Saw the oncologist today

Saw the oncologist today, Dr. Lechner. He wants more studies as he isn’t quite sure what we are looking at. He isn’t sure if there is actual cancer in the breast where the suspicious microcalcifications are or not. He wants an MRI of both breasts so that he can make sure the left breast is free and clear and to help delineate what exactly we have in the right breast. He said that the ‘lymph node’ along the breast bone – that I thought was a rib head out of alignment – is possibly the primary tumor and the pathology report mentions breast tissue and not actually a lymph node. He said it was in an odd location where lymph nodes aren’t usually located. So that actually made me feel a little better, thinking that maybe the lymph nodes under my arm have only been involved in the last month or two, so maybe my whole body ISN’T infested with cancer.

I am scheduled to get a MRI on Monday morning and hopefully this Friday or on Monday I will also receive a PET scan. An IV with an $800 sugar solution is injected first before the scan is performed. The sugar clings to fast growing cells, like tumors, and if they see something that is enlarged they can zero in on it with a CT scan at the same time. These two studies will hopefully be able to help us more with the ‘staging’ of the breast cancer, if it is more at a stage II, or if it has metastasized and is more at a stage IV.

Whatever the findings he is thinking that the best treatment is to start with chemotherapy to shrink the tumors which will mean possibly removing less breast, and then maybe/probably followed by radiation treatment. He knows that we are getting a second opinion this Tuesday at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center so he is trying to get these two scans done before my appointment so that they have more information to work with. I will then meet with my oncologist Wednesday morning after all the tests as well as the second opinion and we will make a decision on the best treatment plan and get ready for it.

I tried to talk him into the idea of waiting until after spring break before getting hit with chemo, but Paul wasn’t for the idea and told the doctor that we would rather get the treatment started than wait until later. That is kind of a bummer as I had hoped to go to Montana with the kids and celebrate Austin’s birthday as well. :(