New here

Hello.  Can you take someone with you as a second pair of ears, else ask if you can record. 

They will tell you initial diagnosis and maybe order more tests.  They will know you are stressed and anxious so don't worry about breaking down.  Ask can you have breast-care nurse number in case you have questions .  Mine gave me leaflet with contact details .

I would ask

- which of the biopsies were cancerous? Is it a single mass or multiple areas? Invasive or DCIS? Ductal or lobular? 

- what receptors does it have, if any - ER, PR, HER2. These will determine your treatment plan

- if it’s ER positive do you have to stop any contraception or HRT you might currently be using and will they be putting you on hormone blockers? 

- what grade are the cells (1-3 where 3 is the least like normal cells)? 

- what treatment are they recommending and in what order and why?

- do you need any more tests or scans before they can build a treatment plan? If so what and when? 

- if surgery first, can they just remove the lump or will it be a mastectomy? Are they expecting to check sentinel nodes or is there already evidence of cancer in nodes? If there is evidence in the nodes, will they be recommending a full axilla clear out? When is surgery likely to happen?

- if a mastectomy and you would want reconstruction, what are the options as to type of reconstruction, can it be done at the same time or not? 

- how many days of radiotherapy?

- if chemo first then when will you see the oncologist (in my experience the surgery team leave everything about chemo to the oncology team). 

I had a follow-up letter to confirm what I was told at the appointment.  As Grogg says, they will know you are anxious.  Best wishes 

Hi Tillyvm

Welcome to the forum and sorry to hear that you have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Wishing you the best of luck with your appointment next week.

Best wishes

Daisy53