Deciding on sentinel lymph node test

scoop

Hi ladies,

I have my bilateral MX scheduled for Tuesday Feb 11 for IDC in right breast. The breast MRI came back showing a small spot on my left breast (4mm) that could maybe be suspicious. The surgeon left it up to me how to proceed. We attempted a biopsy but because of size and location, it could not be reached, and the radiologist said it was nearly impossible to pinpoint which spot on the MRI it was, since it only showed up on the color screen as different, and in a normal MRI screen it looks like other breast tissue.

So basically the decision is, do I remove and test the sentinel lymph node on the left side (in addition to the right), just to be safe? I've been told that only 1-4% of breast cancer patients have cancer on both sides, so chances are very small that:

1. the spot on the left is in fact cancer

2. it has spread to the lymph nodes

What would you do? I don't want to increase the risk of lymphedema by removing a node unneccessarily. But I don't want to have cancer slip by because I didn't test.

SoItGoes_KV

Scoop,

Will you share what you decided? I am just reading your post now and prepping for my own surgical path sometime in the next month which so far is only mx with sentential on the L side. Wish I could have helped back when you asked.

santabarbarian

what about going back for sentinel node IF they find C in your left breast?

scoop

santabarbarian: once the mastectomy happens there is no longer a way to track down the sentinel lymph node. So now that MX has happened, my only option if it IS cancer and I am worried about spread is to take all the nodes on that side.

SoltGoes: I opted to not check the node on the left. Two doctors told me that cancer occurs in both breasts simultaneously in only 1-4% of cases. On top of that, the suspicious spot was tiny, about 4 mm. My surgeon quotes a 1% chance of spread for every 1 mm. So I was looking at a 4% of 4% risk, or 0.16%

Weighing that against a 10-17% chance of lymphedema, I decided it was not worth it.

I hope that helps you in some way!

santabarbarian

I think you made the right decision.