Mary Jo looks great and is feeling almost pain free just two weeks after her surgeries. She is in good spirits and pretty much back to herself today. Huge improvements in the past week. That's the good news.
Mary Jo and I met with Dr Gall (her Oncologist) yesterday for her post op consultation in Dr Gall's office. Dr Gall reviewed and explained from an Oncologists perspective, the findings of the pathology report from the double mastectomy and axillary node dissection operations. There were a few new surprises discovered and Mary Jo's exact treatment plan will be determined later today after Dr Gall presents Mary Jo's case to the hospitals breast cancer group of surgeons, pathologists, plastic surgeons and oncologists that meet weekly to review new discoveries, techniques and case studies. Her case is not the norm because of her age, family history and genetic mutations she carries.
What's new and not so good....
We were told that based on pathology, Mary Jo is now at least a stage IIIa cancer patient. This is a more advanced stage of breast cancer than the stage IIb we had assumed.
We were also told that the left breast tissue that was removed only as a precaution, which turned out to contain a 9mm tumor (Invasive Ductile Carcinoma) does not have clear margins. That means that they did NOT get all the cancer. We wanted to hear "clear margins" or negative margin. She still has cancerous tissue in the left breast which may require an addition surgery to make Mary Jo surgically clear of cancer before she starts chemo and radiation. The later is necessary because she had excessive lymph node involvement with 7 of 22 lymph node testing positive for cancer.
We learned from the path report that the tumor now tests positive for the HER2 gene which is a more aggressive type of breast cancer. The pre op needle biopsy on the tumor previously indicated that the tumor was HER2 negative.
Mary Jo is planning to start her first chemo treatment on Monday. She will be receiving T-C-H. Taxoter, Cytoxin and Herceptin. Mary Jo's chemo will be 6 cycles, one every three weeks for 18 weeks with Herceptin given every week for 18 weeks and then given once every three weeks for the remaining 34 weeks, 52 weeks total. She will have the hysterectomy performed 3 to 4 weeks after the last chemo treatment. The final reconstruction surgeries will be sometime after that.
Mary Jo is scheduled to meet with Dr Luong, her plastic surgeon tomorrow, Wednesday at 9:15am and then she will be admitted to Fairview Ridges Hospital at 11:00 to have a "power port" surgically installed. This is a device that is placed under the skin and used when even IV drugs (chemo) are given or blood needs to be drawn for tests.
These plans could all change today if the breast cancer group, lead by Dr Gall feel it is imperative that they surgically remove additional tissue on the left side, all the way to clear margins. If this is the case, Mary Jo would have an additional surgery and need some time to heal prior to starting the chemotherapy, a dangerous delay.
I will keep you all posted as to the doctors final decision as soon as we hear.
We could really use your prayers today.
Mary Jo and I met with Dr Gall (her Oncologist) yesterday for her post op consultation in Dr Gall's office. Dr Gall reviewed and explained from an Oncologists perspective, the findings of the pathology report from the double mastectomy and axillary node dissection operations. There were a few new surprises discovered and Mary Jo's exact treatment plan will be determined later today after Dr Gall presents Mary Jo's case to the hospitals breast cancer group of surgeons, pathologists, plastic surgeons and oncologists that meet weekly to review new discoveries, techniques and case studies. Her case is not the norm because of her age, family history and genetic mutations she carries.
What's new and not so good....
We were told that based on pathology, Mary Jo is now at least a stage IIIa cancer patient. This is a more advanced stage of breast cancer than the stage IIb we had assumed.
We were also told that the left breast tissue that was removed only as a precaution, which turned out to contain a 9mm tumor (Invasive Ductile Carcinoma) does not have clear margins. That means that they did NOT get all the cancer. We wanted to hear "clear margins" or negative margin. She still has cancerous tissue in the left breast which may require an addition surgery to make Mary Jo surgically clear of cancer before she starts chemo and radiation. The later is necessary because she had excessive lymph node involvement with 7 of 22 lymph node testing positive for cancer.
We learned from the path report that the tumor now tests positive for the HER2 gene which is a more aggressive type of breast cancer. The pre op needle biopsy on the tumor previously indicated that the tumor was HER2 negative.
Mary Jo is planning to start her first chemo treatment on Monday. She will be receiving T-C-H. Taxoter, Cytoxin and Herceptin. Mary Jo's chemo will be 6 cycles, one every three weeks for 18 weeks with Herceptin given every week for 18 weeks and then given once every three weeks for the remaining 34 weeks, 52 weeks total. She will have the hysterectomy performed 3 to 4 weeks after the last chemo treatment. The final reconstruction surgeries will be sometime after that.
Mary Jo is scheduled to meet with Dr Luong, her plastic surgeon tomorrow, Wednesday at 9:15am and then she will be admitted to Fairview Ridges Hospital at 11:00 to have a "power port" surgically installed. This is a device that is placed under the skin and used when even IV drugs (chemo) are given or blood needs to be drawn for tests.
These plans could all change today if the breast cancer group, lead by Dr Gall feel it is imperative that they surgically remove additional tissue on the left side, all the way to clear margins. If this is the case, Mary Jo would have an additional surgery and need some time to heal prior to starting the chemotherapy, a dangerous delay.
I will keep you all posted as to the doctors final decision as soon as we hear.
We could really use your prayers today.
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