Just diagnosed grad 3 invasive breast caner

Hello,

I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer last week & tumor is 5cm

on my first visit to hospital  I had biopsies/mammogram etc & due to the  size I was sent for PET CT 2 days later, to check for spread.

Even though it is large it has not spread to lymph nodes or anywhere else. So it is possible for a larger tumor not to have spread.

I am starting chemo next week, which I am actually terrified about, but it’s the only course of action. I will have 7/8 rounds of chemo where they hope to reduce the size of the tumor before surgery late summer.

For me the wait to find out if it had spread was awful, I was sick to the stomach with worry. But thank god it has not. 
Sending you my best wishes, stay strong x

Hi Dream A, thanks for advice. 5cm sounds bad but there are a lot of us going through same thing so that's  comforting. Good luck with chem and surgery and please keep in touch. 

Hi, my lump was 55mm, so a little larger and and I had no spread to lymph nodes. I had chemo before surgery to shrink the lump and had a lumpectomy.  Like you, the wait for the CT scan was the absolute worst.  All I can offer as a suggestion is to keep busy to distract yourself. Good luck 

Thanks. Trying xx

Hi Bobbysgirl I have triple negative too, you’re not alone and there is also a triple negative group too on this forum.  I’ve heard of bigger lumps than yours with no spread and even if there is spread to lymph nodes it doesn’t mean it’s elsewhere by any means.  The waiting is so hard but when you have your treatment plan it gets easier knowing you have a team behind you working out the best way to get you well again.  Always here if I can help xx

Wobbly1, Thank you so much. It's  hard isn't  it thinking the worst. Will be better when treatment starts as closer to having it out. You take care and let us all know how your getting on xx