Facing Breast Cancer Diagnosis: My Journey Begins

I am on the same journey, right behind you. Right breast, ductal carcinoma. MRI next week to determine if the cancer spread. Took Genetic testing earlier this week. Days have blurred into each other.

The waiting is awful. I was diagnosed Sept 13, 23 did the breast and initial oncology visit, some help but everything comes in tiny bits of info. Until the get this tumour in a microscope, they can’t plan a thing. So it’s a waiting game. I had a cat scan, bone scan, genetic testing and eventually MRI. Closest mri machine is down and all the surrounding ones are playing catch up. I waited 3 weeks and drove an hour. Then they found more tumors surrounding the original and one in the other breast. So now I need another MRI So they can biopsy. Back to waiting. My oncology appointment, when I get a plan, was supposed to be 2 weeks after surgery was scheduled for this Monday. So I had to cancel, still have no plan. Probably facing a mastectomy and reconstruction. the only thing the dr said for sure was I will be on an estrogen blocker for 5 years. It’s awful waiting, knowing this thing is in me.. it comes little by little. They can’t see anything without the tests so you wait for appointments. But I’m pretty sure it stayed in the breast. So that’s all that matters. As I see it, there aren’t a lot of parts we can replace this easy. Nor are any cancers so well researched and funded. So that is reassuring.. it’s very treatable. My husbands dr said this would be the toughest 6 months and then it will be over except the estrogen suppressor. Your chances of being ok are excellent.

So Carolyn I hope you have some answers by now. I've been dx since mid July 2023. The waiting is the worst! I did first and second opinions. Testing has shown I am ER/PR+ 100 percent. HER2 negative (at a 1+), Ki-67 was at 2 percent (this is cell proliferation rate, lower is better) and TP53 is at 2 percent ( this is a gene that is involved in cell processes, a low number is good). The cancer is DCIS grade 2 intermediate, stage 1. Cancer is in the left breast less than 2 cm in size. Nothing in the right. Genetic testing negative. Oncotype is at 3 percent score, distance recurring score at 3 percent in 9 years and chemotherapy score came in at <1 percent ( meaning there are no benefits to having CT). Initial plan was to do radiation one month with lumpectomy with letrozole 5 years. Then doctor said I qualified for a study in which they do one (1) highly focused radiation tx on the tumor and surrounding edges by 1-2 mm ( I think), then I start my letrozole, then I do ongoing blood work that tracks tumor DNA ( way before any CT scan, MRI, etc). Then they do a lumpectomy 8 months to one year later (they wait to allow maximum benefits of the radiation tx). I got in at the tail end of the study. Hope for others with early BC and certain types of BC is that this tx will eliminate any need for surgery at all. But this all took 4 months and the waiting is horrible. TX is now scheduled for 11/22/23. Wish my luck and prayers please. Anybody have any feedback on above? It's all so confusing and I've tried to learn as best I can. I read others choices and I wonder if this is the right choice

Starting this journey with a new diagnosis brings so many overwhelming feelings, and it's completely natural to feel scared when facing so much uncertainty in such a short time. Meeting with your medical team is an important step forward, and many others in this community have walked similar paths and found strength in sharing their experiences and supporting each other through the process.