Stage II w/Lymph Node Involvement
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Thanks Balsie. I did see another surgeon and he said it was nothing. Fibrosis. He said large breasted women get that and he pointed it out in the other breast! Why didn't anyone else do that?
I had 3 drs look at it. One oncologist said it was left over breast tissue and had to come out.
The surgeon who did the operation said it was fat necrosis.
The second opinion surgeon said it was not fat necrosis but fibrosis.
Unbelievable!
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Thanks Balsie. I did see another surgeon and he said it was nothing. Fibrosis. He said large breasted women get that and he pointed it out in the other breast! Why didn't anyone else do that?
I had 3 drs look at it. One oncologist said it was left over breast tissue and had to come out.
The surgeon who did the operation said it was fat necrosis.
The second opinion surgeon said it was not fat necrosis but fibrosis.
Unbelievable!
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Bumping
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Soccermom, just read your quote and had to comment on it. I love it! Made my day! Pam
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Thanks Pamela! I really try to live my life this way.
Hugs,Marcia
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Did anyone stop chemo at 4th treatment? I am on 6 CT chemo, but had a severe allergic reaction with my fourth and am thinking of stopping.
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My MO witheld the Cyclophosphamide (C) from my last of 3 FEC doses due to toxicity. I then also missed out on the last 2 of the planned 12 Taxols due to getting pneumonitis.
Doing OK so far...
Jenn0 -
I was scheduled for 4 AC and 4 Taxol but I stopped after the 4th AC due to severe side effects. Among them I was experiencing neuropathy -- not typically associated with AC -- so I was reluctant to go onto Taxol which is more commonly associated with neuropathy. I did a lot of reading and then got a second opinion and made the decision to stop chemo. Now nearly three years out, I am on Femara and still have some neuropathy but otherwise doing okay.
Chris
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I am so glad to find this site. On 8/16/13 my world became a nightmare. After a routine mammogram I got a call back, I already felt what it was and after a biopsy was told you have 5 tumors but the good news is they are Stage I and the MRI shows it hasn't reached your nodes. (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma) Ok, I was hopeful. On 9/3 I had a lumpectomy, my surgeon called a couple days later to tell me that the tumors were bigger than expected one was 1.0 and the order 2.1 and 3 invasive saltilies and 1 node out of 3 had a 4.0mm desposit and the other two were inflammed but no malignancy. Now I am Stage IIB Grade 1. At my post-op appt I was told you have an infection as the site area is pink and you are running a low grade fever oh and we didn't get a clear margin so when you get over your infection back to surgery. I am being scheduled for a Bone Scan and Cat Scan and am a nervous wreck,still waiting on my DX, reading all your posts have given me hope and I wanted to thank you for starting it.
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Hi marnie
I honestly believe for me the very worst part of my whole journey so far was getting my CT and bone scans done and then waiting for the results
I felt like my whole future was being offered up to me in a crystal ball I didn't want to read
Suffice to say thankfully both scans came back -ve ..... Initial scans they told me usually are -ve ( dunno if that's really a good or bed comment actually)) )
I just hope and pray we never need to go back for any follow up ones I guess
Just make sure you get those margins sorted ... Since you were multi focal ....Are they thinking Mx now? I think they should be !!
Good luck with your scans try and not worry too much. ((Hugs ))0 -
marnie... I want to first say that it is unfortunately common for an initial path report to say nodes are negative to later find out there is some nodal involvement. BUT... having one node out of three is not so bad. I went through the same thing. It earned me extra rounds of chemo, but I was ok with that.
I also was wondering about the MX... usually a multifocal diagnosis means MX. I would do some research before going back under the knife for a revisional lumpectomy. And for the record, I had a lumpectomy, then chemo, then was supposed to have raiation and opted for the mastectomy instead. So so so glad I got the MX (I had a bilateral). Whatever you have seen and read, mastectomies are not the enemy. There are some great options out there. I had a bilateral MX and traveled to New Orleans to have it done so I could get a DIEP and GAP flap reconstruction at the same time. The perk is I got a butt lift and tummy tuck to boot. Thank you Aetna.
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Hi, I was scheduled for my bone scan and CT this week and got so mental and physically sick I couldn't do it. Any one ever be this way? I went to my family physican and got something for anxiety and am scheduled to try again this coming Thursday. I don't know if I can explain the panic I am feeling. I am a divorced single mom with a daughter turning 16 in two weeks. I believe my fear stems from watching my half sister die of luekemia in March 2012 (she died in my arms) and knowing I am now battling the C word. I talked to my surgeon about this on Wednesday after having to cancel my studies, she used compassion and even though she told me these tests are necessary and always scheduled when lymph node involvement is present and feels the tests will come back clean I am scared beyond belief, I am also looking at every pain and thinking oh no does this mean it spread? Today, I met with my MO for the first time and she has suggested Chemo followed by Radiation to give me the best treatment to beat this. I have always had long hair and tomorrow will be having it cut short in an attempt to make it easier when I lose my hair... Oh girls I need some tips on how to get thru this before I end up in a straight jacket in a padded room. Thanks
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(((Marnie1))) so sorry you have been blindsided by this beast and you so recently lost your half sister...you are not alone, we know how it feels - the fear and panic that haunts our minds. These boards are full of so much good advice and wisdom...as others told me don't let the fear take over your life and don't be afraid to live. It's hard to believe right now but it does get better as you meet with your medical team and get farther into treatment. I took Valium before my scans to stay calm. You are so wise to get something from your doctor for the anxiety and if you are having trouble sleeping she can give you something to help you rest too...waiting for diagnostic results is tough but waiting was the worst part for me...I had positive nodes and was sure it had spread - thankfully all my scans and MRI's were negative and when they did my BMX my breast tissue was clear with NED! Let us know how the scans go...Hang in there...we're here for you...(((Hugs))) Maureen
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I saw my MO for the first time 2 days ago and she said no scans. I have 1.5 tumor and 1 node. I am getting a cat scan because the lung doctor saw something (I did a pulmonary test prior to my bmx) but said she wouldn't have done that had he not noted inflamation. I am confused as I thought that node positive meant you got scans. She said scans are usually reserved for stage III.
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2timer, I'm very surprised by that. I got bone and CT scans immediately. Then I got CTs every 6 months for a year. Now I'm getting a bone and CT once a year. They did see some (thankfully benign) anomalies, so that may be why they initially followed me so closely. Is your insurance an issue? If not, and this is your MO's personal preference, you might seek out a second, and even third, opinion.
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Yes, Marnie.....the actual diagnosis made me have a nervous breakdown. That being said, two positive nodes shouldn't alarm you too much....1 to 3 positive nodes doesn't seem to affect survival too much. Focus on being positive if you can. It is hard. Very hard. But eventually you will come through this. I still refuse blood tests because I cannot take waiting for that phone to ring (it rang twice for me with bad news). At John Hopkins, they don't do them for earlt stagers like us because of the anxiety and too many blood tests and even scans can come up with stuff that alarms you but turns out benign. I just went through this with my second b.c. and an ultra sound and CT scan on my liver....the first found cysts the second confirmed they were just cysts and my oncologist said I got two useless staging work-ups because I was a stage 1. So, Marnie, I live my life each day. I have a friend who just died from primary bone cancer, another dying from b.c. and another from leukemia....all surprises.....nothing is guaranteed but the moment we live and worry/fear can rob us of that moment. You should and will do well!!!
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I am having a 'freak out' time right now. I have avoided doing to much reading about my diagnosis, staging etc and have been feeling pretty positive. Not sure what change over the past couple of days but I am really down and scared again.
I was diagnosed on July 10th (6 weeks after a completely normal mammogram) with a 3cm IDC tumor and mets to lymph nodes. I had a mastectomy 10 days later and final pathology showed a 3.5cm tumor, Grade 2, Stage IIb with 5/8 lymph nodes involved. I started chemo on Aug 20th and will be having 4 A/C followed by weekly taxol. I am sure I will be having radiation and tamoxifen on my menu as well.
When I had my scans pre-operatively my bone scan was clear and my CT showed what appeared to be a very small hemangioma on my liver. The plan was to have an ultrasound of my liver after I had recovered from surgery. All my doctors forgot and I reminded them last week. They couldn't find the 'spot' at all despite the tech working very hard. She consulted the radiologist who felt that the 'spot' was high on my liver and might not be visible with ultrasound...also apparently it was the size of a pencil mark. Now I am freaking out that it was mets and having already had a treatment it has shrunk or gone.
I am feeling really down. I haven't met anyone with as many lymph nodes involved as me...does anyone have some good stories out there?
I have 3 young kids and feeling so sad right now.
Thx for reading.
A
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awnie... don't confuse mets and a micro or macro met in the nodes... they are not the same thing... As a stage IIb, usually doctors don't do scans because they likely will show something suspicious that needs further investigation. And those suspicious things are more than likely nothing. False positives are very common.
So try not to put the cart before the horse...
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I have a question for all you stage II ladies out there with lymph node involvement. I am stage IIB and had 3 cancerous lymph nodes out of about 40 that were removed (one lymph node in my breast and 2 in my underarm. One lymph node was extracapular). I think my tumor was about 3 cm and they also found DCIS after lympectomy. The doctors refer to me as early stage breast cancer. Now, I know there are ladies that are a lot worse of then me, but how is this early? I feel like I caught it pretty late (thank g-d not too late though).0 -
Stage II is very curable. And treatable. And therefore early staged. When it is not early, it is much harder to contain and treat.0 -
Hi
I'm now over 5 years out. Was dx grade 3 with 3 positive nodes.
When first dx I googled far too much & scared myself silly. Yes, it's scary, and yes, it's not the results that we wanted to hear. But the treatments are good (great even) and here I am nearly 6 years out.
I'm over the chemo, and over the rads, and the femara is fine. I'm enjoying life again (6 grandchildren born since I was dx). Life is good.
Mal0 -
Nice post, Mal. Thank you.0
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This is my first time posting anything! (except FB). Diagnosed with IDC again after 14 years. First time around it was on right breast and no node involvement but ER+ PR- HER2 +++. Lumpectomy, 7 nodes taken, 4 a/c and 4 taxol and 35 radio and arimidex for 5, thought I was home free. This September I was diagnosed with IDC in left breast, lumpectomy and have sentinel node involvement, ER+/PR- HER-. Stage 2. I am now 66 years and started Cytoxan/Taxotere last week. Will have 6 cycles and then radio. etc. Although C/T is not as bad as the "red devil" I find I am very tired, fluish, achy and depressed.... Is this normal? Had Neulasta Injection day after first chemo. Any words of advise are most welcome.0 -
hi Isis - I am so sorry for you .....after 14 years I would have thought you were home and hosed too
I would be considering that a new primary rather than a secondary is that what they have said ?
I had my last TC x 4 on sept 13th and yes symptoms pretty much as you described ( except the depression ) especially on day 4,5 and to a degree day 6. Also found I was a bit achy day 7 post neulasta although I actually never took any claratin or pain killers at any stage for the symotoms so they can't have felt that bad to me. Just yucky taste buds and sore/burnt mouth
I hope you have an easy time of chemo and later on I suspect they might restart AI or give you tamoxifen ?? Recommended for 10 years now not the 5 that you originally did on AI
Best wishes Sue0 -
Thank you so much Nocompromises! Your words really helped me! Good to know what to expect from people who have actually gone through it. Definitely better today (day 5) Will keep you posted. Again, I cannot thank you enough! (Yes, it is a new primary. Bummer.)
Warmest wishes,
Isis.0 -
I have a question about positive nodes. Two months ago when I had my bmx, they took 6 sentinel nodes from my left breast (where the cancer was) and 3 from right. They all tested negative so no ALD. After the surgery the pathology showed that there was a node inside my breast (I think) that had 2.5 mm of cancer. The BS decided against any further node removal.
My question is this: does it make a difference *where* in the nodes the cancer is found? I asked my BS and MO and they didn't indicate it would make a difference, a positive node is a positive node. But it seemed strange that 6 sentinel nodes were clear yet a node in the breast was not. I'm not really too worried about this but I was disappointed to find out that I did indeed have positive node(s) since it would have made me a 1a instead of a 2a but bc is a crapshoot anyway.0 -
2timer... I am guessing you had 6 nodes removed, but only one would be the sentinel node (the lead node).. Some people have more than one SN, but I have never heard of 6.... I had 2 nodes removed and after final pathology came back they found .38mm cancer in the SN. I too had no further nodes taken. The breasts have lots of nodes, so I would say as long as they were complete in removal, then that is most important. Also, I had chemo especially because of the node. Did you?My worry was that if it went to the node it could have gone anywhere. My MO said chemo was going to irradicate any rogue cancer cells.0 -
I have no idea if the 6 nodes that were removed were sentinel, I just know that I was injected with dye and 6 nodes were removed on the left side during surgery none of which tested positive for cancer. I guess it doesnt matter where in the node the cancer is just that there is cancer in the node. BTW I start chemo Thursday morning. Thanks for answering my question.0 -
Glad to hear you are starting chemo... Which kind? I had 6tx of TC. I had few problems.0 -
AC-T, I think. I know it's one chemo 4x every two weeks then another chemo every two weeks for 4 times. I am really nervous about it and I do hope and pray that I tolerate it well, have no long term damage and IF there are tiny cancer cells still in my body after surgery that this gets all of it. A lot to hope for but miracles do happen.0
