Breast Cancer- Grade 3

[DLC287]

I was diagnosed with IDC, Grade 1, Est/pro+,HER2-,.8cm tumor on 10/6/10

After surgery they told me I was Stage 1B, 1cm tumor, Est/pro+,lymph node -and clear margins, but the HER2 tset came back "Equivocal" so now they are doing FISH to verify result and in addition ordered Oncotype. They also said I was a Grade 3.

Has anyone ever heard of the biospy coming back Grade 1 and then after surgery the tumor was tested and it came back Grade 3.

[Cheerpul]

Each time you have a test or procedure you find out more details of your condition.  For instance, the results of my biopsy showed extensive DCIS,so I chose to have a mastectomy.  After the mastectomy, we found a small, .5 cm tumor that was stage 1, ER+/PR+ and Her2 positive (after having FISH.  My Oncotype score was 31, because of my Her2 positive result, but no other oncogenes present.  (In case you're wondering, I took chemo, just finished my year of Herceptin this week, and am having a preventative mastectomy on the other side in 10 days.)

Don't focus on the fact that the grade changed.  Think of each test as helping you see a clearer picture of your situation and giving you facts you can use to make your plan of treatment.  Do some research, ask your doctors and nurses lots of questions, and focus on being positive.  My motto for my treatment time has been "Adapt and/or endure; with laughter."  There were times, my smile may have been more of a grimace, but my friends, family, co-workers, and even total strangers all helped me through and now I am back to being me.  Since Oct. 2009, there were about 4 months or so of really hard endurance, but it was temporary.  Please feel free to post more questions, statements, whatever you need that we can help with, to this original thread.  I and the other ladies are with you.  I am thinking of you.

[bluebutterfly2222]

Hi,

It is quite common for the lumpectomy or mastectomy results to differ from  needle or core biopsy results.  Those procedures can only provide info about the small samples which fit within the extraction device, whereas the surgeries allow examination of the entire tumor and margins, or in the case of mastectomy, the entire breast.

Likewise the actual tumor size can differ form the estimates made from the various forms of imaging.

Please keep us posted regarding the additional tests and/or if you have other  questions or need support, by adding to this same thread, so that all of you information will be available in one place.

Best wishes...