a clearer explaination appreciated

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johnnyd
johnnyd Member Posts: 10
edited June 2014 in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

After having breat cancer surgery and the removal of three lympth nodes, the results are as follows: Tumor was under 1cm but all three lympth nodes had microscopic cancer cells. She will be going into surgery again for "Completion", the removal of more nodes. The Pathology report indicated "Metastatic lobular carcinoma in all three nodes. She has been told that she will require both Chemo and Radiation

Can someone provide a more detailed explaination of what the second surgery means and does this mean it has spread throughout her body. Her lung, bone and liver scan came back clean.

help

johnny

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  • LRM216
    LRM216 Member Posts: 2,115
    edited November 2009

    They want to go back in and remove more nodes to check for anything in them.  They stop when they hit clean nodes.  It is a precautionary step for sure.  Don't forget - the nodes are there to catch the cancer from spreading into her body, so they have done their job.  Many node positive women are still going strong.  I on the other hand had no node involvement, but being triple negative, where there are no known targeted drugs for us, and no Tomoxifin or other AI's to take for five years as the hormone positive gals get for five years after their treatments end, the standard protocol for triple neg is to go as agressive as humanly possible.  It is to the triple neg's benefit to do so, as the surgery/lumpectomy, chemo and rads is all that we have to fight this monster.  Even with clear nodes, cancer can still spread into the bloodstream, that's the reason for the chemo - in hope that any stray cancer cell can be stopped in its track.  It's a good sign that all her scans came back clean.  I wish you both the best.  Keep strong - this too shall pass.

    Linda

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  • Iza
    Iza Member Posts: 117
    edited November 2009

    Although cancer was found in her lymph nodes, that is not the same as her cancer having spread.  The fact that her scans came back clean confirms that cancer has not spread throughout her body. As Linda has already explained, when cancer cells start to venture out of the tumor, the first place they go is (often but not always) the lymph nodes, but that does not mean they have gone any further. So, while clean lymph nodes would be better news than positive, having positive lymph nodes does not really mean anything in itself. I was node-positive three and a half years ago and have been clean ever since (after surgery, chemo, and radiation, of course).

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