Saturday, June 21, 2008 LaurieD asks

Q: treatment recommendations for IDC Grade I

Hello,

I have been diagnosed with IDC Grade I tumors (3) that are .5cm. There is micrometastasis (1.5mm) to one lymph node. Currently, I am undergoing 8 rounds of chemotherapy (4 rounds of Adriamycin and Cytoxan and 4 rounds of Taxotere). I have not had surgery yet. I am so confused about whether since my tumor is "less aggressive" and the lymph node involvement is so small, do I REALLY need to be so aggressive with the treatments? Do I REALLY NEED radiation or only if the there are more lymph nodes positive? I am so confused and my doctors don't give me straight answers. It seems to be the opinion of my surgeon that I need a lumpectomy and radiation, but I am not sure and there is no one to talk to! I know it is a personal decision, but I don't feel like I have all of the facts about my risks. I don't want a recurrence, but I don't want to be overly aggressive unnecessarily either. Is there some formula I can follow? Is radiation recommended only for a certain number of positive lymph nodes?

Sorry this is so long. I am very confused even after consulting two doctors . . . especially after consulting two doctors with very different answers!

Thanks for any advice you can give.

Answers (3)

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PJ Hamel

6/21/08 9:35am

Hi Laurie: Whew, it IS confusing, isn't it? Lots of us feel just like you just after diagnosis, as we're asked to make all kinds of decisions, yet don't feel we have the information we need — AND we get conflicting opinions from our medical team! Take a look at our IDC FAQS for a good summary of all kinds of information about IDC.

Since you're already doing chemo, you're going through the most aggressive, roughest part of treatment right now. So you'll have that out of the way. Next, it sounds like a lumpectomy. If they can get clean margins (i.e., they feel they've gotten all of those three tumors out, with no cancer cells left around the edges of the incision), then the usual treatment would be radiation to your breast, to make sure any other "wandering" cancer cells are taken care of. This is absolutely the gold standard of treatment: lumpectomy + radiation. They go hand in hand.

If they can't get clean margins, you'll have to have a mastectomy; and then you most likely wouldn't need radiation.

Unless the cancer has spread out of your lymph node into the surrounding tissue, they wouldn't need to give radiation to your lymph nodes; they simply will remove the one node with cancer, and probably sample a few others up the line. If they all come out clear (which they probably will, given the tiny amount of cancer in that one node), then nothing more needs to be done regarding your lymph nodes.

As for radiation itself, most women find it much, MUCH easier than chemo. So don't worry about it being a really devastating experience... it shouldn't be.

Hope this has helped you out, Laurie. Please stay in touch - we're here for you. -PJH

laura

6/27/08 4:06pm

hello,

i do not have an answer but i also have idc grade 1 multifocal and they will not treat me until after i have surgery which has me kind of worried i do not feel comfortable wiith the cancer in me did your dr. tell you why they are treating you before surgery just curious to know thanks

laura

cindylou

7/ 3/08 1:59pm

80 percent of those with idc do NOT benefit from TOXIC therapy..of those 20 percent who MIGHT benefit..18-19 percent die from complications of the treatment NOT the disease..surgery is the best option..a good surgeon who can remove all or most of the disease..will then allow the body to handle the rest..avoiding white flour products and sugar which feeds the disease..the body should be alkyline to prevent regrowth

mineral salts, industrial by products and by products of mustard gas and ddt all are included in the ingredients of current TOXIC therapy..aka chemo..it is calculated carefully how much can be infused in the patient before they are killed by the substances..then scaled back by 10percent.. No family member of mine would ever be allowed or encouraged to voluntarily kill themselves in this manner, yet modern medicine allows it. 75 percent of doctors polled would refuse treatment for themselves and their family..stating it simply does not work.

Susan G

5/28/09 12:54pm

Can you please let me know where you got the statistic of 80% of those with idc do not benefit from toxic therapy? I am 52, also IDC grade 2, stage 1, ER,PR+, HER2+ - no node involvement, and mass less than .o6 cm, oncotype score of 23. I had a bi-lateral masectomy and my doctor still wants to do chemo with herceptin, followed by AI for 5 years. I think the chemo would do more harm than good.

Q: treatment recommendations for IDC Grade I

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