Breast Cancer In Situ: Managing Your Medical Care: Diagnosis To Treatment Decision

There is a medical learning curve required to be an informed consumer. The curve is similar to the learning curve we all go through when considering any major decision that we don't specialize in. Medicine is not nuclear physics. Most adults and children can understand the basics that you need you know.

You do not need to learn enough to become a doctor. You only need enough information to be able to have a precise discussion with your medical team and to be able to make informed decisions.

At first glance, it may seem like a lot to learn in a short period of time. However, the amount of time and energy required will be lessened if you limit what you access to your diagnosis, the tests your doctor is proposing, and the likely treatments (and side effects) that fit within your own priorities.

How much you want to learn, if anything, beyond the bare minimum, is up to you.

At least learn the following:

• What type of breast cancer do I have?
• What is the stage of my breast cancer?
• If the cancer has spread, where has it spread to?
• The make up of a breast and the lymph system through which breast cancer can spread. A description and easy-to-understand drawing of the internal workings of a normal breast and the lymph system is available at the website of the American Cancer Society: www.cancer.org.

Cancer terms you need to know

Learn basic cancer terms to know. For example:

• A lumpectomy (Lump-ech- tuh-me) is the removal of a tumor and some normal breast tissue. In most cases, you are left with a small scar.
• A mastectomy (Mas-TEK-tuh-me) is the removal of breast tissue and skin, including the tumor.
• A double mastectomy is the removal of both breasts.
• Metastasis (meh-TAS-tuh-sis). Sometimes cancer cells break away from a tumor and spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system or bloodstream. The cells can settle in other places in the body and form new tumors. This is called metastasis. Even when cancer has spread to a new location in the body, it is still named after the part of the body where it started. If breast cancer spreads from the breast to the bones, it is still called breast cancer.

For a list of common cancer terms, click here. 

Where to find your diagnosis

The kind of breast cancer you have is stated in a pathology (path-AWL-uh-gee) report.

• A pathology report is a report about what was revealed by the sample taken during a biopsy. It explains the type of breast cancer you have and how big the tumor is. It also states whether your tumor is likely to grow quickly or slowly. The pathology report may use a system of numbers and letters to show how serious your cancer is and your cancer stage.The letters and numbers together define your cancer stage (a standard method for the medical community to understand your particular cancer).
• A pathology report is supposed to be written in language that lay people who are not medical experts can understand.

To learn more about pathology reports, click here.

The different types of breast cancer

To learn about each of the following common types of breast cancer, including what each type looks like compared to normal cancer cells, we provide links to the website of the College of American Pathologists:

• Invasive ductal carcinoma   (arises in cells lining the breast ducts)
• Invasive lobular carcinoma (develops in the breast lobules)
• Ductal carcinoma in situ  (the tumor is restricted to the ducts of the breast that transport milk to the nipple during breast feeding)
• Lobular carcinoma in situ  (LCIS) is not a "true cancer". The tumor is confined to breast lobules.  

Your Stage

You can learn about breast cancer stages, including the tests used to help determine the stage, at the American Cancer Society's Web site: www.cancer.org.

Statistics

If you are interested in the statistics about what happens to people with your breast cancer diagnosis, the statistics are available on the American Cancer Society Web site (click here ). Keep in mind that statistics are about large numbers of people, and are about the past. They do not take into account continuing medical advances. They also do not indicate what will happen to any individual, much less to you. 

NOTE: You do not have to live with pain, or other difficult side effects of your condition, drugs or treatment. There are remedies available. Talk with your doctor.

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