Sorry - urgent breast cancer advice needed!!!!

[salvolatile]

I am posting for a close friend who was told yesterday that she has a 7cm oval tumour in her breast and calcification (?) elsewhere in the breast. She is 50 and had been having some menopausal ups and downs, not on hrt, is diabetic. She is absolutely terrified so I said I would come on here and find out what I can to help her through the initial shock as she is a single mum on her own atm. She has been told the biopsy results will take a week so she has an appointment for next week, when they will tell her what the treatment plan is but she has also been told to expect that she will be operated on in 3-4 weeks time.... is this timescale usual for NHS? She is in Kent.

Any help would be fantastic

What a shock for your friend.

The Macmillan website is very good for support at this time. I'd really advise not Googling, as what her treatment plan is will really depend on her precise tumour type, and the results of all the tests she will have over the next few weeks - there are quite a few, and the surgery will depend on the results of all of these, hence the time till then.

So sorry for your friend

That initial treatment plan sounds about right... they won't be able to tell her anything definitive until they get the biopsy result back

But I suspect the surgery will be to remove the lump, and possibly surrounding lymph glands (to check if the cancer has affected them - which will then indicate whether it is likely the cancer can/has spread)

Agree urge her to get in touch with the Macmillan team at her hospital - she should hopefully have been given their number

Hi, so sorry to hear this. The timescale sounds about right, they will try to do it within a fortnight from when they have the test results in.

it is a horrible thing, and a horrible time for her, she is lucky to have you helping her.

I have had a lumpectomy, chemo and radio. if she has any specific questions I will be happy to try to answer - however, it is important that she tries not to get too far ahead of herself, as her treatment plan will be specific to her case. Hard, I know.

But if she has any questions I will do my best.

What is calcification? Also she's worried about how long it might have been there as she hadn't felt a thing - any ideas what Grade2 means please?

I thing calcification would indicate it had been there a while, it is a hardening, but it might be a good idea to check the Macmillan or Breast Cancer Care websites.

Often you don't feel a thing I am afraid.

The Grade refers to the level of aggression. 2 is average.

Tumours are categorised according to stage (size and likeliness of spread) and grade (level of aggression, I think there are three grades. Mine was 2 as well) Hope that helps

Calcifications aren't an indication of how long the tumour has been there. For reasons that aren't clear, one of the very early signs of a tumour growing can be these tiny accumulations of calcium (same mineral as your bones are made of) in the breast tissue, but they can just be there.

So, it could mean that she has more tumour cells or tumours in her breast - which is more common in women with premenopausal breast cancer.

With a tumour that size, and possible multifocal disease, a lumpectomy would generally not be advised as a mastectomy would clear all of the tumour cells.

Some breast tumours grow very fast indeed, so although you'd think it would be a long time to get to 7cm, thats not necessarily the case.

Ah, thanks, I stand corrected.

Thanks everyone and especially cakesandale: best wishes to you for your recovery as well!

My friend's appointment has been brought forward to Monday. She asked me to say thank you to those of you who answered x

bumping for the evening crowd as we really could do with any advice

Will be thinking of her for Monday. The best thing she can do for now is to relax and be kind to herself.

And if she feels up to some fun, she should go for it.

Don't be surprised if you don't get a lot of advice on here for now - there is not much that people can usefully say until the test results are in, I am afraid. People will be here for you when it is more obvious what is needed.

The hospitals are really very, very good with this and very careful in the way that they handle people. (They are also pretty honest, which can be a trial sometimes, although it is right in the long run). She will get loads of great support from there as well as from her friends.

Agree with Cakesandale

The waiting is, IME, the hardest part of it all (not that I've had cancer myself, but my Mum was diagnosed with breast cancer last year)

Initially it just feels like all you're doing is waiting and waiting and waiting for news, results that will determine the next phase of treatment

My Mum said this was the hardest part too, worse than any treatment itself

IIRC there are 4 grades of cancer - 4 is generally considered the terminal phase (I think)

Grade 2 is what my Mum had, btw. Her treatment so far has been successful. I really feel for your friend - you are being a good friend by supporting her. Hope you feel able to post after Monday when she gets results

I may be wrong but I THINK that Notnowbernard is referring to stages, not grades. Stage 4 would be very advanced (or even terminal for all I know), but the GRADE refers to the level of aggression. nd I think there are three of these.

I was stage 2, grade 2, and therefore entirely average (much as in everyday life).

Thinking of your friend and hoping, for Monday.

Salvolatile, I am 55 and have also been recently diagnosed and am waiting for my op next week (delayed for 2 weeks due to the snow).

Please tell your friend that I have also found this thread helpful and that the Breast Cancer Care website is also useful.

Above all though, if she is feeling v worried, she should have a Breast Cancer nurse who will be available to support her personally.

Finally please say the early period for me has been charactereised by worries/traumas about how and when to tell friends and family, and by this waiting for news. However I have found that I have adapted a bit to this (which you wouldn't expect when ytou first get the news). And once your close family/friends do know, they can provide wonderful support.

Cakesandale - Am happy to stand corrected

Thinking of you too, Sandripples, and hope you can continue to get support from MN, if you need it

Cakes is right -there are 3 grades - 1 meaning the cancer cells are most like normal cells and 3 least like normal cells- grade 2 being somewhere in between - grade 3 obviously more aggressive,though not necessarily larger..I can recommend the Breast Cancer Care website too.
My mammogram indicated calcifications which is why I had a biopsy which then diagnosed DCIS (which is ductal carcinoma in situ -meaning that the cells were still within the milk ducts) and invasive ductal carcinoma.
Lots of good wishes to your friend salvolatile - and of course to sandripples

thank you for all your messages, and Sandripples, sorry to hear you are also about to tread this path. Sadly today did not go well for my friend . She has cancer in the lymph nodes as well as the tumour, and 'pre-cancerous activity' as well. Lymph nodes and breast off in the next 2 to 4 weeks, then 6 months of chemo. The consultant thinks she may have had it four as long as four years . Am very shocked for her and still getting my head around how best to support her through this. She has had many friends calling her today so I will leave her in peace: I have just sent a text.

Oh no, I'm so sorry for your friend

Am glad she has a good support network, she'll be needing it right now

am so sorry about your friend - it's a horrid thing to go through but she'll be looked after really well I'm sure.

I am so sorry to hear your friend's news, and glad that she seems to have a strong support network.

Try to stay positive, and encourage her to do the same - they are doing very good work with BC these days.