Aa
mother with breast cancer
hello
my mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. i work on the other side of the world, so i dont have all the details.
what i do know is that she had a 3cm dcis lump in her left breast. the ultrasounds did not detect any other lumps or anything in the lymph nodes.
the doctors were unable to do an MRI on her.
she got a mastectomy on her left breast and the doctors checked the first few lymph nodes in exploratory procedures. the first few nodes looked inflamed, so they took all of the nodes on the left side of her body.
what stage does this sound like? what advice would you have for her over the coming months and years? what tests should be done to help insure she has as much time as possible?
my mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. i work on the other side of the world, so i dont have all the details.
what i do know is that she had a 3cm dcis lump in her left breast. the ultrasounds did not detect any other lumps or anything in the lymph nodes.
the doctors were unable to do an MRI on her.
she got a mastectomy on her left breast and the doctors checked the first few lymph nodes in exploratory procedures. the first few nodes looked inflamed, so they took all of the nodes on the left side of her body.
what stage does this sound like? what advice would you have for her over the coming months and years? what tests should be done to help insure she has as much time as possible?
PS: What I mean to say is that most likely, unless there is something that would cause it to be different, chemotherapy is next, as your mother's lymph nodes are affected. (So the next step is a PET scan, but the next step is also chemotherapy) KAT
You also need to keep in mind that when a scan, i.e. PET scan, shows mets in other parts of the body, that means that now you know something for sure.
But if the scan shows nothing than that doesn't mean no microscopic mets are floating around and detectable.
For that reason, my oncologist advised against all these diagnostic tests at first. He said: " You are starting heavy dose chemotherapy anyway, so it makes little difference to do the tests as a negative result will tell me very little."
In fact, a week before surgery my surgeon ordered an MRI because I insisted my cancer was growing back and he was waiting too long with the surgery.
The MRI in turn showed that nothing remarkable was there and my lymph nodes all normal. Luckily, the surgeon was suspicious and he scheduled more time for the OR.
Almost all my lymph nodes turned out to be positive with cancer, and had spread to the surrounding tissue, and sticking to nerves, etc.
I am only pointing all this out so you know that scans are not all knowing and telling?
KAT
But if the scan shows nothing than that doesn't mean no microscopic mets are floating around and detectable.
For that reason, my oncologist advised against all these diagnostic tests at first. He said: " You are starting heavy dose chemotherapy anyway, so it makes little difference to do the tests as a negative result will tell me very little."
In fact, a week before surgery my surgeon ordered an MRI because I insisted my cancer was growing back and he was waiting too long with the surgery.
The MRI in turn showed that nothing remarkable was there and my lymph nodes all normal. Luckily, the surgeon was suspicious and he scheduled more time for the OR.
Almost all my lymph nodes turned out to be positive with cancer, and had spread to the surrounding tissue, and sticking to nerves, etc.
I am only pointing all this out so you know that scans are not all knowing and telling?
KAT
Hi again,
I am sorry that the pathology report was not more favorable, in regard to the extensive lymph node involvement. (Don't give up hope though; I know several BC survivors who had similar lymph node findings and are still around a number of years later...)
Yes, a PET scan is ordered to look for possible spread (called distant metastases), to other parts of the body. Additional tests such as PET-CT scans, bone scans, etc., may also be done.
Once those are completed, a treatment plan will be recommened, based on any additional findings, as well as the factors I mentioned in my previous reply.
Please keep us posted, and let us know if we can be of additional assistance.
Hoping for the best,
bluebutterfly
I am sorry that the pathology report was not more favorable, in regard to the extensive lymph node involvement. (Don't give up hope though; I know several BC survivors who had similar lymph node findings and are still around a number of years later...)
Yes, a PET scan is ordered to look for possible spread (called distant metastases), to other parts of the body. Additional tests such as PET-CT scans, bone scans, etc., may also be done.
Once those are completed, a treatment plan will be recommened, based on any additional findings, as well as the factors I mentioned in my previous reply.
Please keep us posted, and let us know if we can be of additional assistance.
Hoping for the best,
bluebutterfly
Thanks for your help.
She had her first follow-up visit today. The tests found involvement in 13 out of the 23 lymph nodes that they took.
She's scheduled for a PET scan this Friday.
I'm guessing that the PET scan will dictate if the cancer has spread to other parts of her body?
She had her first follow-up visit today. The tests found involvement in 13 out of the 23 lymph nodes that they took.
She's scheduled for a PET scan this Friday.
I'm guessing that the PET scan will dictate if the cancer has spread to other parts of her body?
I'm sorry that you have learned that your mother has cancer, and that you are far away and probably feel rather limited in your ability to help her through this health crisis.
The stage will not be able to be determined until the full pathology report is back from her mastectomy and axillary dissection (lymph node removal from underarm area).
IF nodes are found to be positive, then additional tests will have to be done to see if there are any metastases (areas of cancer spread) to other parts of the body. Treatment planning would then be based on the type, grade, and stage of her cancer, as well as her general medical status.
But try not to get ahead of yourself. Until the path. report is available, it won't be known how aggressive her type of cancer is, or (for sure) whether, or how many of, the lymph nodes are actually involved.
Please feel free to write again if you have more questions after your mother's doctors have a fuller picture in regard to her case.
Beast wishes to you and your mother...
The stage will not be able to be determined until the full pathology report is back from her mastectomy and axillary dissection (lymph node removal from underarm area).
IF nodes are found to be positive, then additional tests will have to be done to see if there are any metastases (areas of cancer spread) to other parts of the body. Treatment planning would then be based on the type, grade, and stage of her cancer, as well as her general medical status.
But try not to get ahead of yourself. Until the path. report is available, it won't be known how aggressive her type of cancer is, or (for sure) whether, or how many of, the lymph nodes are actually involved.
Please feel free to write again if you have more questions after your mother's doctors have a fuller picture in regard to her case.
Beast wishes to you and your mother...
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