INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW... BESIDES THAT I'M JUST PLAIN NOSEY...

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taleena
taleena Member Posts: 1,612 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Alright... I am staying extremely postive that though they had to do a third biopsy (first positive, then partial mastectomy, 2nd negative and third yet to be determined) it is going to come out negative... however... I am also a very inquisitive individual and want to know a little bit about the if.... if it comes back positive for more of the beast... what will be next....

SO MY DEAR SISTERS IN PINK... put on your thinking caps... or pull from your previous experiences and tell me....

What should I expect if it is positive against my chest wall... will they have to test the lympth nodes by the chest?? Will it mean mastectomy... can they do another lumpectomy, will I still just be able to have RADS or will they want to do chemo??

If you have had experience with it being against the chest wall can you please tell me how they handled it....

Thanks... I know I shouldn't "cross that bridge until I come to it"... I just do not want to be hit blindsided... know what I mean...lol

Any input will be greatly appreciated... (4 days until take off)

~T

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  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #2
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    STAY POSTIVE
    Sorry this is going on yet again, for you. My prayers are with you...

    From what I understand, if the ENTIRE breast is radiated, you can only have rads ONCE.....if the ENTIRE breast is done! We have TONS of lymph nodes, they go all the way up to and around your neck and collarbone not to mention on the sides of the breast and elsewhere in the body. From what I have been told by the docs, only so many lumpectomies can be preformed on the same breast, due to "deforming" of the breast....

    My tumor was 2.2 cm, removed with clean, clear margins, no lymph node involvement, but the surgeon did say it was close to the chest wall, but was still able to get the clean margins. I just finished on Monday, CHEMO......YEAH YEAH.........had 4 rounds of Taxotere and Cytoxan. I now have a 3-6 week break before starting rads.....I am going to question radiating the ENTIRE breast as opposed to just the tumor site, which is called "boosters" (12 of them )once the first 25 or so rads are done.
    Please keep us posted, hang in there sweetie!
    Nancy
  • phoenixrising
    phoenixrising Member Posts: 1,508
    #3
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    I didn't have a lumpectomy,
    I didn't have a lumpectomy, I had a mastectomy against the advice of my surgeon. As it turned out it was 1mm from the chest wall and according to the nurse, they scraped the chest wall. I don't think they will take out anymore lymph nodes and I don't think being close to the chest wall is a criteria for chemo but rather lymph node involvement and oncotype dx, but hey, I'm no expert. Good luck to you, this sure has been the most complicated case I've heard of and you either have (or will learn) to have the patience of a saint :) Wishing you the best.
    jan
  • Moopy23
    Moopy23 Member Posts: 1,751 Member
    #4
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    No Experience There, But...
    Taleena, one thing I am discovering is that some doctors are cautious and may unintentionally scare us with tests. For example, every day for about a week I have been going in to have blood drawn (via a stick, not my port) to check my potassium levels. Every day. I was thinking I could have a heart attack any time since they were doing this test every day!

    My St. Louis onc. was scornful. She looked at my labs, looked at my potassium prescripton, and said once a week would be fine--I'm not going to die from off potassium levels. Actually, she also said,"Well, you could stop taking the tablets and see what happens." (She was just joking; I love this doctor.) She also commented that my local clinic would not be so over-busy if they didn't do unnecessary tests.

    My point is it may well be that your doctor is being extra-cautious, just wanting to make sure everything is checked and anything suspicious removed. Erring on the side of caution maybe.

    Anyway, I hope you will continue to have your strong attitude, and I'll be waiting for good news on Tuesday. (Then you can be mad at the doc for putting you through the wait:-)

    Your not getting a stick today friend,
    Moops
  • RE
    RE Member Posts: 4,591 Member
    #5
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    Here goes....
    I don't like doing this cause I think it is going to scare you but you asked. I had it return in my chest wall just about and to the right of my lumpectomy breast and showed up in my sentinel node. No surgery was done, they used the tumor as a marker to see if the additional chemo and additional rads would kill it. I had 12 more rounds of chemo and an additional 10 more weeks of rads. Both time during rads my entire breast was radiated. That was 12 years ago T and I am still here. Keep us posted!!!

    Super Duper Hugs,

    RE
  • taleena
    taleena Member Posts: 1,612 Member
    #6
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    RE said:

    Here goes....
    I don't like doing this cause I think it is going to scare you but you asked. I had it return in my chest wall just about and to the right of my lumpectomy breast and showed up in my sentinel node. No surgery was done, they used the tumor as a marker to see if the additional chemo and additional rads would kill it. I had 12 more rounds of chemo and an additional 10 more weeks of rads. Both time during rads my entire breast was radiated. That was 12 years ago T and I am still here. Keep us posted!!!

    Super Duper Hugs,

    RE

    Thank you everyone... and
    Thank you everyone... and RE.. Not scared... I have all of you with me know matter what the results turn out to be, and no matter what treatment is in store and hopefully not in the too distant future.... I asked because I want to know... I need to know.. it will help me to know if it's bad... I know.. I can take it..either way the pendulum swings I know that I will be fine... I just do not like surprises where my health is concerned... the inital phone call May 20th is the last surprise that I want to deal with... now .. nothing that they can say can or will surprise me.... thank you!

    ♥ & hugs,

    ~T

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