The Diag-NO-SIS
Up until my life/boob altering surgery, my actual diagnosis was, believe it or not, still a little unclear. You would think that after being scanned, squished, prodded and poked VERY hard with an enormous flesh sucking needle AND being that it is the year 2015 (the ACTUAL year that Marty goes forward to in Back to the Future 2), that they would actually know what is what! SERIOUSLY.
Anyone with cancer will tell you that one of the hardest parts is most definitely the dreaded waiting game. Waiting for each appointment, waiting to find out about the lump, waiting to find out what kind of cancer, waiting to find out the grade, waiting to find out what treatment I would need, waiting in a LOT of waiting rooms, waiting to find out if the cancer had gone viral (not in an internet sensation kind of way) and waiting to find out the all important stage of my cancer.
So here is a little insight into my various diagnoses and the ultimate result.
Round 1 *Ding Ding*
It started out as a lump, known more sexily as an 'irregular lobulated heterogeneous sold lesion which is hypoechoic and has internal vascularity.'
'So doctor,' I said, 'what you are telling me is that I have a tiny, deformed, hyperactive lobster with big guns living in my boob.'
Round 2 *Ding Ding*
On D-Day, known un-fondly as Diagnosis Day, the doctor then informed me that I had 'infiltrating ductal carcinoma with a mucinous component.'
Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma also known as Invasive Ductal Carcinoma is the most common form of breast cancer and accounts for around 80% of all cases. Okay cool, so we know what we are dealing with! SUPER!
She also informed me that it was Grade 3. 'GRADE 3! WHAT! WHAT DO YOU MEAN GRADE 3?' Right, so the good news is that grades and stages are totally different. Grades refers to how different the appearance and growth patterns of the cancer cells are in comparison to healthy boob cells where as stages refer to the size of the tumour and the extent that it has (or hasn't) spread.
The bad news is that grade 3 is as high as the grades go meaning that my cancer was A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E, aggressive. Or in trés terrifying doctor jargon: '...composed of sheets, clusters and single highly pleomorphic malignant cells infiltrating into desmoplastic stroma.'
Round 3 *Ding Ding*
After receiving my dastardly addendum to my biopsy I found out that my cancer was Triple Negative. Most breast cancers are hormone receptive meaning that they feed off of oestrogen or progesterone and can be treated with hormone therapy. My cancer, being the evil mastermind that it is, worked out a way to mutate the cells around the tumour to help feed it. Triple Negative Breast Cancer is more common in younger women but only accounts for around 10 - 20% of all breast cancers. Oh okaaaaay, so it's totally more rare. GREAT.
Round 4 *Ding Ding*
The addendum also confirmed that my cancer was Metaplastic. 'METAPLASTIC! WHAT! WHAT DO YOU MEAN METAPLASTIC?' Right so the good news is that Metaplastic and Metastatic are totally different. Metaplastic Carcinoma is a subtype of invasive breast cancer where the cells have the ability to change from one cell type to another where as Metastatic is when the cancer has spread to distant sites beyond the lymph nodes.
Bad news is that Metaplastic Breast Cancer makes up less than 1% of all breast cancers making it one of the rarest breast cancers you can get. Or in more trés terrifying doctor jargon: "There are foci of chondroid differentiation with malignant features in addition to mucin producing matrix. There are a few cells with weak nuclear positivity." Fan-FUCKING-tastic.
Round 5 *Ding Ding*
After all that my MRI then indicated that my tumour was consistent with the histology of Mucinous Carcinoma. Can you make up your mind already?! This cancer is another subtype of invasive breast cancer and makes up around 2-5% of all breast cancers. FABULOUS!
Round 5 *Ding Ding*
With surgery complete and my tumour removed, finally all was revealed! My cancer was confirmed as STAGE 1 Triple Negative Metaplastic Carcinoma. Bad news is that there is, fun fact, actually a stage 0. Good news is that it is STAGE 1, the size of a Brazil nut and hasn't spread to my lymph nodes! WAHOOOOOOOOOO. Take that CANCER 1 - Nil.
*Please note that all statistics are taken from the internet so could be totally bogus.
Anyone with cancer will tell you that one of the hardest parts is most definitely the dreaded waiting game. Waiting for each appointment, waiting to find out about the lump, waiting to find out what kind of cancer, waiting to find out the grade, waiting to find out what treatment I would need, waiting in a LOT of waiting rooms, waiting to find out if the cancer had gone viral (not in an internet sensation kind of way) and waiting to find out the all important stage of my cancer.
Round 1 *Ding Ding*
It started out as a lump, known more sexily as an 'irregular lobulated heterogeneous sold lesion which is hypoechoic and has internal vascularity.'
'So doctor,' I said, 'what you are telling me is that I have a tiny, deformed, hyperactive lobster with big guns living in my boob.'
Round 2 *Ding Ding*
On D-Day, known un-fondly as Diagnosis Day, the doctor then informed me that I had 'infiltrating ductal carcinoma with a mucinous component.'
Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma also known as Invasive Ductal Carcinoma is the most common form of breast cancer and accounts for around 80% of all cases. Okay cool, so we know what we are dealing with! SUPER!
She also informed me that it was Grade 3. 'GRADE 3! WHAT! WHAT DO YOU MEAN GRADE 3?' Right, so the good news is that grades and stages are totally different. Grades refers to how different the appearance and growth patterns of the cancer cells are in comparison to healthy boob cells where as stages refer to the size of the tumour and the extent that it has (or hasn't) spread.
The bad news is that grade 3 is as high as the grades go meaning that my cancer was A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E, aggressive. Or in trés terrifying doctor jargon: '...composed of sheets, clusters and single highly pleomorphic malignant cells infiltrating into desmoplastic stroma.'
After receiving my dastardly addendum to my biopsy I found out that my cancer was Triple Negative. Most breast cancers are hormone receptive meaning that they feed off of oestrogen or progesterone and can be treated with hormone therapy. My cancer, being the evil mastermind that it is, worked out a way to mutate the cells around the tumour to help feed it. Triple Negative Breast Cancer is more common in younger women but only accounts for around 10 - 20% of all breast cancers. Oh okaaaaay, so it's totally more rare. GREAT.
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| "Triple Negative" |
Round 4 *Ding Ding*
The addendum also confirmed that my cancer was Metaplastic. 'METAPLASTIC! WHAT! WHAT DO YOU MEAN METAPLASTIC?' Right so the good news is that Metaplastic and Metastatic are totally different. Metaplastic Carcinoma is a subtype of invasive breast cancer where the cells have the ability to change from one cell type to another where as Metastatic is when the cancer has spread to distant sites beyond the lymph nodes.
Bad news is that Metaplastic Breast Cancer makes up less than 1% of all breast cancers making it one of the rarest breast cancers you can get. Or in more trés terrifying doctor jargon: "There are foci of chondroid differentiation with malignant features in addition to mucin producing matrix. There are a few cells with weak nuclear positivity." Fan-FUCKING-tastic.
After all that my MRI then indicated that my tumour was consistent with the histology of Mucinous Carcinoma. Can you make up your mind already?! This cancer is another subtype of invasive breast cancer and makes up around 2-5% of all breast cancers. FABULOUS!
With surgery complete and my tumour removed, finally all was revealed! My cancer was confirmed as STAGE 1 Triple Negative Metaplastic Carcinoma. Bad news is that there is, fun fact, actually a stage 0. Good news is that it is STAGE 1, the size of a Brazil nut and hasn't spread to my lymph nodes! WAHOOOOOOOOOO. Take that CANCER 1 - Nil.
 |
| Gimme a WOOP WOOP |
Jen u beautaaaaaaay! Woop woop! Love u so. X
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