Residual cancer cells and positive lymph nodes

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melania
melania Member Posts: 117
edited June 2014 in Stage III Breast Cancer

Ok ...I got my path report from surgery. It's not the best result thoug, after months of neoadjuvant chemo and having been told that the tumor and 3 lymph nodes disappeared in the scan , after surgery there was still just couples of residual cells in breast , but thank God the margins were clear, but there was still cancer in 3 lymph nodes and the biggest was 0.6 mm, I wish there wasnt any in lymph nodes , i will have rads and continuing on Herceptin. Is anybody out there with similar results ? I am really worried that i still had cancer in my body even after so many months going through chemo , any thoughts??

thanks

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  • lkc
    lkc Member Posts: 1,203
    edited May 2011

    Hi Melania,

    Your path report is actually pretty good It shows you had a pretty good responsento chemo. Your tumor resolved and most of the tumor cells in the lymph nodes are gone.

    What's left is tiny residual stuff that can be " cleaned up".

    Try to stay positive. It is a good report. talk it through w/ your Onc.

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  • NannaBaby
    NannaBaby Member Posts: 510
    edited May 2011

    You should discuss your worries with your onc. I believe your worries are very common.  I too did neo chemo.  I had some rapid growth between the end of neo and surgery, so my onc. recommended more chemo for me.  It is also because I am triple negative so, no Tamoxifen or Herceptin for me. You still have that to do!

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  • jennyboog
    jennyboog Member Posts: 1,322
    edited May 2011

    Residual is a good thing, it means the chemo was working.  My path report was very similiar, 5/16 nodes + with residual with clear margins...I myself was happy.  Hang in there and try to stay positive.

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  • 39mom2babies
    39mom2babies Member Posts: 46
    edited May 2011

    Hi,  I dont write much anymore, but saw your post and I had the same reaction.  I had neoadjuvant chemo, a good response in the tumor, and two residual lymph nodes with .5 mm the largest remainder.  I freaked out as well.  However, I am now two years out and cancer free still.  My stats were a little worse than yours.  They labeled me 2B-3A.  So far so good...

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  • Laurie09
    Laurie09 Member Posts: 313
    edited May 2011

    Hi, 

    I had a similar response.  I had neoadjuvant chemo and my primary tumor went away completely, but I still had some disease in my nodes.  

    My oncologist and another oncologist with whom I consulted both thought it was a great response and were mostly very encouraged, but both also said they don't really know what it means for the prognosis with residual cells in the nodes.  

    The way I look at it, many women don't have neoadjuvant chemo and have many nodes involved and still do very well.  We just happen to get more information about the response to chemo than they do.    

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  • coni111852
    coni111852 Member Posts: 419
    edited May 2011

    hi I had similar report as u mine was 8/21 nodes positive largest was 3 mm breast tumor was .3 by .5 from what I can understand, I'm not happy with results at all I did 8 cycles of chemo hoping it was all gone u know. so now I want to see what is next step if Chemo is need again or will just rads and tax will do :(

    what did ur doc say? I know how u feel... but I see we are not the only ones

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  • lolita85
    lolita85 Member Posts: 7
    edited May 2011

    Hi there! I had neo as well. They thought that the chemo did a great job in my tumor, because you couldn't feel it. When they opened it they saw it didn't, I still had 7/18 and a very large tumor on my breast, but clear margins! I thought the news were great! They changed my chemo after surgery (a stronger one) and I'm 18 months behind all that and counting :-)

     Be positive, the mind is very powerful in our bodies! :-))

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  • coni111852
    coni111852 Member Posts: 419
    edited May 2011

    Hi Lolita I'm Spanish too! I'm from el Salvador! I think u r the first person I find that is Spanish here :)

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