Need help

[Supergrrl1681]

Clueless where to start. I am not sure what to do. I am wandering what are the questions to ask the Dr. I have so many questions.

[daf10]

Questions to ask your doctor can be found on breastcancer.org Here are a few of them They also have questions to ask your surgeon, radiation oncologist and questions about hormone therapy

Is this breast cancer invasive, non-invasive, or both invasive and non-invasive?

Is the breast cancer more aggressive or less aggressive?

Are the surgical margins negative or positive?

Are there any cancer cells present in lymph channels or blood vessels?

What do the hormone receptor tests show? Am I a candidate for medicine that lowers or blocks the effects of estrogen?

Which of these HER2 tests was performed on the tissue?

IHC (ImmunoHistoChemistry) test

FISH (Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization) test

SPoT-Light HER2 CISH (Subtraction Probe Technology Chromogenic In Situ Hybridization) test

Inform HER2 Dual ISH (Inform Dual In Situ Hybridization) test

Is the HER2 test positive, negative, or borderline? Am I a candidate for HER2-targeted therapy?

Is there cancer in any lymph nodes? If so, how many lymph nodes are involved?

Am I eligible for a genomic test?

If any of my test results were unclear, would you recommend testing the tissue again?

Is any further surgery recommended based on my results?

Which treatments are most likely to work for this specific cancer, based on my pathology report results?

You can also got the American Cancer Society and see more questionscancer.org/content/dam/canc...

Hope this helps Please feel free and write in as well and maybe we can answer some of these questions

[Misor]

i AM SURE YOU ARE CONFUSED AND AT LOOSE ENDS. TO START WITH i WOULD ASK THE DOCTOR 1) WHAT STAGE IS MY CANCER AT 2) CAN i HAVE A LUMPECTOMY OR A MASTECTOMY 3) WILL iINEED FOLLOW-UP TREATMENT (CHEMO OR RADIATION). i HOPE THAT WILL STEER YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

[IGotSunshine]

Hi Supergrrl,

A couple things helped me get a grip on my diagnosis.

First, I kept a dedicated notebook where I wrote all my questions (and all my doctors' answers). That way, nothing fell through the cracks. I also asked for every test result and pathology report and kept them in a dedicated folder. They weren't pleasant reading, but they helped me feel in control. And later, when I went for a second opinion, I had everything on hand and didn't have to wait for my medical records to be transmitted.

Second, I got a book, Breast Cancer for Dummies, which explained the basics very well. There are more sophisticated, detailed books out there, but I found Dummies straightforward and comforting. Later, when I had mastered the most of the medical terms and concepts, I read Susan Love's Breast Book. But Dummies was pretty darn good!

Good luck!