My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer...a question.

[HeatherPage]

Hello everyone, I was wondering if anyone has any information or can point me in the direction of a website with breast cancer facts. My mom told me this past Friday that her doctor called her with the results of her mammography from this past Tuesday and that she has breast cancer. He feels that it is in the early stages and hopefully that portion will be removed and everything will be fine and we'll all move on. My question is - she has only had a mammogram, not a biopsy. Is the equipment so sophisticated these days that they can tell by just looking at the images? When the doctor first spoke with her, he said he had not seen the images, but had spoken with whoever the results are sent to first, later my dad spoke with the Dr. and that's when he said it looks like they caught it early and it's only a small area they would have to remove, not her entire breast (so I guess he had a chance to review the images). I'm hoping that when they do this procedure (sometime this week) it will come back benign. If anyone has any information about this, I would greatly appreciate it and if you could keep my mom in your prayers that would be wonderful.
Thank you.

 

[HauntedMansionGeek]

Zero experience with breast cancer here. The Mayo Clinic has an online newsletter however, that usually has up to date information on many health issues.

I'll keep your family in my prayers.

 

[Steve H.]

http://www.breastcancer.org/

 

[Rajah]

No direct experience here, either, but I will send some P&PD that the diagnosis is wrong (I have heard they can be wrong without the biopsy to back it up) or that at least it is in the early stages and easily treatable.

 

[December99]

I do have experience due to having a mother that had breast cancer and I've had some scares.

Generally they cannot tell on films if the spot is cancerous. There are spots on the specific spot that might be darker and that would be a general thought that it could be cancerous. Generally nothing is ever said that it is until a biopsy is done. I'm surprised he told her that the way you said. Usually most doc also request to have an ultrasound on the spot done after the detection on the mammogram. Mammograms are not 100% positive and spots can be more profound on ultrasound - and the spot where it is located more easily laid out before the biopsy.

Once the biopsy is done is when they will determine what type of treatment needs to be done. It all depends on how large the spot was (generally if a spot is more than 2cm they recommend that the thought to a mastectomy be considered because anything over 2cm is rather large and has had a higher chance of spreading).

I'm gonna be more than honest with you here (as that's the kind of person I am). My moms lump was just at 2cm. If I would have known then what I found out a year ago in April, I would have demanded she have a mastectomy - this is something people don't really ever get told:

When a lump is in the body - it has these little "strings" off of it that are like roots of a plant. Once that lump is removed, even though they may feel like they got it all, there are little "seedling" at the end of those roots. Once the body is open and air is exposed to these seedlings, it gives them free range to move wherever they please. When they cut the lump out they don't necessarily get all the "seedling" and they detach from the roots and begin their movement. It takes 3-5 years for those seedlings to produce a large enough mass to be seen on scans or ultrasounds. That is why people are donned a true "Survivor" at the 5 year mark. If they have made it that far without anything being found, their blood counts being fine, the cancer markers being fine - then the chances of the cancer having been caught and taken care is much higher and the survival rate increases. And although chemo is given, sometimes these roots are so deep in the body that the chemo just can't reach them - which was the case in my mom. And radiation only works on the spot area and not deep in the body. That is also why, genearlly, people who have mastecomies also have a higher survival rate because the "seedlings" come out with the lump and the breast and don't have that chance of becoming detached from the lump and spreading through the body.

This was described to us by a Thoracic Oncologist that my mom was sent to when they just couldn't figure out why her cancer markers in her blood were climbing but they couldn't find any cancer on the scans. She was basically a time bomb waiting to go off and her autopsy showed that. So now I tell people this because they need to know how this all happens - I feel it's important for a persons life!

SteveH gave an excellent website!!!! Good luck to your mom

 

[SuiteDisney]

I have no information for you, but I'll remember your Mom in my prayers.

 

[Dan Murphy]

With my wife being a 5+ year breast cancer survivor, I agree with what Chris said above very much. Very surprised the doctor would give a diagnosis as such, without a biopsy. If ultimately diagnosed postive, after a biopsy, I would suggest aligning your mom with a surgeon highly experienced in oncology surgeries, along with an oncologist specializing in breast cancers.

My very best wishes, along with prayers for your mom, and you too. {{Hugs}}

Another good site.

http://www.nabco.org/

 

[palmtreegirl]

No advice but I just wanted to offer some (((HUGS))) and prayers for your mom.

 

[helenabear]

I just wanted to wish your mom all the best... I will keep her as well as you in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[mtemm]

My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer about 6.5 years ago. They found something they didn't like on her mammogram and suggested a biopsy. They biopsied the area in question, as well as some tissue around it. The spot they thought would be cancer wasn't, but the tissue near it showed cancer that was in very early stages.

my mom, my sisters, my dad and I all spent a day meeting with various dr.s who would be helping her...oncologist, surgeon, etc. They gave us a lot of information, and answered our many questions.

She underwent a lumpectomy and radiation, but because it was so early didn't need chemo. She's been in recovery for several years now and so far so good!

I would urge a second opinion, and urge your mom to insist on a biopsy.

 

[goofy4tink]

Just adding my mom's story to the rest. She hadn't been to a doctor in over 25 yrs! In order to get a glaucoma test she had to list a primary care dr. This dr. then called her, insisting that she at least come in for a mini-physical. She did. Dr. convinced her to get a mammo. (never had one, even tho her mother and maternal aunt had bc). A very alert radiologist took several sets of x-rays. Something didn't look right. He did an ultrasound. Voila! He found a very small lump. She had a lumpectomy the following week, on a Tuesday. On Friday she got the news that they got it all. All the edges were clean. On Sat she got on a plane with me and dd (6) and flew to WDW. That was in 1999. She had radiation treatments. Her cousin was diagnosed the same month she was we found out. She is doing fine at this point. No more so far. So, am I looking down the barrel of the loaded gun, so to speak? Yes. But I do everything I should do and have learned from my mother's experience that the outcome can be a good one. She had a terrific oncologist and a terrific surgeon. So, don't panic until you get the biopsy done. It is scary I know. But, there are more survivor stories out there than you can imagine!! Best of luck.

 

[HeatherPage]

Thanks everyone for sharing your situations and concerns. My mom called today and said she has an appt. for a more in depth ultrasound (or something similar to that) on the 30th and then they are going to schedule her for the surgery next week (I assume this is the biopsy) so I guess we'll know more after the 30th. We are all trying to think positively and that she'll get through this just fine. I've not felt panicked about this(yet), maybe because she was just told Friday but I'm hoping that it's because it is in the very early stages and treatable (and not that I'm just in denial). Thank you again

 

[December99]

HeatherPage - I just want to make one comment - regardless of the diagnosis that she receives - YOU NEED TO CALL YOUR DOCTOR ASAP and let them know what has been going on. Wait until you know the outcome but it's very important for your physicians to know....I was only 27 when my mom was first diagnosed and my doc had me come in within two weeks of mom's diagnosis for my first mammo. Because she had a reoccurance I'm on an every year schedule now because they want to watch me closely. Even if she wouldn't have been positive - they would have had me go on an every other year schedule just to make sure. For that I'm grateful - because I called them immediately and told them. I've had some scares since then and they have been great about helping me through them and making sure I have the most up to date watches.

I'm not trying to scare you but it now is not only your moms life you have to watch - it's yours too. Even if it's not cancerous!

 

[HeatherPage]

Thanks December99. I know I need to go for an exam, I'm 30 but I haven't had one since having my baby in November of 2001. And I was just thinking to myself a few minutes ago that I need to call and schedule an appointment. I normally don't like going to doctors,(though I went faithfully when I was pregnant) but I need to get over that and get a different attitude. thanks again!

 

[Minnie1156]

I was diagnosed with my breast cancer through a mamogram. The radiologists are pretty good. Go to the American Cancer society web site. It is good.The one I just posted is good too. Go into discussion and chat and click on Breat Cancer and ask any questions you want. Everyone is very helpful. I go back there all of the time.
http://www.acscsn.org/Webpages/

Hang in there and if you want, e-mail me.

minnie

 

[nativetxn]

I'm sorry to hear this, I don't want to give you false hope but I had the same thing happen to me. I had a mammogram and my physician told me it was cancer but that i needed to have a biopsy first before seeing a surgeon and oncologist. It was not malignant, in my case, but I sure had a terrifying couple of weeks.

I hope that if your mother's mass is malignant that the treatments are easy and successful for her. Please let us know what happens?

Katholyn

 

[Harambe]

The whole thing is so scary. My thought are with you and your family.

Since my mom was diagnosed with BC at 41, I have always been good about my mammograms. My mom didn't make it, but medicines of today are soooooo much better.

I have had bad mammograms twice with two biopsies in the left breast. Both non-cancerous. Imagine my shock when, on a follow-up a year later, a spot was found in my right breast. The doctor on site and the nurses could tell it wasn't good, because of the blood supply to the tumor. I could see the "little feet" as I called them. They did a biopsy, but it was kind of a formality. Funny thing - I was 41.

December99 is right on the money in her post! Even though I was young, I opted for the mastectomy, because I wanted to up my chances of surviving. The staff at the Cancer Center gave me all the talk about lumpectomy vs. mastectomy - saying both have the same result. But I asked my surgeon, whom I trust, "What would you do if I was your wife?" He answered in about 20 seconds!

I had really heavy duty chemo (because I'm young - they keep telling me!) but no radiation. I take Tamoxifin every day - and I feel great!

And DH still chases me around! LOL!

 

[HeatherPage]

Well here is the latest. I had called my dad earlier this morning basically asking him, how could the doctor tell that she had cancer just from a mammogram, doesn't she need a biopsy to be certain? He said the doctor said she has cancer but my dad said he would make sure she would get whatever tests she needed first. Well my dad must have thought about what I said because my mom called telling me that my dad had called the office where my mom is having the more in-depth ultrasound this Wednesday. My dad asked the woman there the same question I did, How could Dr. Krynn know my mom had cancer with just a mammogram image. The woman told my dad "I never told Dr. Krynn that she had cancer, I said she had a suspicious area and she needed to come in for an ultrasound and biopsy" Now, my mom has said she's had trouble with her left breast for years, there's always been a mass there that has always been non-cancerous and when the Dr. called and told her that she had cancer and she asked him which breast to see if it was the left one, he said "I don't know, I haven't seen the pictures yet, this is just what the technician told me". I don't want to get false hopes up, but this Dr. is starting to sound like an idiot to me. Hopefully this will turn out to be the same thing she's been dealing with for years but not cancer. She said my dad is going to call Dr. Krynn and ask him what would make you say that without further tests. So, hopefully this will just be a very bad miscommunication on my mom's Dr.'s part (and then hopefully she'll get a different doctor). I'll keep everyone posted. Thanks again for all your support! Harambe and others, I'm so glad you're doing so well now!

 

[MerryPoppins]

Hope you continue to have good news!

I had BC almost 2 years ago. They found it in my routine mammogram (actually my first one). I had a biopsy that showed it was stage zero. Mine was DCIS, meaning it was in the ducts and was not a lump. The biopsy showed that it was the quick growing variety. I had the choice of removal of the area or mastectomy. I chose the mastectomy. I didn't want to feel like I was living with a time bomb. It hadn't spread to lymph nodes so they didn't give me chemo. I do take Tamoxifin.

I would insist on a biopsy. I think your mother needs more information prior to making a decision. I would also want them to test lymph nodes that the area drains to if they have to do surgery. They do this with dye at the time of the surgery. If the lymph nodes show signs of cancer, the chances are much greater that it has spread.

I read a lot and so did my DH. I recommend Susan Love's site and her breast book. The more you know and understand, the more you can understand the info they throw at you. There are different types of cancer and different stages. It helps if you have a working knowledge when you need to make decisions.

Feel free to PM me. I would gladly give you my email address. I'm no expert, still I've been there. I'd be happy to offer words of support. I'll keep your mother in my prayers.

 

[suzannen]

HeatherPage, I'm glad your mom is going to have further testing, because some of her doctor's responses don't quite seem right. We'll all be hoping for the best. But, if it does turn out to be cancer, I wanted to recommend Gilda's Club (www.gildasclub.org). My best friend, who has been battling breast cancer for the past two years, has said it has made the biggest difference in her life. The support and friends she found there has helped her keep a really great attitude amid all her treatments.

Please keep us posted.