Lymph Node Status

Anonymous

Lymph Node Status

Veeder14

Some of you mention that your lymph nodes were tested before surgery, so you already know if the cancer has spread to your lymph nodes. My understanding is that it's done as part of the surgery. Just wondering why?

LoveLau

I had 1.8mm in my sn. They took 25 which were clear.

They told me a micro in sn was considered negative. On these boards I have seen people get chemo for no nodes. I did not know about this site when I had my tx a year ago. I listened to my Drs recommendation but now all I think about was that I made the wrong decision. I was tough enough to get a bmx when they wanted to do lumpectomy.why did I not do the chemo. Was it losing my hair? MY hair is awful mess since I started the ai,s. The tumor had 1.3cm with another 1cm and one that could not be measured. Dr said they do not add it together you take the largest. Another Dr said you add them together.

My anxiety is terrible, psyc has me on anti depressants, I was never depressed before. I don't like to take meds. I sure could use some good advice on how to move beyond this and have some tranquility in my life. Any help is appreciated from me and many others like me.

Thank you

Veeder14

Hi LoveLau,

Thank you for your post. Sorry to hear your about your situation. I guess you are saying that your decision not to have chemotherapy may have been the wrong one since 1 lymph node was considered microinvasion of cancer. It seems like you made the best decision with the information you had at the time. I'm new here and awaiting my first app't with the surgeon so I don't know much about this. Can you be given chemotherapy a year later? You might ask the doctor. Are you being monitored for signs of cancer coming back.?

jojo9999

my BS did the SLN biopsy before the BMX because I was having tissue expanders (platic surgery) at the same time as the BMX and she was worried about too much time on the table. If I needed a full ALND, I was going to postpone the plastic surgery. So it was her suggestion based on her preferences on the timing. Also, the pathology on SLNB done in the OR isn't as definitive as the lab - if it is done during BMX, they still send it to the lab - so some people get a negative in the OR but the lab reverses it because they take a closer look. Basically there are pros and cons to doing it before vs during.

Veeder14

Thanks for answering my question.

momand2kids

I did a snb when I had my lumpectomy--and it was one node and clear. My oncotype was in the gray area so I did end up having chemo and radiation--so sometimes lymph node involvement is not always the predictor of chemo. Everyone is different. But the snb is a pretty standard procedure and really does help with information.

momand2kids

I did a snb when I had my lumpectomy--and it was one node and clear. My oncotype was in the gray area so I did end up having chemo and radiation--so sometimes lymph node involvement is not always the predictor of chemo. Everyone is different. But the snb is a pretty standard procedure and really does help with information.

Veeder14

Thanks for replying to my post. Good information to know.