It's lobular
We all know that we were created in the image of God and that in our own image we are unique as well. Nobody suffers like we do, nobody blows their nose or snores like we do..... you get my meaning.......
Well, just in case you had any doubts about me, let me tell you that my record of being a medical oddity, and coming into this life just to be a test of medical acuity has been proven once again. I don't have the normal, ductal breast cancer. No sirree! It's a rare, so called 'invasive, lobular breast cancer' (ILBC).
What is lobular breast cancer?
According to some of the information I've been able to gather from the internet, ILBC is a rare form of breast cancer that's difficult to diagnose and makes up about 10 per cent of all breast cancers. The cancer is formed outside the breast duct, in the lining of the 'lobules', and doesn't show up as a firm lump. It is difficult to find by normal self examination, because it feels more like a thickening than a lump and it often doesn't show up in mammograms.
I must say that I have felt something a little different, but since it wasn't a 'lump', and I had regular mammograms, I wasn't worried at all.
Also, new research from Europe shows that lobular breast cancer is more common in post-menopausal women who have been on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for more than 5 years. I've been on HRT since 1989, so I guess that put me in the high danger zone in 1995.
The good news is that, apparently, the treatment and expected outcome for this type of breast cancer is the same as for ductal breast cancer, so knowing what type of cancer it is basically helps me feel less stupid for not noticing it before. And that's a blessing, I can tell you.
You may also be glad to hear that my journalistic antenna has been raised. If I have never heard of ILBC, I bet most women haven't either, and there's a good feature story lurking to explode from the dust sometime, somehow. So, stay tuned.
Well, just in case you had any doubts about me, let me tell you that my record of being a medical oddity, and coming into this life just to be a test of medical acuity has been proven once again. I don't have the normal, ductal breast cancer. No sirree! It's a rare, so called 'invasive, lobular breast cancer' (ILBC).
What is lobular breast cancer?
According to some of the information I've been able to gather from the internet, ILBC is a rare form of breast cancer that's difficult to diagnose and makes up about 10 per cent of all breast cancers. The cancer is formed outside the breast duct, in the lining of the 'lobules', and doesn't show up as a firm lump. It is difficult to find by normal self examination, because it feels more like a thickening than a lump and it often doesn't show up in mammograms.
I must say that I have felt something a little different, but since it wasn't a 'lump', and I had regular mammograms, I wasn't worried at all.
Also, new research from Europe shows that lobular breast cancer is more common in post-menopausal women who have been on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for more than 5 years. I've been on HRT since 1989, so I guess that put me in the high danger zone in 1995.
The good news is that, apparently, the treatment and expected outcome for this type of breast cancer is the same as for ductal breast cancer, so knowing what type of cancer it is basically helps me feel less stupid for not noticing it before. And that's a blessing, I can tell you.
You may also be glad to hear that my journalistic antenna has been raised. If I have never heard of ILBC, I bet most women haven't either, and there's a good feature story lurking to explode from the dust sometime, somehow. So, stay tuned.
posted by Unknown at 4:35 PM
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