Stage 2B with negative nodes

Rdrunner

Just curious as to how many of you or your experience with treatment  of having a large tumour with negative nodes. Im still having a hard time wrapping my head around this. Ive been told its not uncommon with invasive lobular but I have nt seen anyone on here I dont think that has a large tumour with negative nodes. Mine was 6cm ILC and although nodes looked suspicious on mri and ultrasound they tested negative.

Theresanne

Hello rd runner! Well, I was kind of same situation as you. According to my doctors my tumor size was4cm...however, they were three small tumors around 1cm each with LCIS. I was givenTAC therapy which was pretty aggressive, but doable. I had mastectomy with clear margins according to pathology. Radiation was not recommended, 5doctor opinions. Now on femara as chemo put me in menopause. Oh yes I had 0/7 nodes tested. Right now I am on a vegan diet, very little or no sugar, no white flour, pasta rice etc., no alchohol, no smoking(never did), walking about 10miles a week, drinking only purified water with lemon or organic green teas. No soda or fruit juices. Taking vitamins D2, E, Coq10, B complex, omega 3, maitake extract, curcumin, resveratrol and calcium. Also had prophylactic mastectomy other breast. 1yr out. Good luck!

michellej1980

Mine was 4.5cm and my three sentinel nodes were clear. I'm just thankful, but still worry about the 'vascular invasion' in and around my tumour which means cancer could have escaped into my blood stream via that route instead. Just hold on to any 'positives' you have! 

Rdrunner

Well saw Mo yesterday.. chemo for me starting next Tuesday

Theresanne

I know it is hard to take in....but it is doable. There are so many medications that ease side effects. And if you experience hair loss, even thought traumatic for a short while...you will get throught that too. Remember it's only temporary. I got to great wigs and alot of lovely scarfs to go over them too..got used to it. I still wear them because my hairis coming in as it should but still not where I want it yet...getting ready is always a breeze!, I know right now your mind is going crazy. But you will get through it and have peace with knowing its probably the best thing you could do to ensure it will never come back again........

Rdrunner

thanks Theresanne, Im ok , not really worried about the short term side effects that will go away after treatment. I buzzed my head when my sister was doing chemo so I know I do NOT look like Natalie Portman , more like umpa lumpa matieral . Im feeling better now that I know what is happening and how i am going to move forward. I do see this as a step forward or closer to putting BC behind me.

Thanks again

flannelette

Hi - I had a very large - like 10 cm tumor (IDC) with no nodes - how that happened is still a mystery to me - so like you I'm stage 2b , had mx, chemo, rads, now 4 years on arimidex. I think 2b, at least in Ontario, might automatically indicate chemo. Staging is waht determines your tretments. good you are doing it.

I had a scare last summer when odd enlarged nodes showed up on my yearly mammo - had every test under the sun on my "good" side including bone scan of each side of my cranium and to fingertips. nothing. finally they took out 6 lymph nodes from the axilla and dissected them. nothing. whew!( I believe the lymph oddness stemmed from a very severe rash  and all the drs agreed).

Who knows maybe the chemo wiped some lurkers out or maybe they never got anywhere anyway - I'm glad you're doing it, it's extra insurance, and it's free. In July I see my br surgeon for, I guess, a 5-year review and I'm going to grill him about this very topic. My bc cells were nasty - they got 9 out of 9 on the scale of badness (I believe it's called the nottingham scale, indicating rapidity of doubling). it will forefver puzzle me --

Rdrunner

flannelette.. my axilla lymph nodes were enlarged with cortical thickening, they thought they would come back positive but they didnt. My surgeon prepared me that I would most likely need chemo, so I was preparing myself while waiting. It is nerve wracking for sure, when we have symptoms that might indicate a reoccurance or spread.

Alicethecat

Hello Road Runner

My tumour was 3.4cm IDC with 2.4 DCIS and Her2+ but no spread to the lymph nodes or vascualar invasion.

Pleased re your result.

Best wishes and good luck

ALice

Cheryl417

I had a 7 cm tumor that did not go into lymph modes. I has a 7 cm distance to my chest wall. I was a large busted woman, lost 13 pounds in breast tissue with my bilateral. As a result I did not have to have chemo or radiation.

kestrelgurl

Rdrunner, I am in the same boat! >6cm ILC with 3mm margin to chest wall. Only isolated tumor cells in 2 of the 3 sentinel nodes. Multi-focal tumor was in all 4 quadrants of my B- breast. Oncotype of 18.

Had BMX, 28 rads, no chemo and have been on tamoxifen for 14 months. Getting ready to switch to Femara.

Side note: although they did not find BC in my nodes, they DID find non- Hodgkin's lymphoma which was also found in a subsequent bone marrow test. All my docs were pretty surprised.

Colt45

Bump

alilou7497

I had a 6cm tumor in my right breast no compromised lymph nodes.  Went through chemo, lumpectomy then mastectomy and killer radiation.  All pretty cool right now except for muscle pain in the mastectomy area and neck and back area.  

Colt45

bump

Colt45

Bump

GlobalGirlyGirl

I hope you're doing well, Rdrunner!

4.2 cm IDC, no nodes.

Oncologist recommended chemo (ACT), rads, and Tamoxifen. I said no to it all. My conventional treatment stopped at the lumpectomy. I'm going alternative from here.

Sharon1942

I had stage 2b ILC & tumor was 7 cm with no negative nodes.  I could certainly feel that big old thing with self-exam, even though mammogram couldn't find it.  It pulled on my skin & made an indention across my breast.

2timer

I have been dx with a 3.6 cm tumor with a lobular growth pattern, er+ (100%), pr+ (4%) her -.  I have my bilateral mx with immediate diep recon next Wednesday.  I cannot tell you how hopeful these posts make me feel.  I am praying with all my might that I have negative nodes and no vascular invasion.  At least I know it's possible.  I am going to deal with whatever they find but I know there is a chance that it might be limited to that one area.

Erikaakire

Cheryl417 How are you doing now? How come you did not have chemo? Thanks.

NotVeryBrave

It looks like Cheryl hasn't posted since 2015. You could try sending a PM to her.