Stage I Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Jessica's Patient Story
This breast cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage I
- Subtype
- Invasive Lobular Carcinoma
- Biomarkers
- Myriad genetic testing negative; Oncotype DX score 19; RSClin recurrence risk 19%; isolated tumor cells around 1 sentinel lymph node without invasion
- Sex
- Female
- Treatment
- surgery, radiation and hormone therapy
- Outcome
- Care Ongoing
Treatment course, step by step
- Mammogram, diagnostic ultrasound, biopsies, and MRI in March-April 2024
- bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction on 26 April 2024; 4 right axillary sentinel nodes removed, with isolated tumor cells around 1 node but no invasion
- chemotherapy not recommended after second opinion because expected benefit was very small with Oncotype DX 19
- planned 5 weeks of radiation
- Zoladex every 28 days plus aromatase inhibitor for 10 years of hormone suppression
- planned ovarian removal and hysterectomy because of family history of endometrial cancer.
What happened, in summary
Jessica, a pediatrician in Houston, was diagnosed with invasive lobular carcinoma at 43. In early 2024, she had menstrual changes and left nipple pain, and her primary care doctor ordered blood work, a mammogram, and diagnostic ultrasound. A March 25 mammogram showed that her right breast looked abnormal, even though her prior mammograms had been normal and the left breast pain did not turn out to be cancer. Biopsies and MRI confirmed right-breast ILC by April 8. MRI showed disease extending close to the chest wall but not into muscle or lymph nodes. On April 26, Jessica had a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction. Final pathology showed T3N0 Stage IB ILC, a 6 cm mass, negative lymph nodes, negative margins, the closest margin 0.1 mm from the chest wall, an Oncotype DX score of 19, and an RSClin recurrence risk of 19%. Chemotherapy was not recommended, and a second opinion agreed the benefit would likely be very small. As of July 2024, Jessica’s treatment plan included 5 weeks of radiation, Zoladex injections every 28 days, and an aromatase inhibitor for 10 years of hormone suppression, with planned ovarian removal and hysterectomy because of family history.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance. 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