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Polyana
Polyana Member Posts: 200
edited June 2014 in Stage III Breast Cancer

Hi all,

I have been missdiagnosed for 3 years and only 2010 when I took the approach to fight for my life. I did 4 rounds of chemo and mx and now started chemo+rad 26 sessions. My pathology report says:

It is a larg tumor 3.5 or so (does that mean the tumor was larger when shrinked by chemo)? Dr said yes, chemo did shrink it, wow, so it was what...!!

They got clean margins,,thank GOD

2 out of 6 lymph nodes involved. Dr says this is good, but my concern is:

Maybe there are other lymph nodes that are still in with cancer, Could the doc have missed them? Maybe they are 9 not only 2. So what exactly is the importance and role of the lymph nodes.

The lymph node as indicated were in access of cancer, it even brok the lymph capsul and laid in the fat? What does that mean, and what is the risk. I read that it is important to know the lymph nodes involved better than the extent of cancer in the lymph. Please help.

I am stage 3b, although I am not IBC I am an IDC..what is my risk if the cancer is in the skin. Will rad help....

Sometimes I see myself growing wise to my age, having gone through all this. Using different weapons to defeat the devil, and trying to win this battle..

I pray that I walk out a strong person, full of hope, joy and faith and had won over the beast...

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  • KerryMac
    KerryMac Member Posts: 3,529
    edited January 2011

    Sherri, my Onc said that too! She said - "the BS did a good job of removing your cancer, my job is to make sure it never comes back."

    So, Polyana, that is how you should consider yourself too. You can drive yourself crazy dissecting your path report, wondering what this or that means. Basically, all you can do is take all the treatment they give you. And know you have done everything you can.

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  • Lowrider54
    Lowrider54 Member Posts: 2,721
    edited January 2011

    I can't tell you much but know this - when they remove nodes, it is like a 'string' of them - they work in direct order of connection so if it is only 2 - it is only 2 and there was nothing in number 3, 4, 5 or 6.  Clear margins are excellent. 

    Don't drive yourself nuts - get through the chemo and rads and onto the preventatives and live your life!  It will take a little bit to come back but it does and just keep viligant about your body and you could very well never have to face the beast again!

    Hugs...LowRider

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  • jenn3
    jenn3 Member Posts: 3,316
    edited January 2011

    The advice given by the others is good advice.  I think we've all looked at our path reports, plugged the information into the computer on different websites looking for an answer.  The only answers we get are statistics, which can scare the $#*! out of you.   I know it's hard, especially because you were initially misdiagnosed.  Tell yourself you've done all you can to fight this horrible disease and don't look at the path report, it will only cause more stress.

    Take a nice long walk to clear your head, have a big piece of dark chocolate and (((hugs))).

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  • pupfoster1
    pupfoster1 Member Posts: 1,484
    edited January 2011

    Hi Polyana,

    I had extra capular extension as well.  Didn't hear that term until I went for rads and it did throw me for a loop at the time, but my surgical onc said the same thing basically as some of the other ladies said---you don't have cancer right now, we removed that in surgery---so I hold on to that and keep praying it doesn't come back!

    Sometimes we (ME) over analyze our reports and as jenn3 said it can scare you if you read too much in to it.  Remember we are people, not statistics!

    Take care,

    Sharon

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  • AnacortesGirl
    AnacortesGirl Member Posts: 1,758
    edited January 2011

    I know you would prefer that no lymph nodes were involved but just having two isn't bad.  The lymph nodes are there to filter out the nasties so they did what they are supposed to do.  It is very unlikely that any other lymph nodes were affected. 

    When you had your mast they send all the tissue to biopsy.  Including the skin that they removed.  If they had found cancer in the skin it would be in your biopsy report.  So if it wasn't mentioned then it was clear.  This was something that I was worried about because my skin had the pink coloration through most of my neoadjuvant chemo. But it ended up clear.

    Now it's time for rads to do their work. The radiation is going to kill any cancer in the fat cells.  It will also be killing any cancer cells that could have possibly escaped into other lymph nodes or skin. 

    You've made it this far so you are already a strong person!

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  • Polyana
    Polyana Member Posts: 200
    edited January 2011

    AnacortesGirl,

    The cancer was found in my skin......the report says it got clear margins which means it took all the cancer out. Now we are making sure it will not come back again...hope rad will do a good job.

    Hope the lymph node thing will not be as bad too

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