Biopsy results

Hello Jewdrop, welcome, you'll find lots of friendly support here. Sorry to hear about your sister and it's understandable that you are feeling scared. The waiting for results is the worst part so try to keep busy between now and Wednesday if you can, although easier said than done. I lost my sister to secondary breast cancer too but tests showed that my cancer was not the same type and is curable, even though my lump was large (approx 44mm) and had spread to my lymph nodes. Around 1 in 7 women will get breast cancer and at the moment there is nothing to show that there is a genetic link to both myself and my sister getting it. Probably the best advice I can give you is to just take one day at a time, try not to overthink things, and avoid Google as a lot of the information is inaccurate, out of date and tends to be based on 'worst case scenarios'. Hope your appointment goes well on Wednesday but if the biopsy shows that your lump is cancerous it is still small and has been caught early. Best wishes, let us know how you get on xx  

Hi Lalalou,

sorry to here about your sister also. I just feel sick all the time and I am trying to keep busy. We are in the process of selling our family home so hope to be moving in 6 weeks!!!

my sister had breast cancer 9 years ago, she had a lumpectomy and lymph nodes removed followed by radiotherapy and a tablet to take every day. She got the all clear then 4years ago after having an mri scan they found it was back and this time terminal it was in her bones, then liver and finally brain.

if she had had a mastectomy would she still be here? I can’t help asking myself that, and if mine in malignant what way do I go? It’s a high gamble in my eyes, what treatment are you having if you don’t mind me asking?

Hi Jewdrop, I had a lumpectomy & sentinel node biopsy, which showed spread to the lymph nodes. This was followed by 6 months chemo and further surgery to remove all remaining lymph nodes and also a re-excision of some margins that were missed. I have recently started on hormone tablets, which I'll be taking for at least 5 years, and bone strengthening infusion & calcium tablets for 3 years, and will also be starting radiotherapy soon. Treatment is individually tailored to the type,grade, size of the cancer and also other factors such as general health, age etc but they throw everything they can at it to help prevent a recurrence. Breast cancer treatment has improved a lot in the 9 years since your sister was first treated, and is improving all the time, and I understand that there is now little difference in survival/recurrence rates between having a lumpectomy or a mastectomy. Neither of these was an option for my sister unfortunately. Treatment options are discussed at multi-disciplinary meetings and I had the lumpectomy on the advice of my surgeon although a mastectomy would have been an option if the second surgery was unsuccessful. If your lump turns out to be malignant then you will be provided with information about the type, grade etc and given a treatment plan and options but try to avoid thinking about 'what ifs' if you can between now and Wednesday. Hope it all goes OK for you.