Grade 3 breast cancer

after my lumpectomy the pathologist hade my tumour graded as a grade 2. I had great results - clear margin, not in the lymphnodes and HER2 negative BUT my Ki 67 was HIGH. this meant to my oncologist that my tumour was performing as a grade 3 and had been growing quickly. Which has meant as a preventative measure I am now on a course of chemo for 4 doses, one every 21 days. I guess the dice has rolled and as long as you have done all that you can do then thats all you can do. and as the other lovely ladies advise - keep as fit and healthy as you can. Its all we can do. 

 

Marg xx

after my lumpectomy the pathologist hade my tumour graded as a grade 2. I had great results - clear margin, not in the lymphnodes and HER2 negative BUT my Ki 67 was HIGH. this meant to my oncologist that my tumour was performing as a grade 3 and had been growing quickly. Which has meant as a preventative measure I am now on a course of chemo for 4 doses, one every 21 days. I guess the dice has rolled and as long as you have done all that you can do then thats all you can do. and as the other lovely ladies advise - keep as fit and healthy as you can. Its all we can do. 

 

Marg xx

After my core biopsy (and before surgery) I was told that my tumor was mucinous and that this meant it was not very aggressive and that I would probably not need chemo.  I googled mucinous breast cancer of course and the limited information I found  confirmed that mucinous tumors were slow growing and rarely spread elsewhere in the body. I was shocked and scared to learn I had cancer of course but I thought I was lucky also to have developed this rare, non-aggressive form.

So it was quite a blow when after my lumpectomy I was told that my tumor was in fact grade 3 and that I would defininitely need chemo. My oncologist never really explained how it could be mucinous and non-aggressive but at the same time grade 3 and aggressive. But clearly the grade 3 classification was more important than the mucinous classification.

Two years on, the way I look at it is I've done everything I can to rid my body of the cancer - surgery, chemo, radiation & now tamoxifen. My oncologist tells me that after all my treatment and as long as I continue taking the tamoxifen, my chances of a recurrance are about 12% or about 1 in 8 - which is the same chance the average woman has of developing breast cancer in the first place.

So now all I can do is live the healthiest life possible to hopefully reduce that 12% even further. I exercise regularly, watch my weight, hardly ever drink alcohol and eat a healthy diet - lots of wholegrains, fruits and veg. But you do have to enjoy life too so I'm not totally fanatical about it. 

I think Deanne is right and that even with a grade 3 diagnosis if the cancer has been caught early and we look after ourselves we have an excellent chance of living long healthy lives. Hope that helps a little. 

 

 

 

After my core biopsy (and before surgery) I was told that my tumor was mucinous and that this meant it was not very aggressive and that I would probably not need chemo.  I googled mucinous breast cancer of course and the limited information I found  confirmed that mucinous tumors were slow growing and rarely spread elsewhere in the body. I was shocked and scared to learn I had cancer of course but I thought I was lucky also to have developed this rare, non-aggressive form.

So it was quite a blow when after my lumpectomy I was told that my tumor was in fact grade 3 and that I would defininitely need chemo. My oncologist never really explained how it could be mucinous and non-aggressive but at the same time grade 3 and aggressive. But clearly the grade 3 classification was more important than the mucinous classification.

Two years on, the way I look at it is I've done everything I can to rid my body of the cancer - surgery, chemo, radiation & now tamoxifen. My oncologist tells me that after all my treatment and as long as I continue taking the tamoxifen, my chances of a recurrance are about 12% or about 1 in 8 - which is the same chance the average woman has of developing breast cancer in the first place.

So now all I can do is live the healthiest life possible to hopefully reduce that 12% even further. I exercise regularly, watch my weight, hardly ever drink alcohol and eat a healthy diet - lots of wholegrains, fruits and veg. But you do have to enjoy life too so I'm not totally fanatical about it. 

I think Deanne is right and that even with a grade 3 diagnosis if the cancer has been caught early and we look after ourselves we have an excellent chance of living long healthy lives. Hope that helps a little. 

 

 

 

After my core biopsy (and before surgery) I was told that my tumor was mucinous and that this meant it was not very aggressive and that I would probably not need chemo.  I googled mucinous breast cancer of course and the limited information I found  confirmed that mucinous tumors were slow growing and rarely spread elsewhere in the body. I was shocked and scared to learn I had cancer of course but I thought I was lucky also to have developed this rare, non-aggressive form.

So it was quite a blow when after my lumpectomy I was told that my tumor was in fact grade 3 and that I would defininitely need chemo. My oncologist never really explained how it could be mucinous and non-aggressive but at the same time grade 3 and aggressive. But clearly the grade 3 classification was more important than the mucinous classification.

Two years on, the way I look at it is I've done everything I can to rid my body of the cancer - surgery, chemo, radiation & now tamoxifen. My oncologist tells me that after all my treatment and as long as I continue taking the tamoxifen, my chances of a recurrance are about 12% or about 1 in 8 - which is the same chance the average woman has of developing breast cancer in the first place.

So now all I can do is live the healthiest life possible to hopefully reduce that 12% even further. I exercise regularly, watch my weight, hardly ever drink alcohol and eat a healthy diet - lots of wholegrains, fruits and veg. But you do have to enjoy life too so I'm not totally fanatical about it. 

I think Deanne is right and that even with a grade 3 diagnosis if the cancer has been caught early and we look after ourselves we have an excellent chance of living long healthy lives. Hope that helps a little. 

 

 

 

Finishing treatment is often a time when we finally get to really process what we have been through and what our diagnosis really means. The Grade of cancer is just one aspect of the pathology that our doctors consider when deciding what treatment to recommend. Yes Grade 3 is more aggressive, this means that it grows more quickly than a grade 1 or 2. But there are many factors to consider when attempting to predict the likelihood of recurrence for any individual. If you want to know the statistics for people with a similar cancer diagnosis your doctor can provide this. However if you have completed all your treatment, knowing the statistics is not going to do anything to stop the cancer returning. I did ask my oncologist for the relevant statistics for my cancer diagnosis and I use this knowledge as incentive to live well. I try to minimize stress, eat well, don't drink alcohol, maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly. These are things I know will help me stay healthy and minimize a recurrence. Just remember the majority of women diagnosed these days go on to live long healthy cancer free lives. Enjoying life actually helps your body to stay healthy! Take care. Deanne xxx