Update - met with surgeon today
Great, great news...or that is, the greatest news we could've hoped for from today. We had a meeting with our surgeon, Sally Meade, and she is lovely. She's a young women (40) and a mother of 2 so I feel completely confident in her care. She said from the biopsy, she thinks its a low-grade, tubular cancer. Here's a bit of information I just googled about it:
"Tubular carcinoma of the breast is a rare subtype of invasive ductal carcinoma (cancer that begins inside the milk duct and spreads beyond it). Tubular carcinoma accounts for about 1-2% of all breast cancer cases. In this type of cancer, the tumor is usually small and made up of tube-shaped cells that are low grade. “Low grade” means they look somewhat similar to normal, healthy cells and tend to grow slowly.
Tubular carcinoma of the breast is less likely to spread outside the breast than other types of breast cancer. It’s also easier to treat. Studies have found that the average age of diagnosis for tubular carcinoma ranges from the mid-40s to late 60s."
(So, for those of you who've always thought I was a bit odd, this has confirmed it. Statistically, I am a freak.)
All in all, this is very good news so far. The size of the tumor is small,; approximately 8 mm or less than 1 cm. She said I am very lucky that it was located where it is (left breast at 5 o'clock, and 4.8 cm from the nipple) because it allowed me the opportunity to find it.
So, where to from here? - I go in Monday morning for a mammogram because she just wants to be 100% sure there's nothing else she needs to be aware of in either breast. I am scheduled for surgery next Thursday. Before surgery, they will inject me with a blue dye that will allow her to see my lymph nodes (and give me smurf boobs - sweet). She will remove the tumor and take some lymph nodes, specifically those closest to the tumor as this is where the cancer would be if it has gone to the nodes. They will test, test and re-test these nodes and I will meet with her nurse the following Wednesday (she'll be at a conference in America that week...I told her my mom may want to come find her and give her a big hug!). During this appt., I will find out whether or not it has spread to any lymph nodes which could then mean another surgery to remove more and then chemotheraphy followed by radiation. If, on the other hopeful hand, it hasn't spread to any nodes, I may only need radiation and not even chemo. She explained that if it hasn't gone to my nodes, chemo wouldn't increase or decrease the chances of it returning so it would be pointless to have it.
As far as whether or not to have a masectomy or double masectomy, that is a choice that my husband and I can make in the coming months (or years) but isn't something I need to think about just yet. Statistics apparently show that having a masectomy doesn't seem to decrease a chance of recurrance (and to think Trevor already had a new pair of boobs for me on his wish list :-)
In terms of genetics, we don't know yet whether or not I inherited a defective gene from one of my parents. She explained that my sister should advise her doctor of my situation and be monitered going forward but that by the time Shae is of age to be concerned, hopefully there will be a cure. Obviously, Shae will also be monitored once she's of age to be concerned (I will obviously be driving her nuts about breast examinations and will give her future husband instructions on how to do it!). The surgeon gave me the name of a Clinical Geneticist that I can contact to discuss genetics testing once they receive my patholigist report after surgery.
All in all....I am over the moon about all of this. Obviously, now, I just want it out and can't wait for next Thursday. I will only be in hospital overnight.
I feel completely confident now for the first time that I will have the wonderful joy of watching my 2 beautiful children grow up to have children of their own. Oh how a week can change a person's perspective on life. Family is everything. And by family, I mean family and friends, near and far. Thank you. Now, get off the computer and go do a breast self examination or have your husband/partner do it. Go on!
