Fused Nodes

I believe the staging criteria have changed in the last few years. So some books or doctors say one thing for stage III and others say something else. I remember being obsessed with my stage, but really it is what it is. The staging number is arbitrary, for record keeping purposes, and changes as the scientists decide to change it. I wouldn't focus on the stage too much. 

Weesa is right. Only two nodes positive is pretty favorable. It means the cancer didn't travel very far. And the fact that the nodes got big and matted but still there were only two of them infected says to me that the cancer was not aggressive nor very interested in traveling.

Myman, 

My oncologist tells me you are doing everything possible, which your hubby has, all the treatments. My 6 nodes were matted, larger than the tumor itself & had cancer on the outside. I am hoping that when I am done with radiation I will be able to get on with life, take the meds and not worry about scans and tumor markers. I obviously will be very proactive with mammos on both breast, as I had a lumpectomy. Sounds like your hubby is doing well. 

myman, I am pretty much with the women above - generally trying to decide on stage is neither here nor there except as it pertains to treatment. I am wondering what you are referring to when you say 6 month scans - do you mean mammo or something done locally (in the region of the original tumor) or are you referring to something like bone scans?

Many (I'd actually guess the great predominance of) docs don't do any additional testing other than routine mammograms after treatment (I'm at least a stage 3a and had a mammo at 6 months, and will have one at the 1 year mark - in the remaining breast). Other than that I see my onc every 6 months (for the first 2 years) and my BS once a year. They both do a manual examination of the reconstructed breast, the MXed breast, the armpits & neck. That's about it. 

Jacqueline,

I was just beginning to fret again, seeing mine and others dx in the stage iii, worrying about nodes.

Thanks for a bright light. 

Yep , I had 12 out of 14 nodes,  2 completedly replaced by tumor, nodes matted. That WAS the summer of 2004. I am well and thankful everyday!

wow.. so many encouraging posts in this topic. feel so happy for you all..

by the way, my mom petscan also showed a tumor on her right axilla. the size was around 3cm. but then she had neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. the pathological report after chemo showed there was no lymph node positive, however two of lymph nodes showed a change. what everybody think? does it mean that probably only two lymphnodes involved?