Chest Lymph nodes

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raraJ75
raraJ75 Member Posts: 14
edited May 2020 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

Hi everyone,

I have recently had a CT scan and a few of my chest (Mediastinum) lymph nodes are enlarged - not significantly so but bigger than last time. Onc said they were probably reactive but re scan in 3 months. He had talked about 6 month scans. Radiology report also said likely benign but early re scan. The report also said no lung mets.

All google seems to bring up for lymph node involvement is the usual breast- armpit (cant remember technical term). Has anyone ever had this can of spread? What does it mean?

Sorry if I am not making too much sense! This awful disease is taking my sanity ha ha ha

Take care everyone and thank you


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  • mac5
    mac5 Member Posts: 135
    edited May 2020

    Hello RaraJ25

    Had a Right MX on May 1. During Surgery the preliminary Pathology Report said the Sentinel Node was okay. Then Final Report said Cancer in Lymph node and wide margin of Cancer in chest wall.

    CT Scan says probable cancer in axillary nodes under arm and under clavicle near the chest muscles. No lung Mets or other organs involved. But 35 Radiation Treatments to chest and underarm.

    Depending on the type of cancer maybe CT earlier than 3 months if you’re concerned

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  • raraJ75
    raraJ75 Member Posts: 14
    edited May 2020

    Hi,

    Thanks for your reply. I hope you are recovering well from your operation. I found the drains the worst part so hope you are managing or didn’t need them.

    I had a couple of positive nodes after my mastectomy (they removed the sentinel and a couple of suspicious others) but all the rest in that area are clear on the last CT scan.

    This most recent CT has just highlighted “a few” in the mediastinum which is the bit in-between the lungs which are bigger than they were.

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  • mac5
    mac5 Member Posts: 135
    edited May 2020

    Rara I understand. I hope they reduce in size quickly

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  • Simone80
    Simone80 Member Posts: 988
    edited May 2020

    Hi Rara, I had spread to my superclavicle, hilar and Mediastium lump nodes and bones. No organ involvement. I am MBC. I've been on ibrance and letrozone for a year and a half, nead for a year. You might want to check with your ONC to see if you are ogliometastic (not sure if I spelled that right). I've read that they are starting to treat women with low tumor burden or low spread with a curative intent and not palliative


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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2020

    Hi Rara, I was dx with stage 1 node negative breast cancer in 2008 and had surgery, chemo and rads (plus 6 years of femara). My mammograms have been perfectly clear. I lost my voice and had a few other symptoms which lead to the discovery that breast cancer came back to my super clavicle node on the left side, left inferior cervical nodal region and my mediastinal node(s). No bones or organs involved. It did not come back locally in the breast or lymph nodes in my arm pit. I have been on Ibrance and Fulvestrant for 6 months. My first pet scan (4 month check) showed significant shrinkage in all areas and some were "resolved". My oncologist had the superclavicle node biopsied to confirm the cancer and also the hormone and her2 status. She told me the mediastinal is challenging to biopsy. It sounds like you are currently getting treatment for MBC and they will keep an eye on this. My mediastinal nodes shrunk from 1.3 cm to 5mm with 4 months of treatment. Keep us posted on how you are doing.


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  • raraJ75
    raraJ75 Member Posts: 14
    edited May 2020

    Thanks everyone,

    Aprilgirl- that must have been a shock so long after your 2008 primary! Glad the treatment is working for you now.

    Simone - I was oligo I think as just a spot on bone previously but not anymore I guess?

    Yes I am getting treatment already so I guess I will have to see what happens at the next scan. I guess we all want immediate answers don’t we? This type of lymph node spread doesn’t seem all that common?


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  • raraJ75
    raraJ75 Member Posts: 14
    edited May 2020

    sorry to ask another question to everyone! - How big did your nodes get

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2020

    RaraJ75 - it was a complete shock as I was told my risk of a recurrence was very low AND the only monitoring they had been doing is mammograms and occasional breast MRI's (my blood work was always normal and the tumor markers low/normal but my oncologist doesn't follow tumor markers regardless, at least in my case. When I started having symptoms that concerned me late last July my Primary Physician dismissed it as a virus . I called the cancer center and they said I had to work with my Primary Physician. It was really frustrating. I am lucky it hadn't gone further or hasn't been detected as having spread further.

    My largest node was 1.8 x 1.1 and this one is completely "resolved". The Superclavical reduced from 1.3 cm to 5mm. They didn't get a measurement on all the nodes from what I can tell but chose a few of the largest? The other important finding to me is the first pet the nodes were noted as taking up SUV max 9.1 and the March Pet scan showed an SUV of 2.1).

    My voice quality has continued to improve and is 97% back to normal. Feb 27th a saw a specialist who videoed my vocal cords (tiny infrared camera down my nostril!) and my left side was completely paralyzed still and he said it most likely would never come back (nerve compressed does not bounce back well). At that time my voice was ok in the morning but I would be hoarse from 3pm on (lose my voice). In April, that changed. I just saw that doctor again for a recheck and it is no longer paralyzed! I am SO HAPPY! I work as a real estate broker and talk constantly. My hoarse voice was such a reminder of both my ordeal and my frustrating experience with getting diagnosed. I have a hunch this is due to the superclavical node shrinking further as it was the one pinching the laryngeal nerve. I will find out in the end of June at my next pet scan.

    I haven't asked if I could be Ogliometastic because I had many nodes involved, but I haven't found many women that only have MBC in nodes (chest nodes = MBC according to my oncologist).

    By the way, they still give me a breast exam every month - IT NEVER CAME BACK IN MY BREAST! I have told them this but it is the protocol. Crazy.



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