['lizbeth]

My impression from the scattered calcifications was the cancer was multi focal.

Perhaps we are looking at this from the wrong order. I would advise your sister to seek opinions from two oncologists and request neoadjuvant treatment with Taxotere, Carboplatin, Perjeta and Herceptin.

This combination resulted in almost 2/3rds of patients achieving a pathological complete response of the breast tumor.

Having chemotherapy prior to surgery could shrink the tumor, sometimes to undetectable levels, and most importantly reduce the amount of breast tissue that would have needed to be removed if surgery was done first.

The neoadjuvant treatment was first approved 2 months ago. I was treated in traditional order surgery, radiation, chemo . . . and just wasn't thinking.

The neoadjuvant treatment can help your sister reach her goal of a lumpectomy.