SNB: MDs can you answer this question?

A few hours before my double mastectomies I had injections to prepare for the sentinel node biopsies that would be done on each side. My tumor was 1.2 cm and located at about the high 1:00 position in only the R breast. The procedure included a total of 8 injections, 4 around each nipple by quadrants. I am curious about this method because other women I've talked to had only one injection near their tumor site? Why might the multiple site injection procedure have been chosen for my surgery? The harvested nodes were negative for tumor cells, but Oncotype dx results I needed a course of 4 treatments of Cytoxan and Taxotere followed by 5 years on Arimidex.

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

During the sentinel node biopsy  a radioactive tracer or blue dye is injected by your surgeon or doctor. This can be injected either around the tumor or underneath the nipple/ areola. Both techniques are used and both are very successful.

You could clarify this with your doctor , about what was injected and what procedure was done.

Let us know if you have any other doubts and post us about what your doctor t ells you.

Regards.

[dblwhammy]

Thank you for your response to my post. I'm relieved to hear the nipple quadrant injection method provides as good results as the tumor site injection method. I guess the point is to find the sentinel node however the procedure is done. I guess given the choice I would have chosen to have one injection over eight.

Is there a chance tumor cells migrated through the sentinel node to lodge in other nodes in the chain that were not dissected?

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

The chances of this happening are minimal or negligible. The possible and probable complications rather are risk of infection, bleeding or scarring or an allergic reaction to the dye injected..

You should review with your specialist regularly and report any abnormal features that you notice.

Let us know about how you are doing nad if you have any other doubts.

Keep us posted.

Regards.