Invasive ductal breast cancer, 22mm

*Covid (typo!)

Hi

Sorry about your diagnosis, however you’ll find lots of help and support here.

My diagnosis was similar, 20mm invasive, but 28mm in total with DCIS, also grade 2. I had a lumpectomy six weeks after diagnosis, no lymph node involvement and Oncotype score was 12 so no chemotherapy.  Ten weeks after surgery I had the 5 day radiotherapy  regime then started hormone therapy (letrozole) two weeks after my last radiotherapy session. I wasn’t fatigued with the actual radiotherapy but found going to the hospital every day tiring. 

Best wishes x

Hello. Yes I had this too - click my name to read my tale which saves me typing it. I finished treatment mid Sept but am suffering with armpit and back of shoulder swelling and cording. Have a read - happy to answer any questions but this is how I dealt with it and each case and hospital can do things a little differently. x

Hello 4723, here is my experience so far which is personal to my circumstances, but might help you. But don't let it bog you down! We are all different. I was reassured by the oncologist that the wait would not make any difference. So I had biopsies of breast tissue and lymph nodes to confirm grade 2 invasive cancer. My operation followed about 3 weeks later because of a cancellation. Lumpectomy and lymph node biopsy under general anaesthetic, but out in the same day. I was told to drink three non fizzy energy drinks the day before. My advice is wear comfy clothes, tops that do up at the front and a really comfy bra, which I found hard to find but have now found one! I asked for a dose of morphine for pain whilst in hospital and when I got home I religiously took paracetamol for a week and then reduced it. I found the node scar was more painful than the breast. I'm HER neg and just found more info from some lovely ladies on here about ER8 and PR0, which is all tied up with hormones. So I am hoping for radiotherapy in January and 5 years of hormone treatment, but I have to wait and see.  A flannel is handy to wash with at first as I had to keep it all dry for 2 weeks. However, I found washing my affected armpit before getting into the shower for the rest of my body ok. I kept a dry hand towel over the affected area with one hand whilst soaping with the other! I was in total panic when I got my diagnosis for a couple of weeks and then time helped me calm down. As for fatigue with radiotherapy, I'm sure lots will give you info. I wish you all the best.

Thank you Elaine.

It sounds you had practically the same as me. Did you have lots of tests,  like scans etc before surgery? 

Sorry typo, Eline x

Thank you, thats so helpful x

Hi, first clinic visit had the usual tests...mammograms, ultrasound and biopsy.

However in the weeks before surgery I had an MRI, there was a query in the imaging measurements of the tumour from the mammogram and ultrasound and they wanted to check if the cancer was attached to the nipple as this would determine whether surgery was lumpectomy or mastectomy. The MRI was inconclusive so couple of days later I had yet another ultrasound (on my birthday no less!) for further imaging and a definitive answer on any nipple involvement. It was an anxious time for me but the MDT had to be sure. Thank goodness for their hard work!

Hi, the grading is how  how many cancer cells they can see compared to normal cells. At a basic level, grade 1 is some cancer cells and grade 3 (the highest grade) is a lot of cancer cells. Grade 2 is somewhere in the middle. Grades allow them to determine how aggressive it is is, or to put it another way, how fast the cancer is likely to be growing.

I had grade 2 cancer from biopsy and it was 7 weeks from hen I found the lump to starting chemo, which I had first. They like to get as full a picture as possible so I also had an MRI, which was what made them want to give me chemo as mine was a bit bigger than they thought and on my chest wall.

The medical team tailor treatment for your exact case and will be happy with the dates they have given you. Depending on how big your tumour is, you may have had it for a year or few, so another 4 weeks is not going to make any difference.

The hormone receptive ones are very treatable as you will be put on hormone therapy for a number of years which means the cancer has nothing to feed it as your hormones are switched off.

It is all very overwhelming but you will get plenty of support here.

I found radiotherapy fine, but everything was OK compared to chemo! I think most people find it a little tiring but some places are doing the reduced sessions (same amount of radiotherapy over a shorter period) which can be a bit easier without so much daily travelling.