Newly diagnosed over Christmas..
Hello to everyone going through this frightening journey. I am a 59 yo post menopausal woman who at this moment feels absolute terror. i had a routine mammogram and was recalled due to cancer being de...
Forum Discussion
@Tidden You should ask whether you have Invasive Ductal Cancer (IDC) or Invasive Lobular Cancer (ILC). The former is more common and easier to detect than the latter.
The big question at this point is whether your cancer is estrogen receptor positive or negative. You need to know because if it is positive (which is generally regarded as a good thing) you get to take Tamoxifen or an Aromatase Inhibitor. These drugs can (not will though) reduce your chance of a recurrence.
After that, you want to ask if you are HER2 positive or negative. This determines treatment choices as well.
You might like to ask about the size of your tumour/tumours as well. This broadly determines the Stage of your breast cancer, along with whether it's spread to your lymph nodes.
The other thing that comes up is the Grade, 1 being slow growing, 3 being fast growing. Some doctors don't seem to discuss this much. Cancer's cancer whether it's 'busy' or not!
That's probably enough to worry about at this point, but it will equip you with the answers to the most common questions you'll get asked by those who understand breast cancer. K xox
The big question at this point is whether your cancer is estrogen receptor positive or negative. You need to know because if it is positive (which is generally regarded as a good thing) you get to take Tamoxifen or an Aromatase Inhibitor. These drugs can (not will though) reduce your chance of a recurrence.
After that, you want to ask if you are HER2 positive or negative. This determines treatment choices as well.
You might like to ask about the size of your tumour/tumours as well. This broadly determines the Stage of your breast cancer, along with whether it's spread to your lymph nodes.
The other thing that comes up is the Grade, 1 being slow growing, 3 being fast growing. Some doctors don't seem to discuss this much. Cancer's cancer whether it's 'busy' or not!
That's probably enough to worry about at this point, but it will equip you with the answers to the most common questions you'll get asked by those who understand breast cancer. K xox