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Q: 

Is chemotherapy necessary in invasive ductal breast cancer where the tumor is over 2 cm?

By Anonymous July 20, 2009 - 9:05am
 
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I have just been diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Breast Cancer. I was misdiagnosed 8 months ago and now the tumor has grown to 2.2 cm.

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I am not sure. I am interested in
this and reading and studying.

Good luck to you S.J.
If I find out more, I will share.

January 13, 2011 - 4:05pm

Dear SJ-
A second opinion is always a good idea when deciding such a big issue as chemo therapy. There is a test called the Oncotype DX test which can be performed on breast cancer tumors to see if they will benefit frm chemo therapy. If I understood you correctly your tumor was NOT her2 positive. Her2 positive cancers respond to Herceptin which, even in low staged breast cancers, is most effecftive when given along with chemo therapy. If your lymph nodes are clear (have you have a sentinel node lymph biopsy performed yet?) this would help in the decision as well. I know it is a very scary time for you and I hope you will feel the support of this community in helping you wade through the many choices out there.
Koryn

August 24, 2009 - 8:09am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to KorynH)

Dear Koryn,

Unfortunately, my tumor is actually 3 cm and there's probably more than one (biopsies were done on two other tumors near the area). It's HER2 positive and I am currently in chemotherapy. the lymph nodes are not apparently very swollen but a biopsy was done on them about two weeks ago. Since I live in France and in France work is very slow in August, I haven't been able to get the results yet. Thanks for your words of support and for the advice. I did get a second (third in fact!) opinion and I feel this is the optimum course of treatment for my condition.

August 24, 2009 - 1:56pm
(reply to Anonymous)

SJ-
are you getting Herceptin for the Her2+ status? I really hope this is available to you there in France. I use to live in Germany! We lived near Kaiserslautern, 2003 - 2005.
How are you tolerating chemo therapy? I hope you are doing well today.
Koryn

August 24, 2009 - 2:06pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

SJ,
I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Best of luck with whatever treatment you decide to follow.

July 23, 2009 - 10:15pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to Anonymous)

Thanks anonymous...I appreciate your support Jane

July 24, 2009 - 1:04am

Hi SJ,

I did an audio interview with Dr. Jay Harness about your question and it should be edited and added to the site soon.

Dr. Jay Harness is a member of EmpowHer's Medical Advisory Board, a past-President of The American Society of Breast Surgeons and the President-elect of Breast Surgery International and he's the Director at St. Joseph Hospital Comprehensive Breast Center in Orange, California.

I'm sure his response address your questions.

Thank you for reaching out to us.

Best of health,

Todd

July 23, 2009 - 3:03pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to ToddHartley)

Hi Todd,
Thanks alot for this interview. I'll be looking out for it. I just saw a chemotherapist. In fact, my doctor feels the lump should be treated with chemotherapy immediately before surgery (to reduce its size) so I did get an answer at least. I would like to have a second opinion however and the interview can only give me more information for a conditionI am struggling to understand properly (while having it).

thanks agin...best to you as well Jane

July 24, 2009 - 1:03am
Expert HERWriter

Hello SJ! Let me echo what Diane wrote and welcome you to EmpowHer! We are so glad that you found us.

I am so sorry that you were misdiagnosed with a fibroadenema. I'm glad that you have switched doctors and are meeting with a specialist tomorrow. I am so proud of you for being proactive about your own health and advocating for yourself and a biopsy. It also sounds like you are doing a great job about educating yourself about the cancer and treatments and staying on top of things.

I wanted to let you know that we have forwarded the subject line of your ASK to an expert to get his opinion on chemotherapy. Once he gets back to us we'll post his reply here for you.

I hope you don't mind my asking, but did you feel the lump yourself, or did it show up on the first mammogram and then ultrasound, and you can only feel it now that it's bigger?

Thank you for keeping us posted on your results. I can tell you have an amazing attitude and that will help so much during this time. Big hugs to you, Michelle

July 21, 2009 - 11:14pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to Michelle King Robson)

Hi Michelle,

Thank you for your message and for your encouragement. I live in France, a country where this kind of discourse is really not common. Women don't talk about it much and I am very appreciative of this warm feedback from you and Diane.

To answer your question, I felt the lump myself and went to a gynecologist here in France. My own father-in-law is a doctor here and raised concerns about the gynecologist early on, saying he didn't like the gynecologist's dismissal of my concerns as normal breast aging. Even as a general practitioner, he said he didn't think lumps were part of any normal breast aging he knew. I should have done something then but I thought a mammogram and ultrasound would solve the problem.

The new gynecologist who is younger and a woman, is very pro-active and has sent me to a cancer institute here that specializes in breast cancers.

I just want to thank you and Diane both again, for your warmth and support. It means a great deal to me.

I'll post after I see the specialist tonight! take care Jane

July 22, 2009 - 12:02am
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