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Cancer in lymph nodes=Chemo??

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Hello

In 2020 I was diagnosed and went through it all! Now, a dear friend has been diagnosed and is waiting on her oncotype results. She had a lumpectomy and 2 lymph nodes removed. There was cancer in one. Her dr. is waiting on the oncotype results to determine if chemo is needed. I thought if cancer is in the lymph nodes, it is automatic chemo. Is this not correct? Did anyone have cancer in their lymph nodes and not have chemo? How is the cancer effectively removed and not spread then?

I am worried about my friend. Thank you.

Comments

  • Hi - I've sent you a message on this topic.

  • homemom
    homemom Posts: 849

    I'd like to know too. I know someone who was diagnosed a couple of years after me,had a couple nodes positive, but no chemo. I want to say it has something also to do with grade and size of tumor?

  • sarah_78
    sarah_78 Posts: 119

    I got the following for you from NCCN guidelines for BC:

    image

    It says the gene tests would show if chemotherapy has a benefit or not, probably your friend is waiting for the result of that test.

  • alicebastable
    alicebastable Posts: 1,966

    I had a positive node and no chemo. I think if it's more than 3 nodes, chemo is automatically given. Anything lower gets the Oncotype run, and for people like me with a low enough score, it can mean no chemo. My oncologist was surprised that my score was low enough.

  • I was stage IIA with positive nodes and a high-moderate Oncotype score. However, I'd also had a strong response to neoadjuvant letrozole. One MO strongly urged chemo (TCx4) and another said she thought I could go either way. I did not do chemo. I did do 5 years letrozole and am continuing on tamoxifen. So far, so good. Knock on wood.

  • Thankyou, everyone!

  • Thank you, everyone!