Stage II Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Margaret's Survivor Story
This breast cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage II
- Subtype
- Invasive Ductal Carcinoma
- Biomarkers
- Oncotype DX score reported around 16-18; genetic testing negative; specific inherited gene not named
- Sex
- Female
- Treatment
- surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapy
- Outcome
- Cancer-Free / NED
Treatment course, step by step
- Double mastectomy with tissue expanders on 27 January 2016
- AC chemotherapy named as Adriamycin + Cyclophosphamide/Cytoxan, followed by Taxol; Taxol was stopped after 2 rounds because side effects and nerve-damage risk outweighed the small expected benefit
- radiation
- breast reconstruction after expanders; later hormone therapy was expected but drug name is not reported.
What happened, in summary
Margaret’s fuller treatment story starts with the same breast changes she first noticed in late 2014: an inverted nipple and shrinking appearance in the left breast. A standard mammogram did not clearly show cancer, but a later 3D mammogram found the tumor. Biopsy confirmed Stage II invasive ductal carcinoma in December 2015. Genetic testing was negative for the inherited gene being evaluated, and an Oncotype DX test was described as around 16 to 18, leaving chemotherapy benefit in a borderline range. Margaret chose treatment and had a double mastectomy with tissue expanders on January 27, 2016. Reconstruction had to wait until after chemotherapy and radiation. Chemotherapy started with AC, named as Adriamycin plus Cyclophosphamide/Cytoxan, and then moved to Taxol. Taxol was stopped after 2 rounds because the expected benefit was small and side effects raised concern about long-term nerve damage. Radiation followed, and she later went through reconstruction, choosing against silicone implants because she wanted her body to feel like her own. As of June 2019, Margaret was in remission. Stage IV disease and brain metastases were not supported for Margaret; brain-spread wording came from unrelated background material in the video description.
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