Is it possible to have simlutaneous micromet involvement ?

peppopat

Hi  all,

I  just  visited  the  medical  onc  yesterday  for a 6 month follow-up and  I  noticed  that they had  me down  as  stage 1,  not  stage  2  because  my one infected  sentinel  node was only  a  micromet.   I  asked  the PA  whether she's  heard  of  or come across  a  case  where  there  are two node  micromets  at the  same time and she said  no.  She also said she  doesn't  think it'spossible. 

 I  could  find  no  google  info  on  2 simlutaneous micromets.   What  do  you  people  think?

SelenaWolf

One of my oncologists explained that - although cancer is a "disorganised" disease, it has a tendency to march through the lymphatic system in an "organised" fashion.  First, it spreads to the Sentinal Node, which attempts to capture- and hold all the cancer cells.  When it can't hold any more, then the cancer cells "spill over" to the next node, and onwards up through the chain like a domino effect.

If you are uncomfortable with what she is telling you, you should ask for another opinion.  Knowledge is Power.

carcharm

There are a couple of people on this board that had small cancers with LN negative and yet were dx with brain mets. I was told that biopsies can cause the cancer cells to float down the lymph chain and not necessairyly attach to one. So I do think it's possible for this to happen.

barbe1958

Cancer also uses the blood stream to move around in. That's why I don't know why someone gets excited when their nodes are clear! Who knows what the blood stream is doing!!

peppopat

Barbe,

Well,  when you  put it  like  that  I  guess I should be  glad  that  my  cancer  took  on  the  NORMALpath  of  travel.

Thanks  to all  thatt  weighed-in.