Staging

Now they can stage my cancer. (No, not like a play.) Staging is important because it gives guidance on the type of cancer you have and the best treatment. What I have is:

1.3cm Invasive Ductal Carcinoma
Stage IIA, grade 2/3
ER+/PR+, HER2-
Nodes 1+/20-

What that means is that its a relatively small tumor. Tumors under 1cm are usually too hard to detect in a mammogram. I have probably had it for years but even last year it was too small to be found.

Invasive Ductal Carcinoma means it started in the breast ducts and has spread outside of the ducts and is the most common type of breast cancer - I think 70% of all breast cancers are IDC.

Stage IIA is from a range of 0-IV with 0 meaning they just cut it out to IV being that it has metastized through your body and there is not much that can be done (you don't want to be stage IV). Roughly here are the stages: Stage I means a relatively small tumor that has not spread; Stage II is a relatively small tumor that has spread some to nodes or a relatively large tumor that has not spread; Stage III is any size tumor that has spread to the lymph nodes; and Stage IV means a cancer that has spread and is elsewhere in your body - usually liver, bones, and lungs first.

Grade is the grade of how aggressive the growth of the cancer (how fast it grows) on a scale of 1-3 so mine is moderately growing.

ER+ and PR+ are Estrogen and Progesterone Receptor positive and means that the cancer needs both estrogen and progesterone to grow and a successful therapy blocks both and impedes its growth. This is a good thing!

HER2 negative means I do not have too many of the HER2 gene or its receptors. This is also a good thing!

Finally, the fewer positive nodes the better. It was just beginning to spread. Breast cancer spreads through the lymph system first usually and the more positive nodes the more likely it has spread elsewhere in the body. No positive nodes is best but one tiny microscopic area in one node is basically the next best thing.

If you want to sound like you know what you are talking about you can say: "She has a 1.3cm IDC on the left breast that is stage IIA, grade 2/3 but ER and PR positive and HER2- negative with one positive sentinel node." Anyone who knows about cancer will be impressed that you are so well educated.

That is your medical lesson for today. I can't believe I wrote all this on my first cup of coffee (with the cat adding to my typing skills sitting in my lap.) If you really want more information on this go to www.breastcancer.org and it is explained in great detail and you can see if I know what I am talking about.