How did I get here?

How did I get here?

It’s hard to say. How much does heredity have to play in whether you develop breast cancer? I’ve read lately that there are more links being made through a father to explain why his daughter develops breast cancer. In the long run it really doesn’t matter how, only that you learn to deal with it.

Breast cancer runs in my family. My maternal grandmother died of breast cancer in 1955 at age 59. Her daughter, my aunt, died of breast cancer in 1985 at age 58. My mother had had a few scares through the years and had a negative biopsy about 25 years ago.

My paternal grandmother had a breast lump but didn’t take any action to determine its significance. She died in 1988 at age 83. My father died of lung cancer at age 64 in 1995. A different form of the disease but cancer none the less.

I’ve been very proactive about breast health for years. I have a mammogram every 366 days and over the years have had more than a handful of call-backs. Twice I had ultrasound exams, and on one occasion had a cyst drained.

(Interestingly, a year or so ago I heard a radio ad for a clinical trial women who are at risk to develop breast cancer. I called and sat through a fairly extensive telephone interview. In the end, the nurse decided I wasn’t enough at risk to participate in the trial.)

Here’s the timeline to where I am today:

April 4, 2007: Annual mammogram at Family Medical Center, Wilmington

April 16: Second mammogram, Winchester Hospital Imaging Center, Woburn. Consult followed with nurse who discussed the next step, a stereotactic biopsy. Said a surgeon from their staff would be assigned to my case.

May 2: Stereotactic biopsy at Winchester Hospital Imagine Center with Dr. Ronald Nath. Not a difficult procedure (although everyone I’ve talked to who has had one said it was a terribly painful experience—not so for me).

May 9: Follow up with Dr. Nath. Negative results of biopsy for reasons it was performed, but one of the 28 samples revealed to other things:
• intraductal pappaloma, which was completely excised
• atypical focal hyperplasia

Was of the opinion that neither warrants further action, but the pathologist suggests further biopsy on the AFH, so it will be scheduled

June 14: Excisional biopsy, needle localization with IV sedation at Winchester Hospital, a pretty miserable event. Long day. Compression for 30+ minutes for mammograms and placement of wires into breast (to guide Dr. Nath to proper site during surgery), followed by 3+ hour wait for surgery. Vicoden and ice packs are my dearest friends.

June 21: Call from Dr. Nath with results. Diagnosis is ductal carcinoma in situ—DCIS—a non-invasive cancer confined to milk ducts. It’s a common form of breast cancer and very treatable (98%). Cautions he is doing some additional stains (lab tests) to ensure there has not been any micro invasion.

(I wrote a letter to the director of the imaging center at the Family Medical Center asking that she express my thanks the technician who took the April 4 films. If not for those films, I’d be a year down the road and in more trouble.)