Re: survival rate

[Guest guest]

From what I hear, the survival rate is much better but for those who

do not find theirs early, then the rate is not much better. Because

we are all being more educated and doing our monthly BSE's, getting

our yearly mammograms and being more aware of our health, I think that

the survival rate is better for that group of women. For those who

ignore the chances to help ourselves or who have had the lumps

overlooked (and even the mammograms and BSE do not catch all of them),

then it is not as good. To get really good answers to your questions,

go to the Komen web site www.komen.org and then call the hotline

number they have listed. It's 1-800 Imaware Doris

> I hear from so many different sources that with all the chemo and

etc, the

> actual survival rate for breast cancer really isn't that much better

than it

> was a few years ago. I have the pathology report from the Drs. At least

> what is currently available as it is still being worked in terms of

estrogen

> sensitivity and etc.

> According to the mammogram, there is a palpable abnormality 3 cm

ill-defined

> zone of high density fibroglandular tissue with minimal architectural

> distortion. The second palpable mass in left axilla is not visible on

> mammogram.

> US

> Right breast is normal

> Palpable abnormality is a 5cm mass in the left breast

> The boundaries of the mass are indistinct. The area covering the mss

> exhibits skin thickening. The second palpable abnormality is the

result of

> two pathological left axillary lymph nodes measuring 5 cm and 2 cm in

> diameter respectively. The findings are highly suspicious for invasive

> malignancy with regional metastases.

> From the biopsy

> The sections demonstrate breast core biopsies all of which have areas of

> tumor composed of rounded nests of tumor cells. The tumor was felt to be

> invasive with some ductal cacinoma in situ with solid and cribriforming

> patterns. The block from this case was sent to Applied Diagnostics

Lab for

> a smooth muscle mysocin stain which revealed that most of the tumor is

> invasive. The tumor cells are mostly Blacks modified nuclear grade

I with

> some grade 2 in the in-situ component.

> I have looked up the survival rate. It is obvious to me that I have

at the

> least a stage 3 cancer with 5 year survival rate ranging from 49% to

56% and

> 7 year survival less than 40%. The various alternative methods

people say

> over and over that survival rate hasn't really improved with all the

chemo

> and etc and I have to say, it doesn't look good. Can anyone help me?

Also,

> can anyone send me to a web page or etc that will help explain these

> different things on the pathology reports.

> I still really believe that I can win this fight but I am also, really

> scared.

> Patty