isolated tumor cell

Are isolated cells the same as micromets?? I have read they basically are... And if so, I have been told that they are positive but have the same survival rate as a stage 1...

Survival rate for stage 1 cancer is very high.. i don't know the exact number tho... My micromet was .38mm...  Had it been .18mm smaller I was told I would be considered node negative... A micromet is sized between .2mm and 2mm and then MACRomets are larger than 2mm

I am considered node positive, and I am in chemo, and I am physically doing ok... mentally I am a worrier. I will be on tammy later. I am supposed to have rads but think I will opt for BMX instead, so that would be July... and then I am unsure when I start hormone therapy... and will probably also have oofrec in the fall.

I think isolated cells are a cluster while micromets are not... so you may have 200 cells in your cluster... but not sure how that compares to micromet size...

Ladies

I don't know if this helps with understanding the definition of isolated tumour cells but I had isolated tumour cells described as follows in my path report: 'sentinel lymph nodes 1 and 2 both contain sparse, dispersed single carcinoma cells within the lymph  node subcapsular sinuses. These isolated tumour cells have been identifed with immu nohistochemical staining...'  I understand that from a staging point of view this is considered as node negative but my 3 doctors all referred to them as a reason for recommending chemo, as a precaution.  

Chocolate, you may find this link helpful -   www.lifemath.net/cancer/breastcancer/therapy/index.php

(sorry I coudn't paste it as a hyperlink). 

Happy Easter to all. 

From what I have read, an dI think in chocolate's case because this is in reference to the nodes, ITCs and micromets are small trace amounts of cancer that can't be ignored but are also not as bad as full fledged positive nodes... my micromet is what got me 6tx of chemo instead of 4, but they aren't so bad they they needed to go back and do a full dissection... ITCs are smaller than micromets from what I also read and are clusters rather than a mass, if you call my .37mm a mass.

My take from what I've read.

There's a great, thorough discussion of what is micromet vs itc at the beginning page 1 of these emails...

One thing I must say though is that my onc says that  ITC is node negative, and does not change your prognosis (as far as studies to date indicate)= same prognosis as node neg/no ITC patients.  So that's it for today. And therefore, yes, it can be and is ignored. You are not treated any differently from a node neg patient.  Wonder what is the source of what anyone has read that indicates differently...even Eric Winer in Q and A on this website says it is treated and considered  node negative, and won't be changing anytime soon....

I'm doing CMF cause I feel better doing it, but not nec because my onc thinks it's a great idea. For my individual case, the chemo cannot get any stronger, says MSKCC.

Also, B Davis I applaud your decision to do the bmx instead even though you've already been through the surgery once.  I had a small cancer but an elevated risk and one thing no medical person 'encouraged' me to do, but I am so glad I did do, is the pbmx. Good luck with the surgery and everything. It's kind of a big deal, but really was not at all to me considering the alternatives....

My ONC said that one node with ITC was node negative but two or more nodes left me in a questionable place. I am taking anti-estrogen meds now. I still would like to understand what they mean if I had DCIS, with is enclosed cancer, why did I have ITC? I had a bmx, so they did not find other cancer...so I find this all very confusing and I am not stupid...I wish everyone was on the same page.