Will the dr. do another scan before surgery?

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4darmstrong
4darmstrong Member Posts: 15
edited June 2014 in IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
Will the dr. do another scan before surgery?
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  • 4darmstrong
    4darmstrong Member Posts: 15
    edited February 2008

    I was diagnosed with IBC in 10/07.  I have just finished 6 tx of cytoxan and taxatere.  The dr says a mastectomy is next but I'm wondering if they will do another PET scan first?  How do they know how many lymph nodes will still be positive?  Do they just dig out as many as they can according to the 1st  PET scan?  I would like the surgery to not be any more invasive than necessary.  My body feels like it is already under siege.

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  • shrink
    shrink Member Posts: 936
    edited February 2008

    I had an MRI prior to surgery to see if the tumors shrunk.  The MRI showed nothing but in the pathology report after surgery, there were 2 small tumors in the breast and lots of lymph nodes were positive.  The BS explained that for IBC 2 levels of lymph nodes are removed.  In my case, I had 21 but everyone's different.

    Your posting said you had mets.  Where, if you don't mind saying?

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  • DianeE
    DianeE Member Posts: 176
    edited February 2008

    I did not have any repeat scans before surgery, but I did ask about it.  My surgeon said she did not do scans prior to surgery as it was a double mastectomy with full axillary dissection on the affected breast and that path reports is better than any scan.  She did do a SN biopsy on the elective mas breast just in case.  It is interesting to read other peoples experience so keep posting.  Good luck with your surgery and take care.

    Diane

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  • kimmie39
    kimmie39 Member Posts: 319
    edited February 2008

    My surgeon says the same as DianeE.

    I have to admit Im not exactly comfortable with that.

    I will most likely discuss it further befor surgery.

    Kim 

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  • 4darmstrong
    4darmstrong Member Posts: 15
    edited February 2008

    I did not realize that my posting said I had mets.  That was a mistake.  I edited my profile to correct this.  When I had my first US there wasn't an apparent tumor just what they told me were sheets of cancer cells.  A week later when I had the second US there was an obvious tumor shaped similarly to an hour glass with an extra bulb on it.  When I had my PET scan the dr said that all of the lymph nodes under my rt arm were involved and that several in my chest area were also.  He said that they could get the ones under my arm with surgery but that the chemo and radiation would have to take care of the ones in the chest area.  I have an appt on the 21 with the onc. to discuss what is next.

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  • mrs_X_Sunneedazee
    mrs_X_Sunneedazee Member Posts: 541
    edited February 2008

    Hi Sandra,

    I had a PET-CT scan about 2 1/2 months before surgery.  It is the only one I have had.  My Onc says that they won't do another one until I have symptoms of the cancer acting up again, or when it has been a year since my last one.

    I had cancer in my lymph node chain along my sternum, as well as underarm and above my collarbone.  They only removed the lymph nodes that were in the axillary tail that were part of the breast.  Because I had mets, plus cancer in so many lymph nodes all over the place, the surgeon felt that removing all the the axillary lymph nodes wouldn't make much of a difference as far as reoccurance goes. 

    When I did radiation, they included the affected lymph nodes as part as the treatment field.  I had a 2 pretty big treatment fields.  They radiated from my neck down to the bottom of my ribcage, and then from my sternum to under my arm.  

    Good luck with everything.   

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