Screening. I am sincerely trying to understand why we aren’t offered an MRI screening since the MRI is the only screening option for picking up the second most common breast cancer, ILC, at its early stages. No breast cancer runs in my family at all, therefore my family is never offered the MRI nor were we even aware of it’s importance. I have a family member who got a mammogram and ultrasound 8 months ago. It came back clean. So we’re thinking that’s great! Peace of mind. A few months ago a lump was felt in the breast. Now the mammogram and ultrasound will detect the ILC in its later stage, but it didn’t in its early stage. From my own personal experience....it’s untrue that only those with high risk should get an MRI. I do not have peace of mind anymore with mammograms nor ultrasounds alone.
Completely understand the distrust of mammograms given your experience. And your experience is important. What we do know is that mammograms are the best test we have at the population level. MRIs have a lot of downsides and are not recommended for several reasons as a broadcast screening approach. It can be so frustrating when the "best we have" doesn't work for us.
I've questions that have bothered me. During your normal mamogram a womans breast is pressed to a very thin layer. I've wondered wouldn't that compression cause a cancerous tumor to burst open and spread into surrounding tissues. The same concern with breast biopsies when a probe is harpooned through a tumor to collect those tissues. . My biopsy left me so swollen and black & blue. Thanks for answering ad I sure have wondered why no one seems concerned about this.
Such a good question. Agree that the compression is intense. It is remarkable that tumors don't burst and that needles don't spread cancer and we are happy to say that they don't. There are some tumors, for example, testicular cancer, in which a biopsy can "seed" cancer cells along the track of the needle, but there is no evidence that this happens with breast cancer.
Thanks for another great video (albeit you made it some time ago). I have a question regarding breast feeding (ie correlation with breast cancer). I thought breastfeeding reduced the risk. I breast fed my three children for a total of 5 years (almost continuously) but was diagnosed with high grade DCIS in 2016 and HER2 (early stage) cancer this year. Obviously my main reason for breastfeeding wasn’t to minimise the risk of getting breast cancer but my diagnoses came as quite a surprise.
Great question. You are correct that at a population level, breast feeding is associated with a lower risk of breast cancer. This does not mean that everyone who breastfeeds is protected 100% from breast cancer or that people who don't breastfeed will get breast cancer. It appears that longer durations of breastfeeding (over a year) is the point at which we see some protection (again at the population level). It is very difficult in many countries to breastfeed for that long for many reasons.
Left chestwall& left scln region, date started 14th June 2022 & completed 5th July 2022. 6 cycles of docetaxel & cyclophoshamide c1 - 28th january 2022 c6 on 14th May 2022. Left MRM under GA on 28th December 2021. Tab Letrozole 2.5 running. Veba plus once daily, Ibandronic acid 150 mg once a month, Calcirol granules onec a month till taking. Pls suggest any other if possible.
Hi Dr Jennifer. Can you provide some insight into if one (vegetarian) should take Omega-3 supplements during the hormonal therapy (which lasts 5 years)? Thanks
There is no reason not to take omega-3-fatty acids. There is also little evidence that omega-3-fatty acids are helpful. Omega-3 fatty acids are readily available in a wide variety of plant foods, including walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, edamame, seaweed, and algae. Other green leafy vegetables and beans also contain small amounts.
It is really hard to avoid soy in the diet. We recommend that you avoid products that try to increase the levels of plant estrogens like milkshakes, etc. But soy in the diet is rarely associated with elevated levels of plant estrogens.
Please HELP!!! I'm 72 years old with neuroendoccrine breast carcinoma 3.1cm stage 2 poorly differentiated. I'm aware its a very agressive cancer. I had lumpectomy and my surgeon confirms that lymphs nodes were negative er+ pr+ her2- . All tissue around cancer margins very good. I saw two oncologists, one for radiation and the other for chemo. They don't know if I will benefit from chemo but I will have radiaton and hormones therapy. What kind of treatment do you think I should have and are prognostic for this kind of cancer if I take chemo good??? I'm in a good health but I want to have quality of life too and if treatment won't help to live longer then I would refuse chemo treatment. COULD IT BE A PRIMARY CANCER IF THEY DON'T SEE ANYTHING ON SCANS like nuclear bone, ct scan for abdo chest and brain???
Neuroendocrine tumors of the breast are rare but definitely do exist as primary tumors. It is hard to know the best treatment for these tumors because everything we know is from case series or very small collections of cases. We tend to treat these tumors as we would other breast cancers. It sounds as if that is how you're being treated. Chemotherapy decisions are based on your overall health and your preferences as well as the best available knowledge that we have. We are wishing you the best.
My breast cancer biopsy has a report that I'm ER+, PR+ and her2 negative, but it is also Ki67 50%. What does that 50% mean? Do I need to be concerned? I'm at Stage 1, grade 2
The Ki-67 of 50% is considered high. That is, the tumor cells are dividing more rapidly than in people with a low Ki-67. Ki-67 usually travels along with other factors like tumor grade. If you have negative lymph nodes or 1 to 3 positive lymph nodes, having a tumor assay such as the 21-gene assay (brand name: OncotypeDX) would likely be helpful in assessing whether or not chemotherapy is likely to help reduce the risk of recurrence over and above hormonal therapy.
When breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body, we generally do not see cure. People can live for a long time with advanced breast cancer, however, and, for some of my patients, their cancer is less of a concern than their other medical problems, such as diabetes. All this to say that your mother should work closely with her medical team to keep her diabetes under control.
This may be a stupid question but I've went through a lumpectomy 3 weeks ago. I've got to do radiation. And started on a harmony blocking pill. Why can't you remove the ovaries instead of taking the pill with all the side effects?
Your question is terrific! (There are no stupid questions to be honest.) This is a complicated topic. In brief, we do start with antiestrogen pills because the side effects will go away when you stop the medication. Having the ovaries removed puts someone into menopause all of a sudden and is not reversible. For some people, we both suppress (put to sleep) or remove the ovaries and given antiestrogen pills. The suppression is for 2 to 3 years after which people can go back to having normal ovarian function. For people who are diagnosed after the ovaries stop working, there is no role for ovarian suppression or removal. I hope this is helpful.
I had a mastectomy for my IDC stage 2, Ki67 20%, ER+, PR-, HER2-,no lymph nodes involved, oncotype DX 29, genetic test result is negative. After surgery doctor said that the merging was clear ( I believe 2-3 cm). I would like to get a professional second opinion on my doctor’s treatment plan. What would you suggest in my case? Thank you.
@@yerbba Thank you so much for replying 🙏. My doctor decided to do for me a 5 month of chemotherapy ( through the port), followed by the aromatase inhibitors medication + injections for suppress my ovaries function ( because I’m a premenopausal at this time). I know someone who was receiving the same treatment with stage ||| ( mine was stage || with no lymph nodes involved). Can this treatment plan to be too aggressive in my case? Thank you so much for your help.
Thank you for your videos, it help me alot to understand and know what to expect with breast cancer. You are so soft spoken i can feel the compassion.
Always happy to help.
Thank you, I have worked in healthcare for over 35 years, and each person is different.
We are as unique as each snowflake is unique.
Your videos have helped me so much during this difficult time.
Thank you for the feedback. We're happy that they are helpful. Wishing you the best as you get through this.
Screening.
I am sincerely trying to understand why we aren’t offered an MRI screening since the MRI is the only screening option for picking up the second most common breast cancer, ILC, at its early stages. No breast cancer runs in my family at all, therefore my family is never offered the MRI nor were we even aware of it’s importance. I have a family member who got a mammogram and ultrasound 8 months ago. It came back clean. So we’re thinking that’s great! Peace of mind. A few months ago a lump was felt in the breast. Now the mammogram and ultrasound will detect the ILC in its later stage, but it didn’t in its early stage. From my own personal experience....it’s untrue that only those with high risk should get an MRI. I do not have peace of mind anymore with mammograms nor ultrasounds alone.
Completely understand the distrust of mammograms given your experience. And your experience is important. What we do know is that mammograms are the best test we have at the population level. MRIs have a lot of downsides and are not recommended for several reasons as a broadcast screening approach. It can be so frustrating when the "best we have" doesn't work for us.
I've questions that have bothered me. During your normal mamogram a womans breast is pressed to a very thin layer. I've wondered wouldn't that compression cause a cancerous tumor to burst open and spread into surrounding tissues. The same concern with breast biopsies when a probe is harpooned through a tumor to collect those tissues. . My biopsy left me so swollen and black & blue. Thanks for answering ad I sure have wondered why no one seems concerned about this.
Such a good question. Agree that the compression is intense. It is remarkable that tumors don't burst and that needles don't spread cancer and we are happy to say that they don't. There are some tumors, for example, testicular cancer, in which a biopsy can "seed" cancer cells along the track of the needle, but there is no evidence that this happens with breast cancer.
I enjoyed this video. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Great info..I learned a lot frm this chnnel.. Tq.. 👍
Glad to hear that
Thanks for another great video (albeit you made it some time ago). I have a question regarding breast feeding (ie correlation with breast cancer). I thought breastfeeding reduced the risk. I breast fed my three children for a total of 5 years (almost continuously) but was diagnosed with high grade DCIS in 2016 and HER2 (early stage) cancer this year. Obviously my main reason for breastfeeding wasn’t to minimise the risk of getting breast cancer but my diagnoses came as quite a surprise.
Great question. You are correct that at a population level, breast feeding is associated with a lower risk of breast cancer. This does not mean that everyone who breastfeeds is protected 100% from breast cancer or that people who don't breastfeed will get breast cancer. It appears that longer durations of breastfeeding (over a year) is the point at which we see some protection (again at the population level). It is very difficult in many countries to breastfeed for that long for many reasons.
Left chestwall& left scln region, date started 14th June 2022 & completed 5th July 2022. 6 cycles of docetaxel & cyclophoshamide c1 - 28th january 2022 c6 on 14th May 2022. Left MRM under GA on 28th December 2021.
Tab Letrozole 2.5 running. Veba plus once daily, Ibandronic acid 150 mg once a month, Calcirol granules onec a month till taking. Pls suggest any other if possible.
Thanks for sharing your story with the Yerbba community!
Hi Dr Jennifer. Can you provide some insight into if one (vegetarian) should take Omega-3 supplements during the hormonal therapy (which lasts 5 years)? Thanks
There is no reason not to take omega-3-fatty acids. There is also little evidence that omega-3-fatty acids are helpful. Omega-3 fatty acids are readily available in a wide variety of plant foods, including walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, edamame, seaweed, and algae. Other green leafy vegetables and beans also contain small amounts.
Is soy (tofu, soy milk, etc.) good or bad for breast CA patients? Also soybean oil, soy sauce and chocolates with soy lecithin? Thank you.
It is really hard to avoid soy in the diet. We recommend that you avoid products that try to increase the levels of plant estrogens like milkshakes, etc. But soy in the diet is rarely associated with elevated levels of plant estrogens.
Please HELP!!! I'm 72 years old with neuroendoccrine breast carcinoma 3.1cm stage 2 poorly differentiated. I'm aware its a very agressive cancer. I had lumpectomy and my surgeon confirms that lymphs nodes were negative er+ pr+ her2- . All tissue around cancer margins very good. I saw two oncologists, one for radiation and the other for chemo. They don't know if I will benefit from chemo but I will have radiaton and hormones therapy. What kind of treatment do you think I should have and are prognostic for this kind of cancer if I take chemo good??? I'm in a good health but I want to have quality of life too and if treatment won't help to live longer then I would refuse chemo treatment. COULD IT BE A PRIMARY CANCER IF THEY DON'T SEE ANYTHING ON SCANS like nuclear bone, ct scan for abdo chest and brain???
Neuroendocrine tumors of the breast are rare but definitely do exist as primary tumors. It is hard to know the best treatment for these tumors because everything we know is from case series or very small collections of cases. We tend to treat these tumors as we would other breast cancers. It sounds as if that is how you're being treated. Chemotherapy decisions are based on your overall health and your preferences as well as the best available knowledge that we have. We are wishing you the best.
My breast cancer biopsy has a report that I'm ER+, PR+ and her2 negative, but it is also Ki67 50%. What does that 50% mean? Do I need to be concerned? I'm at Stage 1, grade 2
The Ki-67 of 50% is considered high. That is, the tumor cells are dividing more rapidly than in people with a low Ki-67. Ki-67 usually travels along with other factors like tumor grade. If you have negative lymph nodes or 1 to 3 positive lymph nodes, having a tumor assay such as the 21-gene assay (brand name: OncotypeDX) would likely be helpful in assessing whether or not chemotherapy is likely to help reduce the risk of recurrence over and above hormonal therapy.
Breast cancer is cureable if its spread in bones or other parts of the body plz help me my mom age is 58 and diebatic patient also
When breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body, we generally do not see cure. People can live for a long time with advanced breast cancer, however, and, for some of my patients, their cancer is less of a concern than their other medical problems, such as diabetes. All this to say that your mother should work closely with her medical team to keep her diabetes under control.
This may be a stupid question but I've went through a lumpectomy 3 weeks ago. I've got to do radiation. And started on a harmony blocking pill. Why can't you remove the ovaries instead of taking the pill with all the side effects?
Your question is terrific! (There are no stupid questions to be honest.) This is a complicated topic. In brief, we do start with antiestrogen pills because the side effects will go away when you stop the medication. Having the ovaries removed puts someone into menopause all of a sudden and is not reversible. For some people, we both suppress (put to sleep) or remove the ovaries and given antiestrogen pills. The suppression is for 2 to 3 years after which people can go back to having normal ovarian function. For people who are diagnosed after the ovaries stop working, there is no role for ovarian suppression or removal. I hope this is helpful.
My mother is suffering with cancer,
Can u suggest me for diagnosis .......pls doctor help me
U meant breast cancer..? Shud take her to see the encologist for further check up...they gives advice..
We can't give specific medical advice on our CZcams channel because there are many details that are necessary to make a firm recommendation.
I had a mastectomy for my IDC stage 2, Ki67 20%, ER+, PR-, HER2-,no lymph nodes involved, oncotype DX 29, genetic test result is negative. After surgery doctor said that the merging was clear ( I believe 2-3 cm). I would like to get a professional second opinion on my doctor’s treatment plan. What would you suggest in my case? Thank you.
A second opinion is a great idea and is unlikely to make your decisions harder.
@@yerbba Thank you so much for replying 🙏. My doctor decided to do for me a 5 month of chemotherapy ( through the port), followed by the aromatase inhibitors medication + injections for suppress my ovaries function ( because I’m a premenopausal at this time). I know someone who was receiving the same treatment with stage ||| ( mine was stage || with no lymph nodes involved). Can this treatment plan to be too aggressive in my case? Thank you so much for your help.