Stage 0 Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Kathleen's Survivor Story
This breast cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage 0
- Subtype
- Invasive Lobular Carcinoma
- Sex
- Female
- Treatment
- surgery and surveillance
- Outcome
- Survivorship / Completed Treatment
Treatment course, step by step
- Bloody nipple discharge and DCIS led to mastectomy
- Surgery pathology found a very small 2 mm invasive lobular breast cancer component along with DCIS
- Chemotherapy was not needed
- She said tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors such as letrozole were not required, though these were discussed with a specialist
- Surgery was the main treatment
- Additional surgery was done because of unclear margins/calcifications
- Later, the other breast was removed with a Goldilocks closure while the left side was corrected to be flatter
- Ongoing surveillance included ultrasound and MRI, plus tumor-marker blood tests by preference.
What happened, in summary
Kathleen first lived with years of imaging follow-up for a small shadow in her left breast, then developed bloody nipple discharge. Biopsies and imaging did not clearly show invasive cancer, but DCIS became concerning enough that mastectomy was recommended. She was diagnosed with DCIS in 2021, and after mastectomy pathology in 2022, she learned there was also invasive lobular breast cancer. The invasive component was very small, about 2 mm, but it was a shock because lobular cancer can grow in a diffuse pattern that is hard to detect on imaging. Kathleen’s main treatment was surgery. She did not need chemotherapy, and she said tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors such as letrozole were not required, although aromatase inhibitors were discussed with a specialist. After the first mastectomy, unclear margins and calcifications meant another surgery was needed. She also chose removal of the other breast for peace of mind. A major part of her recovery involved fighting to be left flat rather than having unwanted extra skin or reconstruction; she later had a wild rose tattoo over her scars and became active in the flat community. As of April 2025, Kathleen was in survivorship, continuing surveillance with alternating ultrasound and MRI, using tumor-marker blood tests by preference, and helping others understand flat closure and advocacy after breast cancer.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by The Patient Story. Read the original in full
How we source and attribute stories Accuracy and limitations
These are lay summaries of published cancer stories, for information only. No two cancers behave the same way, and nothing here predicts your own diagnosis or replaces advice from your oncology team. Read the full disclaimer