Is a chest xray normal protocol when newly diagnosed?

dragonfly · Guest

My best friend has recent been diagnosed with infiltrating ductal carcinoma. She scored a 9 out of nine on the Nuclear/miotic?/tubular scoring. They found her lump (just under 2 cm) via U/S and did a core biopsy. This followed with a visit to the surgeon for lumpectomy and sentinal node biopsy. She was told her cancer was very aggressive and that she had likely had it for a few years. At that visit the surgeon decided to do a mammogram and then the next day they called and told her to go for an MRI. This was followed up the next day with a chest x-ray and blood work. She has had a dry hacking cough recently as well. I am concerned that they are looking for matastisis. Does this sound like normal protocol with this type of diagnosis? Please Help!! Any thoiughts would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

dragonfly · Guest

Sorry, she has not had the lumpectomy yet, this is scheduled for Monday. They called her tumor a lobulated mass and on pathology report it was quoted as 4AR/0CA, does anyone know what that means?

Thanks again in advance.

leo · Owner Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 1574

Hi

A chest x-ray is very routine for this. If she is having respiratory symptoms that would probably be the first test.

Please let us know how it goes !

leo

NGibbs1028 · Guest

I had a CT scan of my chest, chest x-ray, bone scan and lab work before I started treatment. They want to know exactly what they are dealing with, it's absolutely normal.
Nancy

Pastor Rich

[quote="leo"]Hi

A chest x-ray is very routine for this. If she is having respiratory symptoms that would probably be the first test.

Please let us know how it goes !

leo[/quote]

Hi Leo;

After my wife had her mammogram, she was sent for X-rays and blood tests. As she has sciatica, they even X-rayed there.

Since then, she has been diagnosed as pT2, N3a and she is being scheduled to see an oncologist. Initially, it seemed the cancer was T1 and the surgeon was talking about radiation only. It was lobular and that fooled everyone as to the size.

We haven't heard anything about what was seen on the X-rays and blood tests, and didn't remember to ask at our appointments.

Would it be likely that they gave no indication that the cancer had spread??

Thanks, Rich

leo · Owner Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 1574

Pastor Rich

A chest x-ray may be able to see metastatic disease, but its sensitivity is far from perfect. For staging, what we do is a chest CT. The CXR and the blood tests are mostly in preparation for treatment, looking for lung disease such as emphysema, fibrosis. Blood tests looking for anemia, renal failure, liver dysfunction and such. We need all that data to tailor a specific regimen that fits each individual patient.

regards
Leo

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