Now we're getting somewhere!

Today was another day of meeting with Pace's Medical Oncologist and running about getting more tests done.

The test of the day was another Breast MRI of dual purpose. One diagnostic is to determine if the questionable lesions in her left breast are affected by the rise and fall of Estrogen and Leutenizing Hormone levels from ovulation to menstruation. While there, they also imaged the right breast to track the growth of the known cancer.

Her Medical Oncologist was able to give us partial test results, some good news and some not as good. We also got an update on the what we're up against.

• The biopsy determined there are two masses in the right breast, one is cancerous and one is not.
• The MRI and biopsy together shows the cancerous mass to be 2.5 cm in diameter
• The doctor's examination room measurements of cancerous and non cancerous masses together are 5 X 4 cm
• The cancer is a stage IIb or a IIIa
• We will find out if it a hormonal sensitive cancer later when cultures of numerous biopsies are batch tested for estrogen or progesterone receptors, but this is not terribly important right yet.
• There is definitely cancer in the lymph nodes of the right armpit and probably the left as well

He also outlined some of Pace's choices based on subsequent test results and the upcoming meeting with the surgical oncologist on the 19th.

If the left breast has pre-cancerous cells Pace faces bilateral mastectomy, meaning she loses both breasts and then gets chemotherapy. Essentially, if the suspect areas of the left breast are precancerous, and given the cancer cells are the fast growing grade III type, Pace statically faces a high rate of recurrence within 5 years in the left breast.

If the left breast is clear they can start chemotherapy to reduce the mass and conduct an operation that conserves the breast later.

More info to come on the 19th after the meeting with the surgeon and a subsequent meeting the chemotherapy oncologist on the 23rd.