Breast cancer questions

HI Nan1830ea0c,

My name is Gail, and I’m one of the cancer information nurse specialists on the Macmillan Support Line. I’m really glad you got in touch. It sounds as though things have been confusing at an already difficult time, and it’s completely understandable that you want to make sense of everything before your surgery for breast cancer.

When you mention that you can still feel a larger lump even though the doctors have described the cancer as 16 mm, that can sound worrying. What’s often happening is that the cancer itself, the area of abnormal cells seen on the scan is quite small, but the surrounding tissue can feel firm, thickened or may have inflammation. That’s why what you can feel sometimes feels much bigger than the size written in your report.

You also said no one has explained what type of breast cancer you have. You have every right to know this. The specific type (for example, ductal or lobular) and whether it’s hormone (ER+ve)- or HER2-positive usually come from the biopsy results. Your breast care nurse or consultant can go through that with you in detail.

Some people feel it helps to have as much information as possible and others can be naturally overwhelmed with too much medical terminology.

We don’t have access to your medical records but would be more than happy to talk through what questions to ask your team. Then once they’ve offered more clarity, we can take time together to talk over what it means in more detail.

Depending on the results of the scans and biopsy, your cancer team will discuss the most effective treatment options for you, which may include surgery, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.

You mentioned that tablets were discussed. These are often hormone treatments, so it may be that your cancer uses the hormone oestrogen to grow, also known as oestrogen-receptor positive (ER+ve). The purpose of hormone tablets is to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back. If they are part of your treatment plan, your oncologist or breast care nurse will explain them carefully, including any possible side effects and how long you’d need to take them.

It’s also completely fine that you’re not sure whether you’ve met your oncologist yet. Usually, the oncologist becomes involved after surgery, once the full results are available, so they can plan any additional treatments such as radiotherapy, hormone therapy, or chemotherapy.

Many people find it difficult to remember everything discussed in appointments, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to your team for clarification. You can do this by phoning the hospital switchboard and asking to be put through to the breast cancer team secretary. They can arrange for one of the doctors to call you, organise a follow-up appointment, and confirm the names of the team members caring for you. You will be allocated a named clinical nurse specialist, and the secretary can give you’re their name and contact details. Please reach out and ask questions to gain further clarity. I hope this information helps.

Take things one step at a time and please reach out again if you have any further questions.

We often find we can help more by exploring some concerns over the phone. If this is something you think may help, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can touch via our Support Line on 0808 808 0000. We’re open 7 days a week, 8am-8pm.

You can call us and speak to our nurses directly if you’d like to talk things through. We can also offer emotional support whilst you’re waiting for your operation.

 Ref:amcg/ld

Okay , thank you for replying, I'm at my peri appointment tomorrow, so I will try and get intouch with Faye at James Cook and see if I can have a chat to clarify things a bit more ,  before my operation.