Mets to portahepatic (near liver) lymph node

Hello…In 2013 I was diagnosed with breast cancer ILC stage 2B with 3 lymph nodes involved. I did ATC 8 rounds and 5 years of AI. No radiation

Yesterday I received the biopsy news that a lymph node in the portahepatic area (near the liver) is malignant. I had no symptoms but this was found from a CT scan back in April from a stomach bug which cleared up with antibiotics.

I have a follow up appt with my surgical oncologist on 9/20 to discuss the results. What questions should I be asking?

I don't know if this is considered lymphoma or Mets to liver from original breast cancer. What types of treatment are there for liver Mets and how are those of you coping?

The lymph node is 4cm and appears to be contained and not attached to any organ.

Thank you for your responses as this is scary. I am 74, divorced and live alone although my daughter and family live nearby in the same town.

Comments

  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 5,289
    edited September 2022

    We have an active liver mets thread . Members have had a wide variety of treatments and are very knowledgeable. Check it out!

    https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/8/topics/809420?page=1956#idx_19553


  • meme5
    meme5 Member Posts: 43
    edited September 2022

    So today I again met with the surgical oncologist at Univ of Fl Shands. He said that the last biopsy is indicative of either metastisis from original lobular breast cancer, lymphoma or liver cancer. Even though they got a lot more samples and did stains of what they got it is still not clear cut. So they are scheduling me for laparoscopic surgery of the lymph node to be done by the surgical oncologist. He will take out a large enough portion (which the endoscopy could only get small samples) that pathology can determine exactly what kind of cancer this is so we can then move on to treatment after healing from surgery.

    I was hoping for a definitive answer but am not surprised that they need to do surgery for complete answer. So surgery will be scheduled in the next 2-3 weeks. I will have an overnite stay in the hospital and then home to heal and wait for an answer.
    I am meeting with my medical oncologist today just to touch base with what's going on. Any follow up treatment will be done by him here at home after surgery.
    How long to recover from laparoscopic surgery? I am in really good health with weight, exercise, etc.
    Has anyone else had to go through multiple test, etc to determine their final diagnosis?

    So ready to get a final answer so I will know treatment plan.. Ggrrrrrrrr!