Forum Discussion

winwin14's avatar
winwin14
Member
5 months ago

High grade DCIS in Brisbane

I was recently diagnosed with high grade DCIS in Brisbane.Unfortunately, I have only been in Australia for a year from China and have 2 children with me. Fortunately, the lump is very small, less than 1 cm, and it’s still carcinoma in situ. The doctor performed a breast-conserving surgery, and I’m currently waiting for the detailed pathology results. I’m being treated at Mater Hospital in Brisbane.The surgery was done around the areola, so there is no visible scar, and it wasn’t very painful. I went home the same day.

Are there any fellow patients who can share information? Thank you, everyone.!

Let me know if you’d like any adjustments.

  • arpie's avatar
    arpie
    Member
    5 months ago
    SO Sorry to see you joining us here, @winwin14 ... Being away from family & friends would have been tough for you, I am guessing. xx. Great that you've had your surgery already & I hope you are recovering well.  

    Have you been assigned a Breast Care Nurse yet?  You'll be able to ask them any question that you have - also, write them down to ask your Surgeon and/or Oncologist too, when you see one.

    It sounds like your surgery was very similar to mine - also around the nipple, which was removed,  the surgery done underneath & then sewn back on! I also have minimal scarring & everyone is amazed when they see it for the first time.  I just had my yearly mammogram/ultrasound & the Mammogram lady asked the name of my surgeon, she was so impressed with it! 

    Have they told you if you need Radiation yet?

    Due to my surgery position, I was also able to have my Radiation done 'face down', so there was less chance of the radiation hitting vital organs (tho mine was the right breast, not the left, which often needs specific breathing techniques during radiation, if done in the normal position, on your back.

    take care, don't do too much whilst you are in recovery - and all the best for your ongoing appointments and treatments xx
  • winwin14's avatar
    winwin14
    Member
    5 months ago

    Thank you for your quick response; it warmed my heart. I will likely need radiation therapy, but I won’t know the specific plan until I see the doctor next week. Wishing myself all the best.

  • cranky_granny's avatar
    cranky_granny
    Member
    5 months ago
    @winwin14 glad arpie answered so quickly 
    its great when things go well with the surgery. Best wishes for your results when you see your Dr. until then its like sitting in limbo. Just remember to follow the instructions you were given when you were discharged. I hope you were given a breast care nurse. If not ask about one. They are often helpful. Not coming from Brisbane Im in outer western Sydney
    Once you have had your follow up appointment things will be clearer with regard what happens from here. 
    I hope you have someone to take with you. Often the questions don’t come to you immediately. If you use the My Journey app it can be helpful. There is also some useful tick sheets somewhere on here. I’ll add to this discussion thread when I find the link. 
    also if you don’t understand get the doc to explain it better. Sometimes they forget that you aren’t medically trained. I took my daughter with me and she took notes Though my diagnosis was different to yours the things they look at if the tumour is ER PR And HER positive or negative. These have a big bearing on the future plans.  Your treating team will look at the results and discuss the options you have going forward
  • winwin14's avatar
    winwin14
    Member
    5 months ago
    Words cannot describe the warmth in my heart at this moment.Thank you so much! I have downloaded all the pdfs and will go through carefully.I am feeling very confident about my follow up appointment next week.
  • winwin14's avatar
    winwin14
    Member
    5 months ago

    My pathology report is out. The DCIS cancer part is 5.6mm, but there is 0.3mm of microinvasion. The in situ cancer is triple-positive. I had another sentinel lymph node surgery in the axillary area last week, hoping there’s no metastasis. 

    My doctor is a bit uncertain because I’m relatively young, only 42, and one of my markers is HER2-positive, which increases the risk of recurrence and metastasis. So I’m unsure if I should go through chemotherapy. Are there any cases similar to mine? Or is there a group on this site with data on microinvasion? I might be a rarer type.

    Additionally, in Australia, is it possible to take out my pathology slides and send them to another hospital for further analysis? I feel that if I can clearly identify the type of my microinvasive part, I might be able to receive more targeted treatment.