Anyone have to go back in and take out more nodes after treatment was complete?

EllenaMaria
EllenaMaria Member Posts: 69
in Breast Cancer #1
So I had my lumpectomy, 6 nodes came out, had chemo and rads. Completed all end of Oct 2010. Now I have some remaining nodes that are concerning surgeon so I had an ultrasound. Anyone else have this? I am guessing they would go in and take them out if there was any concern but what else? Surgeon said it was probably fine and we would not discuss unless we had to. Just trying to figure out what to expect. I don't like surprises.

Comments

  • BlownAway60
    BlownAway60 Member Posts: 851
    #2
    I had a microscopic amount
    I had a microscopic amount of cancer in my sentinal lymph node, the only one that was taken out. My first onc was not concerned and said that since it was such a small amount, when I had chemo and rads that if anything was left it would be taken care of. We had issues with my first onc and switched oncs right in the middle of chemo. My second onc did not like that the remainder of my lymph nodes wer not taken out. She did a consultation with a surgeon and he explained to her since I had already finished all of my treatments that further surgery to remove more lymph nodes was not necessary and the treatments should have take care of any thing that could have possibly been left behind.

    Hugs

    Donna
  • EllenaMaria
    EllenaMaria Member Posts: 69
    #3
    BlownAway60 said:

    I had a microscopic amount
    I had a microscopic amount of cancer in my sentinal lymph node, the only one that was taken out. My first onc was not concerned and said that since it was such a small amount, when I had chemo and rads that if anything was left it would be taken care of. We had issues with my first onc and switched oncs right in the middle of chemo. My second onc did not like that the remainder of my lymph nodes wer not taken out. She did a consultation with a surgeon and he explained to her since I had already finished all of my treatments that further surgery to remove more lymph nodes was not necessary and the treatments should have take care of any thing that could have possibly been left behind.

    Hugs

    Donna

    Update on my ultrasound
    BlownAway60- thanks, sounds like this happens.

    So I saw surgeon on Monday, ultrasound on Tues. She called this morning to tell me that the results surprised her. She said she guessed node was 1cm but test put it at 1.7cm. She said that I already had the three nodes out, actually they got a single, double and triple a they were clustered together. In the triple one showed some junk. She said at time of lumpectomy there was no need to take any more nodes because chemo and rads would zap anything out there. I was able to withstand the maximum dosage of chemo so we are pretty sure things are fine. She said that it is possible that the node is flaring up due to normal things like a cold or cut. I have noticed that the pain comes and goes along with other areas of the breast tissue. She said that rads really zaps the tissue and it is possible it is just reacting to the rads. So we will have another ultrasound when I have my yearly mammos in Aug. If the node is bigger she will consider taking it out then. She really was not concerned and neither am I. I will keep track of it on a calendar. There has also been some data on removing nodes to begin with. I read about that in my husbands journals. I am just relieved the ultrasound did not pick up on anything icky.

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