can get back to my so called normal life, ya know? 

Hello,

In 2017, september, I’ve learned I had a breast cancer😱, stade 1, grade 2, « canalaire infiltrant (my first language is french)», 1,5 cm. Tumérectomie on oct 2nd same year, followed by 15 radiotherapy treatments and now still one year of hormonothérapy (on 5).

Learning we have cancer is to enter in an unknown and frightening world and it’s a roller coaster for our emotions and our self image. Not easy, but one step at a time and we pass through.

The important thing : ask as many questions as you need, make the doctors repeat themselves if you’re not sure and even ask them to write down certain difficult words or advices. Don’t be shy!

And respect your body’s rythyms, don’t push you too hard to come back « as before ». Forget before. Take one day at a time, now more than ever.

Coming here for sharing is a very helpful idea. Come back as much you need.

Take care, be kind to yourself,

I had a suspicious spot on my annual mammogram in mid-July. By the first week in August, I was diagnosed with Stage 2a invasive ductal carcinoma in situ. Although the mass had grown to just over 2cm, it had not spread to the lymph nodes. I had an oncotype score of 30, but declined chemotherapy as the benefits didn't seem to outweigh the risks by enough to make it make sense for me. I had an onco plastic lumpectomy and have just completed my 6th radiation treatment with 14 to go. I've been told that I'm lucky since my tumor was estrogen receptor, HER2 negative, but it's awfully hard to feel lucky some days!

@SueGil I so understand why you don’t feel lucky, after all, you have a 🤬 cancer!  And daily treatment to keep the cancer in mind, and the f🤬 new normal to accept.

That said and once the shock and mourning diminish, you’ll see that it is a « good » cancer. Mine is also HER2 negative and hormono dependant. The assistant surgeon told me that taking the hormonothérapy after radiotherapy is more efficace than chemotherapy fot that kind of tumor. It is a hard luck, but it is a luck all the same.

Be kind to yourself, take care