A lipoma is a benign tumor composed of adipose tissue. It is the most common form of soft tissuetumor.[1] Lipomas are soft to the touch, usually movable, and are generally painless. Many lipomas are small (under one centimeter diameter) but can enlarge to sizes greater than six centimeters. Lipomas are commonly found in adults from 40 to 60 years of age, but can also be found in children. Some sources claim that malignant transformation can occur,[2] while others say that this has yet to be convincingly documented.[3]
Mine was not cancer removal went well. Back to work in 3 days.
Then in 2010 I had terrible bleeding problems due to my menstrual cycles went on for most of the year. My doctor had lots of test run and they found in a sonogram a large mass in my Uterus.
In December 2010 went through a Hysterectomy and the mass was not cancerous. Felt so much better. Now I was very anemic and on iron. Missed a month of work but recovered well.
Finally feeling stronger and better than ever, something again changed. Mid year 2011 I started to feel tired and run down again. I have had hypothyroidism for many years and has been well managed, but when I went for blood work and a check up they found my levels were off, and my vitamin D was very low, so the increased my dose of thyroid medication and put me on Vitamin D 2000IU a day. All seamed well. Then as the new year rolled around I turned 52 years old. I was having problems with brain fog and feeling unwell again. I was getting weaker and more fatigued just thought wit was because I was getting older. Steve my husband and I have always taken a winter vacation to Oklahoma. We love to visit the Bald Eagle wintering area of Keystone State Park, near Tulsa Oklahoma. It has been a annual trip for many years. During or trip in January 2012 I started feeling bad, thought i may need a ER trip. But it passed and we came home all seamed well.
Then One morning in the shower I found a lump in my right breast. I had the feeling of dread.
It was February 13th 2012, made a appointment the next day with my doctor. I hadn't told anyone yet. I was really thinking I was far advanced in cancer, because of the way I was feeling.
My Appointment was February 21st 2012. I was due for more blood work for my thyroid too. They set me up with a mammogram the next week. I went home and cried.
I finally told my husband and daughters. We all cried, but hoping it was like the last few problems and it would be just another scare and everything would be alright. Lots of prayers were said. My Blood work came back and my thyroid level was way off. My normal level is 1.6 the results were 6.7 so they changed my dose again, and the vitamin D level was way low again. They prescribed me 50,000IU a week to help my numbers. Common in breast cancer and Hypothyroidism. Never knew that.
Then I had a biopsy to send off for testing. Waiting for the call you don't want to here.
I received the call on February 28th 2012 it was breast cancer. I was home alone at the time and I just broke down and cried.
The next appointment was to see the Breast surgeon Dr Kerri Perry, we are doing a lumpectomy, with a lymph removal for more testing. Surgery is scheduled for March 23th 2012.
My official diagnoses is " Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, Grade 3 with Chondriod Matrix ( Metaplastic Carcinoma) Her2 Negitive, also called Triple negative Breast Cancer.
- Tends to be more aggressive than other types of breast cancer. Studies have shown that triple-negative breast cancer is more likely to spread beyond the breast and more likely to recur (come back) after treatment. These risks appear to be greatest in the first few years after treatment. For example, a study of more than 1,600 women in Canada published in 2007 found that women with triple-negative breast cancer were at higher risk of having the cancer recur outside the breast — but only for the first 3 years. Other studies have reached similar conclusions. As years go by, the risks of the triple-negative breast cancer recurring become similar to those risk levels for other types of breast cancer.
Five-year survival rates also tend to be lower for triple-negative breast cancer. A 2007 study of more than 50,000 women with all stages of breast cancer found that 77% of women with triple-negative breast cancer survived at least 5 years, versus 93% of women with other types of breast cancer. Another study of more than 1,600 women published in 2007 found that women with triple-negative breast cancer had a higher risk of death within 5 years of diagnosis, but not after that time period. The recurrence and survival figures in these and other studies are averages for all women with triple-negative breast cancer. Factors such as the grade and stage of the breast cancer will influence an individual woman’s prognosis. - Tends to be higher grade than other types of breast cancer. The higher the grade, the less the cancer cells resemble normal, healthy breast cells in their appearance and growth patterns. On a scale of 1 to 3, triple-negative breast cancer often is grade 3.
- Usually is a cell type called “basal-like.” “Basal-like” means that the cells resemble the basal cells that line the breast ducts. This is a new subtype of breast cancer that researchers have identified using gene analysis technology. Like other types of breast cancer, basal-like cancers can be linked to family history, or they can happen without any apparent family link. Basal-like cancers tend to be more aggressive, higher grade cancers — just like triple-negative breast cancers. It’s believed that most triple-negative breast cancers are of the basal-like cell type.
It can feel upsetting and even scary to find out that you have a form of breast cancer that (1) is often more aggressive than other types and (2) isn’t a good candidate for treatments such as hormonal therapy and Herceptin. But triple-negative breast cancer can be treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and new treatments — such as PARP inhibitors — are showing promise. Researchers are paying a great deal of attention to triple-negative breast cancer and working to find new and better ways to treat it. “This is an exceptionally hot area of research in the breast cancer field,” says George Sledge, M.D., medical oncologist and Breastcancer.org Professional Advisory Board member. “There is immense interest among drug developers, pharmaceutical companies, and breast cancer laboratory researchers in finding targeted therapies for these patients.”
More to come on the next chapter of my journey with breast cancer." The Surgery" and after .
