I got the results of my biopsy on Tuesday. Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. This was the 3rd biopsy that I've had in my life, due to my tricky, dense breasts, so I tried to stay calm while not being very calm on the inside. 3rd time's a charm, I guess.
Invasive Ductal Carcinoma means that the cancer started in the milk ducts (years of breastfeeding apparently didn't help). Invasive just means it has left the ducts and is in other breast tissue. It's the most common (I prefer the word popular) kind of breast cancer.
Initial pathology looks good. Grade 1 (slow growing and cells don't look too abnormal). Estrogen and Progesterone positive - meaning there are drugs I can take to block the hormone receptors and prevent it from coming back. HER2-negative - looks like that means it's less likely to be aggressive or return.
Size is difficult to determine. Apparently when you have fast growing cells, it leaves behind tiny little groups of calcium deposits. That's what they can see on the mammogram. They can't see the actual cancer. So that part is still up in the air. MRI tomorrow should tell me more.
Last year's mammogram didn't show anything, so that's good.
Current plans are to move forward assuming it's as small as it looks in the mammogram. I'll know if that has to change by the first week of January. If that assumption fits, it will be a lumpectomy on January 11, along with testing a few lymph nodes to see if it has spread. 6-7 weeks of radiation will follow. Probably 4-6 months of chemo, but that depends on a lot of things.
MRI in the morning and then time to put this shit on the back burner while I celebrate the holidays.
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