Newly diagnosed and confused

CherylS · 10-21-2006, 11:32 AM

Hi, and welcome to the board. You will, as have I, find this to be one of your most helpful resources. This board is very professionally administered and the women here are knowledgeable, experienced and caring.

It is a little confusing that you already know your ER, PR, HER2 status and grade yet don't feel you have the results of your pathology. These are the most common components, although there are others too. It is all so confusing at first, isn't it? Maybe it is the pathology on those lymph nodes you are waiting for and a final staging report (State I, II, III,IV).

First, let me say, and others will add much more to this, that the high positivity of your ER/PR status is a very good thing. This opens you up to treatment with very effective hormone treatment therapy. Which you have, Tamoxifen or an Aromatase Inhibitor will depend on whether you are pre or post menopausal. Her2/Neu, which does make for a generally more aggressive cancer is considered by some now to be a more favorable diagnosis because of the addition of Herceptin to the arsenal. You will have to undergo chemo, but that is not as scary as it sounds. Trust me, I was terrified. But now looking back it just wasn't so bad. I finished chemo last August and remained on Herceptin for one year. I am NED (no evidence of disease). Being able to combine Herceptin with a Taxane based chemo is a very potent defense against Her2 + breast cancer. Grade 3 is the highest grade, but almost all breast cancers are grade 3. Your oncologist will do a bone scan and a chest x-ray as baselines to be sure you are clear of other sites.

Statistics that you are probably reading are at best old. The most up to date resources for you will come from the clinical trials that have recently been completed on use of Herceptin. May someone could post linnks to some good articles for her?

God Bless You. Hang in there. We are here for you.

soccerm927 · 10-21-2006, 11:40 AM

Yes, you are right, I am waiting for the results of the lymph nodes and the final staging
report. I find the wait unbearable. I appreciate the information you have told me. Its just so much information on BC and not fully understanding it all can be frustrating.

CherylS · 10-21-2006, 11:51 AM

Yes, the waiting is unbearable, I know. We have all been there. Just hang on, OK? The post a few down from yours called "question about hope and faith" is a good one for you now. There are many excellent thoughts there from women here that can help strengthen you at this difficult time, OK?

soccerm927 · 10-21-2006, 12:17 PM

Cheryl, thank you for sharing your knowledge. It really helps people like me that were recently diagnosed and confused. God Bless!

panicked911 · 10-21-2006, 02:14 PM

Hi Soccer Mom and welcome ! Lousy club to join but the members are great.

I am a year ahead of you - I am also a strong triple positive and had three lymphnodes removed that turned out to be negative. I am finishing my last treatmet if herceptain on 11/1. If you are not post menapausal, your oncologist will brig up the subject - I have decided to take lupron shots once a month ( to shut down my ovaries and put me in a post menapausal state) this way i ca take arimidex or femara - which have been shown to be more effective than tamoxifen in preventing a reoccurance.
If you had a lumpectomy rather than a mastectomy, you will also need to have radiation treatment which also isn't so bad.
My advice to you is to see at least two oncologists preferably three in your area to make sue of all of your adjuvent options. I was rwtment at a major cancr ceter and I still saw three others at other cancer centers and the opinions wer wall slightly different.
Good luck to you and if you have any questions, please don't hesittate to ask.

Susanne

Tom · 10-21-2006, 03:40 PM

Dear Soccer Mom,

Welcome to our humble home. When I found this site while enduring the panic of my Mom having HER2+ breast cancer, I felt as if I had crawled in out of the cold and fearful night. What a roaring fire and great cup of tea this joint turned out to be. I have made a bunch of wonderful, caring new friends, and been privy to some of the best information on breast cancer anywhere on the Web at the same time.

I can assure you that by the time you have become an "oldtimer" on this message board, you will be the most knowledgeable woman in your neighborhood, and offering advice and emotional counseling to others undergoing the same stresses you are feeling right now. You are in good hands. These women can tell you what to ask when you go to your doctors, and tell you when to give your doctor the heave ho if he or she isn't doing their best for you.

Try to relax and gather your thoughts and strengths. The next thing your doctor might ask you is if you have been going to night school for oncology. Read everything you can about your cancer, check and double check the reliability of your sources, and keep your head screwed on straight at all times. When you are down, come here for renewal. When you have a question, just post it here, and you will have an answer in hours or minutes, rather than days or months.

The members here will be with you every step of the way. The developers of this site are angels from God. They have created what amounts to your own personal "tumor board", available 24 hours a day. You can find anything from chemo strategies to recipes for flaxseed pudding...lol. And making a tasty flaxseed pudding is a whole lot harder than creating a successful treatment plan for your breast cancer. Take care, and hold on for the ride of your life. Most of all, keep your faith in the Almighty, as he lives here too.

Sincerely,
Tom

soccerm927 · 10-21-2006, 04:58 PM

Thank you Tom! I am in for a ride of my life but I know I'm not alone. I am among other newly diagnosed and survivors that offer the encouragement I need.

soccerm927 · 10-21-2006, 05:00 PM

Susanne, did you have chemo? If so, how did you do with your treatments? I don't know but I do have a fear of chemo!

sassy · 10-21-2006, 05:51 PM

Hey Soccer Mom,

I am also a triple positive, diagnosed 02/05. I received (like many others here) what is felt to be the optimal course of treatment for early stage Her2+--4 dose dense A/C, (chemo) followed by 10 weekly Taxol (chemo)/Herceptin (monoclonal antibody--wonder drug for Her2+) followed by radiation since I also had positive nodes. Please know that chemo today is much different than chemo in years past. Premeds, anti-nausea drugs and post meds have made chemo very doable. Although you will most certainly be tired and loose your hair, nausea and other side effects may never affect you at all. Throughout treatment, I was able to continue working, teaching Sunday School, children's choir and activities with my family. I never suffered from nausea and treated my hair loss as an adventure in headwear. Each person is different, but please do not fear chemo. Keep a positive attitude, take care of yourself, surround yourself with people who love and support you.

Come here anytime with questions and when you are in need of support.
________
Ecigs123