Metastatic diagnosis - lymph nodes only?

hi lili,

I am a little confused - one of your posts talks ( yes before I posted I tried to understand a little - your history does not show up)about your recurrence being right axillary but here I see chest. Did you have further scans to clarify the extent of your recurrence? I says this because there is a thread " shadow in the chest is a recurrence" not so active now but the op jackboo09 had presented with high mediastinal nodes ? close to internal jugular. Jackboo09 ( ER+|HER + from initial diagnosis) had Taxol followed by HP and is 18 months down I think NEAD on last scan but if you reach out you will get more information from Liz about her journey.

Hang in there. Hugs!!

😊🌷🐣

I am truly sorry you are dealing with this, and words don't ever really cover it.

For that thread it was a first recurrence, at 6 years and good response to Taxol/HP.

I understand why your onc said Stage 4 but to be honest the more I read about this disease the more I think of it as multiple diseases each with its own continuum spectrum -now I don't make sense - but I am trying to say - I would probably be thinking like you too.

I think if the lymph nodes are on the other side, or perhaps certain chest ones, it's technically stage IV, but I agree with the others that you should not focus on that label. Sorry you are dealing with this though. Damn cancer.

I am triple negative IDC went through chemotherapy and unilateral and Clear margins no lymph nodes. My tumor marker after 2 1/2 years has risen to 47.7. I did it PET/CAT scan last week and here are the results. My new oncologist doesn’t seem too worried. I am scared to death. I am new to Denver with a new oncologist who just doesn’t seem to think any of this matters. Any advice?

A metabolically active 13 mm short axis subcarinal lymph node is present on series 3 image 90 maximum SUV 3.1. This is new relative tothe prior study. There is mild left hilar uptake without CT correlate,maximum SUV 3.1. Otherwise, no additional metabolically activethoracic adenopathy is seen. Nodal metastatic disease cannot bedefinitively excluded. No additional PET/CT evidence for FDG-avid recurrent or metastatic disease.

I did reach out to him and this is what he said.

I don't read PET CT studies but I can help interpret the report a bit.

The findings from the surgery were expected.

There are a few lymph nodes in the chest that are taking up some of the tracer but they do not describe them as enlarged or specifically indicative of metastatic disease. The are located just below where the trachea divides to go to each lung (subcarinal) and on the left where the vessels and the left main bronchus enter the left lung (left hilar).

Other descriptions sound basically normal.

You mentioned your nodes were negative at the time of the mastectomy. This makes the findings in the chest less likely to be from your breast cancer. They will either follow them or perhaps biopsy the ones under the trachea where I think they might be able to biopsy them with a scope (mediastinoscopy).

I did go get a second opinion. I flew back to San Diego and saw my original oncologist. My tumor markers came down and she ordered another pet scan. And it came back all clear. I feel like I dodged another bullet.