Hello! I was recently diagnosed with a grade 3 IDC, with a treatment plan of a lumpectomy & sentinel lymph node biopsy, followed by radiotherapy. Prior to the op I had an ultrasound and an MRI and these both indicated that the armpits were clear with no sign of any lymph node problems. The MRI did however measure the tumour as more than a centimetre bigger than shown on the ultrasound. After the op I didn't get any update from the medical team on how it had gone but received a call about 10 days later arranging an appointment during which it was explained that some of the margins weren't clear and around 5% of the tumour had not been removed, plus one of three lymph nodes removed had cancer. The new plan is to have chemo for 6 months then surgery to remove the remaining breast tumour and consider removal of all lymph nodes, followed by radiotherapy. The doctor said they didn't expect that the cancer had spread further but would do a CT scan to check, but even if it hasn't spread the follow up surgery would still not take place until after 6 months of chemo.
I'm confused about a few things as the appointment had started late so there was only a short time available to ask questions and see the nurse afterwards, plus there was a lot to take in. Hopefully those of you here with similar experiences may be able to put my mind at rest a bit prior to getting a chance to discuss further with the nurse. This is all new to me, but six months seems a long time to wait for surgery to remove the remaining tumour and lymph nodes. Is it standard to have chemo before further surgery or does it depend? And is it usual for so much of a tumour to remain in place after surgery? When I was first diagnosed I was told it had been caught early, was treatable and Stage1, which was a huge relief, but now it seems that the stage hasn't been decided on yet. I appreciate that treatment plans are subject to change but the period between diagnosis and surgery has all been very quick and things seem to be going from bad to worse, although I am trying to stay as positive as I can.
Hi LalaLou
Six months of. Chemo is not unusual before surgery. Easier said then done I know but try not to worry too much before you have the full picture. Keep yourself busy by doing the things that you love. I find reading and going for walks very beneficial.
Best of luck with your treatments and I am here if you need to talk about what you are going through.
Best wishes
Daisy
