Stage llB 1 positive node w extracapsular extension

Jennihopeful

This is my very first post so bare with me. My mother is actually the one with Breast Cancer and even though I'm an adult (30yrs old) I'm devastated and feel like I still need her terribly. I have been searching all over the internet just trying to understand the diagnoses and what is the best next step. She had her masectomy 8 days ago and the pathology results just came in 2 days ago. Stating that she had a 2cm tumor and negative margins but had 1 positive node with extracapsular extension which has my mom devastated (4 were Checked and only one came back positive)The report has her as stage llB and Chemo and radiation has been recommended for treatment. She really doesn't want to do radiation but is willing to put up a fight and do chemo. Thus far with all my reading and research this community has help me the most with understanding this diagnosis. I guess I'm trying to find people with a similar experience who could possibly explain The significance of extracapsular extension, I'm unclear if that means cancer is floating all around her body now (which is my biggest fear) and their recommendations of handling the effects of chemo. Thank you everyone for your responses and everything that you do this community has really helped give me hope.

dAd

Hi Jennihopeful: I had extracapsular extension from more than 1 node and, no, it doesn't mean there is cancer "floating around" in my body. I had both chemo and rads and I was told by all my docs that the rads were specifically to "mop up" any cancer cells still lurking around. I also had a bone scan, CT scan and MRI to check for mets.

In other words, if your mother's doctors feel it's necessary, there a number of avenues they may decide to pursue

Jennihopeful

Thank you so much for your reply dAd. I'm doing my best to try to educate myself on all of this while keeping a level head and it seems like there's such a limited amount of resources out there. I've seen a lot of success stories with lymph node involvement here which has really helped my mindset.

shorty123

i too had stage 2b with 1 positive node w extracapsular extension i also worry about reoccurrence just praying and hoping that radiation and hormonal treatments will take care of any rouge cells.

Tpralph

I have a positive node with focal extracapsular extension, just means they do chemo and rads is regular tx. I also have to go back in for more nodes to be removed because they only took two sentinel nodes and one was positive so there could be more. hope to God not!

PauletteK

I'm stage II with 2 positive nodes. I'm hoping chemo will clean out the cancer. I know I would have to do radiation after my chemo I can't even remember how long my OM said. All we can do is trust our doctors.

Almer

I was just recently diagnosed with Stage IIB and had 2 positive nodes, one quite large with extracapsular extension. It was 20mm so almost a tumor in itself. That was all only discovered after my lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy on 6/28. I have been told I will need a lymph node dissection (under arm) as well as chemo and radiation. They also did not get all the cancer in the lumpectomy so I will have more surgery on the breast as well.

I say--research as much as you can but don't get too hung up on prognosis. Some of the info out there is outdated and every person has a very individual set of issues. I don't want to go through this but I don't have a choice so I'm embracing it and learning as much as I possibly can. These forums have been very enlightening!

Praying for healing for all of us