Confused about my diagnosis

Hi there - no idea on your diagnosis, but I also feel like a fraud! I’ve just been diagnosed and am waiting for my treatment plan next week after a lumpectomy.  I’ve actually been practicing saying out loud “I’ve got breast cancer”! I still can’t believe it although I am sore from the surgery.  I hope someone can throw some light on your diagnosis xx

Hi, thank you for your reply. So you had a lumpectomy before any treatment plan? 
I had an mri yesterday to check the treatment plan that they have in mind for me is correct so they think lumpectomy and 3 week radiotherapy and then 10 years of tablets. 

how did u find the lumpectomy if you don’t mind me asking, it’s so hard to realise you have cancer I just don’t see it being a big deal when they can treat it and confused why people are upset “my family” I know that’s so horrible to say and I feel awful saying it x 

I had a routine mammogram where it was picked up - a week later I had biopsies.  They came back and showed it was a triple negative tumour - I had the lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy a week later, so all really fast.  I don’t know if that’s because it’s TN?  I’ll get the results of the node biopsy next Friday and also my treatment plan but expecting chemo.

The lumpectomy was fine, just a day case, I was home by 4.  It’s been fine, you just need to wear a good bra night and day.  The node biopsy site is still quite bruised and sore but the other area is really good.  I was expecting to have a dent but I haven’t! 

I know what you mean, I thought the same but reading through all the info on here I think the scary thing is the risk of it coming back or spreading and that’s frightening me, the thought that it could be lurking somewhere else! 

good luck - hope it all goes well x

Hi Ltommo88, and welcome to the forum. I’m sure others with experience of a ‘mix’ of invasive and in situ cancer will pop in soon but thought I’d pop in with my take on it. I only had invasive so am talking from reading others mixed diagnoses. 
My understanding is that you can have a lump which is invasive, and can also at the same time have areas of in situ cancer where it hasn’t gone any further than the duct or lobule (?), depending on whether it’s DCIS or LCIS. The IS stands for ‘in situ’ meaning it’s not in the outer lying breast tissue. In my case, my ductal cancer had escaped from the duct into the breast tissue. So it was invasive. But many other ladies here have had a bit of both. I think lesleyhelenmight be one of them so I’ve tagged her. She’s also good at explaining! 
Good luck with all your treatments, sounds similar plan to mine. Look at our profiles to see more detail. Love and hugs, HFxx

Yes that’s the only thing currently that scares me is it coming back or that they havnt found it anywhere else. 
I’m so glad your treatment has been quick and I wish you a speedy recovery 

Thank you so much for your kind words and tagging, it’s all very confusing. 
usually I’m an emotional wreck but with this I’m just ploughing through like nothing is wrong. I have 3 you ge children so I don’t want them to see me break x 

Hi Ltommo88

I second the welcome :)

I had 2 types, but not lobular, so I don't know much about that sorry.  I had Invasive ductal carcinoma ER (oestrogen) positive 8/8 PR 8/8- grade 2 and also 2 large areas of DCIS - ER/PR negative / HER2 negative  grade 3   and nothing else advised about this.   Grade 1 - slow growing, stage 2 - intermediate growth and stage 3 fast growing. However, do try and take heart that your diagnosis seems to be a positive one.  Although you have 2 types of carcinoma in situ it hasn't yet formed into a carcinoma - so that is really positive.  They've caught it before it can be anything life threatening.  DCIS and LCIS is classed as stage 0.  I had stage 1, despite it being a whopping 8cm in total, because the invasive carcinoma was only 15mm.

The treatment plan for DCIS and Invasive ductal carcinoma is the same.  Lumpectomy first, then radiotherapy and as you're ER+ 8/8 (again fabulous news! - the highest possible response to oestrogen positive tablets), you're on the tablets.  I'm on them provisionally for 5 years and am over 3 years in now.  I expect you'll be on Tamoxifen if you're pre menopausal. Post menopause, they use Letrozole or Anastrozole.

So, you're attitude of 'you don't see it as a big deal' - if you can keep that then you are already winning one battle!  I struggled with my diagnosis mentally initially, but then tried to think of it as similar to a broken bone - it will be treated and healed and then that's it.  I was convinced it would be back the first year, but I've had 3 clear now.

Hope this helps, Lesley x

Hi,

last Wednesday I had pretty much the same diagnosis as you- and you have literally taken the words from my mouth ( how can I complain when my cancer is treatable?) 

Although saying that my emotions are all over the place. Saying I have cancer is really scary-  we need to be kind to ourselves 

have you been given a treatment plan? I had an MRI last week as another shadow needs to be investigated. If it’s just calcification and I just have the one lump, I’ll have a lumpectomy and radiotherapy followed by meds.

good luck with everything 

Hiya.

wow we literally sound the same, I had my diagnosis last Monday and mri was Friday. I have my results appointment this coming Friday. 

they said aslong as the mri comes back how they think then my treatment plan is exactly the same as yours. 

im not sure if I’m numb or what but even saying I have cancer does not feel scary. In my head I’m like well once I’ve had the lumpectomy I don’t have cancer anymore. 
I hope your doing ok good luck also x looks like we are in the same path x