How to tell if lymph nodes are affected?

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dobby
dobby Member Posts: 40
edited June 2014 in IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)

Can anyone explain how their breast surgeon determined if the lymph nodes had cancer?  My mother's doctor wants to do a lymphoscintigraphy but I am not finding much info on that procedure and what I did find makes me think it may be better to use another method. 

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  • pupmom
    pupmom Member Posts: 5,068
    edited July 2013

    They biopsy the lymph nodes. 

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  • Jennie93
    Jennie93 Member Posts: 1,018
    edited July 2013

    I've never heard of that test. Unfortunately there is really no way to tell if any lymph nodes are involved until they take them out and look. I was examined by 4 different doctors and none thought my lymph nodes felt enlarged, I also had a PET scan before surgery and nothing showed up on that. Yet they would not skip the SLNB and ended up taking out 6 nodes, 3 of which had visible cancer cells. (Later the pathology report said there were some microscopic cells in a 4th one.)



    So you never really know until after they come out. And it's unlikely they would skip taking them out (at least the sentinel nodes) unless the surgery is strictly prophylactic.



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  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited July 2013

    Most women have a sentinel node biopsy, before or during surgery. If any sentinel node is positive, the surgeon may then do an axillary node dissection and take more nodes that would then be biopsied. Good luck to your mom.

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  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited July 2013

    http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary?cdrid=45011

    Here is a definition of a lymphoscintigraphy.

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  • dobby
    dobby Member Posts: 40
    edited July 2013

    I guess the sentinel node biopsy is different from what her doctor proposed.  She would rather have the sentinel node biopsy.   

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  • pupmom
    pupmom Member Posts: 5,068
    edited July 2013

    Actually, it sounds like what your doctor proposed is a sentinel node biopsy, which all of us with invasive cancer have had.

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  • dobby
    dobby Member Posts: 40
    edited July 2013

    It does sound similar but I'm not sure it is the same thing.  It's done mostly for lymphodema from what I have read.  The abstracts I've found are really too technical for me.  It will be on the list of questions for the doctor and I should find out next week. 

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  • doxie
    doxie Member Posts: 1,455
    edited July 2013

    This is what is done before you have a sentinal node lymph node biopsy.  The radioactive material, and sometime blue dye, is injected around the nipple.  It helps locate the sentinal lymph nodes.  It is also used to find other cancers.  I've read it's used also for finding possibly infected lymph nodes in melanoma.  

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  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited July 2013

    Yes, what has been recommended is the same thing as a sentinel node biopsy. "Lymphoscintigraphy" simply refers to the process by which the isotopes are injected into and tracked through the breast so that the sentinel node or nodes can be identified.  That is a standard part of the SNB procedure.  I just provided a more detailed explanation of the procedure in response to your other post. Here's a link to my answer:  Topic: sentinel node scintigraphy - is this standard procedure?

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  • msphil
    msphil Member Posts: 1,536
    edited July 2013

    yes I had a sentinel node biopsy is what I had most of us with invasive ductal, you and us all are in my prayers, keep HOPE and Positive thinking with my Faith, I am now a 19 yr Survivor(Praise God). msphil(idc,stage2,3 nodes, L mast, chemo and rads and 5 yrs on tamoxifen   

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  • Denise-G
    Denise-G Member Posts: 1,777
    edited July 2013

    They knew before they even biopsied my nodes that I had positive nodes.  They were clumped together.  Ultrasound and MRI showed it.  So it was no surprise when final pathology showed 9/14 nodes involved.

    MSPHIL - congratulations on 19 years and giving us all hope and courage!!  Thank you!!!

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  • ali68
    ali68 Member Posts: 1,383
    edited July 2013

    I had a golf ball in my armpit and swelling below the collar bone. Ultra sound and biopsy.

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