Question about Sentinel Lymph Node biopsy (BRCA+)

lighthouselady

I currently am having neoadjuvant chemo and will have bilateral mx the first week of January. When diagnosed, I had 5cm IDC and one positive node on the left side. Bone scan, CT scan, PET scan and breast MRI showed nothing anywhere else. I am BRCA 2+ (hence the bilateral mx).

Here's my dilemma - my surgeon wants to do a SNB on the prophylactic side. I trust her (probably respect her the most out of all of my doctors) but she tends to be VERY thorough, and she herself said that 50% of her patients opt not to do it. I am really reluctant to mess with the nodes on my "good" side. I'm already having all the nodes removed on the other side, so it would be nice to not have to worry about the types of problems that can create on the non-cancer side as well. With all of my scans being clear on that side, how important is the SNB? Especially since I'm already doing chemo (and will have rads after surgery).

My husband tends to be the type to "do what the doctor orders", where I'm the type to research things to death and ask questions before I decide. I am thinking of asking my MO at my next chemo appointment... maybe get an oncologist's opinion rather than a surgeon's opinion.

If you've had bilateral mx, did you have SNB on the prophylactic side? Why or why not?

Thanks!

Miller1353

I am BRCA 1+. I had stage 1, grade 3, IDC on left side. SNB of left side was negative. I had a Bilateral mastectomy. I did not have a SNB of non-cancer side. I guess my question to your doctor is what is gained by doing this? How would your treatment plan change if it was positive? I find it hard to believe that she finds many positive nodes after treatment. I am so cautious about lymphodema. I have a coworker who struggles with it, and it is miserable. Good luck with your decision. I probably would not do it unless she had a really compelling reason to do sol