Comedo/Cornedo (Tomato/Tomahto)

[Guest guest]

Thanks for helping me firgure out that the pathology report

said " comedo " not " cornedo. " See info below.

I need more help from y'all. I have a lot of questions - all my

doctors have been on vacation this week, and I have not yet been

referred to an oncologist.

pathology: " infiltrating poorly differentiated duct carcinoma and

intraductal carcinoma, high-grade, comedo type. " No additional

information available until this coming week.

My understanding is infiltrating, poorly differentiated, high-grade

and comedo type all mean a more aggressive and/or advanced type of

cancer. Yes?

Other info: I saw the mammogram pictures, multiple ducts are involved,

so the surgeon feels mastectomy is recommended. The largest tumor is

5 cm, so before anything else is known, it is stage 2.

Is it standard to have full-body PET/Ct and bone scans at this point,

or is it indicative of a more-informed concern about spreading?

I have not yet asked, but will, about doing both breasts (left is

uninvolved), because I do not want to do it twice. Comments?

What is your experience with reconstruction right away vs. later?

I'm especially concerned because my son's bar mitzvah will be shortly

after the surgery, and I want to feel (and look) as much like me as

possible for this important event.

I did go and pick out a wig yesterday. The woman was really nice, so

it wasn't as traumatic as I had feared. As I say, these details are

unpleasantly impinging on my denial. ;-)

Please share! Remember what it was like when you first learned?

THANKS!

http://www.imaginis.com/breasthealth/dcis.asp

The term, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), refers to a family of

cancers that occur in the breast ducts. There are two categories of

DCIS: non-comedo and comedo. The term, comedo, describes the

appearance of the cancer. When comedo type breast tumors are cut, the

dead cells inside of them (necrosis) can be expressed out just like a

comedo or blackhead on the skin.

Comedo type DCIS (also referred to as Comedocarcinoma) tends to be

more aggressive than the non-comedo types of DCIS. Pathologists are

able to easily distinguish between comedo type DCIS and other non-

comedo types when examining the cells under a microscope because

comedo type DCIS tends to plug the center of the breast ducts with

necrosis (dead cells). When necrosis is associated with cancer, it

often means that the cancer is able to grow quickly.