Stage I Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Virgie's Patient Story
This breast cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage I
- Subtype
- Invasive Lobular Carcinoma
- Sex
- Female
- Treatment
- surgery, hormone therapy and cardiac clearance
- Outcome
- Care Ongoing
Treatment course, step by step
- Delayed evaluation led to imaging that showed a roughly 3 cm left-breast mass and an enlarged underarm lymph node
- Biopsies confirmed invasive lobular carcinoma and showed the lymph node was negative for cancer
- Cardiac clearance was required after an EKG raised concern for a recent heart attack
- Partial mastectomy removed the tumor, surrounding breast tissue, and the questionable lymph node
- No further treatment was required except regular hormonal therapy.
What happened, in summary
Virgie Shaw was 75 when she finally sought care for a left-breast mass she had noticed 15 months earlier. A retired licensed practical nurse, she had delayed evaluation during the COVID-19 pandemic even as the mass grew larger and painful. In April 2021, concern about becoming a burden on her family pushed her to see her primary care physician. Imaging showed a worrisome left-breast mass about 3 cm wide and an enlarged lymph node under the left arm. Biopsies of the tumor and lymph node clarified the diagnosis: Stage I invasive lobular carcinoma, with no cancer found in the lymph node. Before surgery, Virgie needed cardiology clearance because a routine EKG suggested she had recently had a heart attack without realizing it. The heart attack had not caused lasting damage, and she was cleared for surgery. Her surgeon performed a partial mastectomy, removing the tumor, surrounding breast tissue, and the questionable lymph node. Virgie recovered quickly. The cancer had not spread, and no chemotherapy or radiation is described. No further treatment was required except taking hormonal therapy medication regularly. As of January 2022, Virgie was doing well after surgery and used her experience to urge others not to delay evaluation when something feels wrong.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by Cleveland Clinic. 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