Cancer Research UK main site

Poorly differentiated cells = Cancer?

Me123
Offline

On the 15th of this month I received a biopsy on my right axillary lymph node. (It had been gradually swelling for the past 6 months. This along with drenching night sweats is what prompted a Dr visit.)  On the 22nd, the pathologist stated that my biopsy contained " poorly differentiated" cells. But that he couldn't determine what kind of cells they were.. no breast cancer cells present, But that it is Cancer and that the sample was sent to the Mayo Clinic in New York.   Anyway, My question.. Are "poorly differentiated" cells the same thing as Cancer?

  • Offline

     

    I'm not sure but all I can say is that they told me my cancer was grade 3, poorly differentiated. They said this was the most agressive type of breast cancer but also the one that responed best to chemotherapy. This proved to be the case and all my cancer had disappeared before I finished chemo and everything I do now is just to enure it stays gone. It may not be the same thing.

  • Offline in reply to siuin

    Thank You for your reply!

  • Offline

    Your query got me wondering - so I've done a bit of Googling and this is the best explanation I could find. I hope it helps. "In biology, (differentiation) describes the processes by which immature cells become mature cells with specific functions. In cancer, this describes how much or how little tumor tissue looks like the normal tissue it came from. Well-differentiated cancer cells look more like normal cells and tend to grow and spread more slowly than poorly differentiated or undifferentiated cancer cells. Differentiation is used in tumor grading systems, which are different for each type of cancer."

    www.cancer.gov/.../cancer-terms

     

Speak to a nurse

Quick links

Follow us

Registered with Fundraising Regulator (logo)
Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247). A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in England and Wales (4325234) and the Isle of Man (5713F). Registered address: 2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ.