Lymph Nodes
I have a ? Actually two.
How is it that some of you know that you have cancer in your lymph nodes b/4 surgery? My surgeon said he wouldn't know until surgery. I'm confused.
Also, I can't shake this feeling that there's something I'm not being told. It literally keeps me awake sometimes! For instance, I had an ultrasound for a mass on my liver, when I went in for the results & asked ?'s, he just kept trying to keep me focused on the BC and said it's nothing, don't worry. It's "something" and I feel I have the right to know anything & everything there is to know on all these foreign substances in my body! The US tech even told me things she wasn't 'spose to, but thought it would help me quit smoking at the very least. The doc never said a word about it! Does a doctor have the right to withhold info from you? Even if "he" may feel it's in your best interest not to know at the current time? What do I do?
Thanks!
Cathy
Comments
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Cathy
I wouldn't think it would be right for your doctor to withhold that kind of info-make him tell you-you have a right!
Until I read someone's post today,I never knew that they could check your nodes before surgery either,hmmm...0 -
My Surgeonoutdoorgirl said:Cathy
I wouldn't think it would be right for your doctor to withhold that kind of info-make him tell you-you have a right!
Until I read someone's post today,I never knew that they could check your nodes before surgery either,hmmm...
did a sentinal node biopsy 2 weeks before my double masectomy. Doc wanted to see if they were clear. So I was able to go into surgery at least knowing if my cancer had spread. I was clear. some Doctors do this others don't...0 -
Cathy, I doubt that anyoutdoorgirl said:Cathy
I wouldn't think it would be right for your doctor to withhold that kind of info-make him tell you-you have a right!
Until I read someone's post today,I never knew that they could check your nodes before surgery either,hmmm...
Cathy, I doubt that any doctor would hide anything from his patient. I have never heard of such a thing. Maybe, he is just that way, and, it makes it look like he is holding something back. If I were you, just come right out and say " Are you telling me everything about my medical condition because I want to know and have the right to know". Then, he will. It would be good for you to quit smoking. You have bc, you don't need lung cancer too.
And, I don't think they can tell if your nodes are clear until surgery. They can get an idea, but, they can't know. With my ultrasound and my MRI, my oncologist and plastic surgeon said mine LOOKED clean, but until surgery, they couldn't say for sure. After my surgery, the node was clean.
Kylez ♥0 -
Hi, Cathy -outdoorgirl said:Cathy
I wouldn't think it would be right for your doctor to withhold that kind of info-make him tell you-you have a right!
Until I read someone's post today,I never knew that they could check your nodes before surgery either,hmmm...
It does sound like a few women on this board have had a sentinel node biopsy as a separate procedure, before their surgery. I had mine at the same time as my lumpectomies, so my surgeon also didn't know the result of the SNB until after surgery, as your surgeon said.
But, from a few of the recent posts, it also sounds like maybe lymph nodes can "light up" on an MRI or maybe a PET/CT? Or am I reading this wrong? If someone has had this happen, can you talk about that a little?
Traci0 -
Cathy
I would really hate to think that my doctor was hiding anything frome, and if it were me, I would defianately call him on it. Theres no reason you shoukd have to feel so apprehendsive or uncomfortable with you doctor. Tell him your concerns, I'm sure he will understand, and if it still feels like he's blowing you off, ask for a copy of you results and set an appt with a GI, and get his opinion.
As for node involvement, I was told that we wouldn't know anything until after my surgury, because my doctor planned to biospy one or more during surgury. She did 5 in all and all were clean. But it does sound like inn Caleen's case the doctor did a separate surgury to remove them first. I am also confused about the MRI thing, I think it is posible that they get a good idea whats to come from it, but believe that it is not a for sure thing.
Hope this helps
God Bless
Aurora0 -
I haven't had thisTraciInLA said:Hi, Cathy -
It does sound like a few women on this board have had a sentinel node biopsy as a separate procedure, before their surgery. I had mine at the same time as my lumpectomies, so my surgeon also didn't know the result of the SNB until after surgery, as your surgeon said.
But, from a few of the recent posts, it also sounds like maybe lymph nodes can "light up" on an MRI or maybe a PET/CT? Or am I reading this wrong? If someone has had this happen, can you talk about that a little?
Traci
I haven't had this experience personally, but my mom has. The nodes can 'light up' on an MRI or PET/CT scan ... but they're not sure until they biopsy it exactly what is causing it to light up. A simple infection can make them look different ... that's why a biopsy is so essential ... it lets them know exactly what is going on in the node/s.
I'm no doctor ... but that's been my experience. Hope this helps.
d.h.0 -
Not possible that I know ofDawne.Hope said:I haven't had this
I haven't had this experience personally, but my mom has. The nodes can 'light up' on an MRI or PET/CT scan ... but they're not sure until they biopsy it exactly what is causing it to light up. A simple infection can make them look different ... that's why a biopsy is so essential ... it lets them know exactly what is going on in the node/s.
I'm no doctor ... but that's been my experience. Hope this helps.
d.h.
An MRI and an ultrasound can give the oncologist an idea IF there might be a problem, but, they HAVE to do a biopsy to be for sure. If someone is going solely on an MRI, then I would be looking for a new doctor. Having bc is not something to just be kind of sure of. You want certainty. And, there are some that have the biopsy of the nodes before surgery, but, they still have surgery to check the nodes out. It just isn't done at the same time with the lumpectomy or mastectomy surgery.
Kristin ♥0 -
Cathy
When I started my journey and went and saw the surgeon he had the results of the mammo and the ultrasound while examining me he dicovered a large knot in my lymphnode area, due to my tumor being so close to my lymphnodes my surgeon was sure that there was lymphnode involvement. When I had my surgery 2 weeks later he was right. I had 8 out of 10 node involvement.
I am telling you this because often if no procedure has been done to determine for sure any lymph involvement people are going off the experince that there surgeon is expressing to them. With out some type of dicection or biopsey there is no fool proof way of knowing.
tj0 -
lymph nods
Hi Cathy.Like some of the other said their is a test to check lymph nods for Cancer.Unfortuntly the medicine they put in my veins before surgery would not move to show if their was cancer or not.The guy doing it said he had only seen that happen twice in 12yrs.Just my luck so they removed my lynph nods to make sure.They later with biopsy found out they were clear.As far as worried your Dr. is keeping something from you.You need to feel good about your Dr.you don,t need the added stress.Going through this is enough.I would just ask more questions.take notes with you.And then if you still felt that way,I would get another dr.Their is allot of them out their.I am lucky,I have a very good and caring Dr.She will set and answer my questions.She has even gave hugs when I broke down crying a few times.Good Luck to you ,keep us posted on how your doing.God Bless you.(Pat).0 -
Thanks!ppurdin said:lymph nods
Hi Cathy.Like some of the other said their is a test to check lymph nods for Cancer.Unfortuntly the medicine they put in my veins before surgery would not move to show if their was cancer or not.The guy doing it said he had only seen that happen twice in 12yrs.Just my luck so they removed my lynph nods to make sure.They later with biopsy found out they were clear.As far as worried your Dr. is keeping something from you.You need to feel good about your Dr.you don,t need the added stress.Going through this is enough.I would just ask more questions.take notes with you.And then if you still felt that way,I would get another dr.Their is allot of them out their.I am lucky,I have a very good and caring Dr.She will set and answer my questions.She has even gave hugs when I broke down crying a few times.Good Luck to you ,keep us posted on how your doing.God Bless you.(Pat).
For all your comments & info. I have never felt comfortable with this doc anyway, so I guess it's time to move onto someone else! I see him next week for another test so I do believe I will call him on this then before I move on. It's just been difficult finding one that accepts my insurance. I kinda got "stuck" with him at the time.
About my LN question-when I go into surgery, the surgeon says he will do a biopsy on them then. So do they remove them then or do I have to have more surgery after the Lumpectomy?! Or does this all depend too?
Still confused...
Good to see you back Calleen! :-)
Cathy0 -
CathyCat64 said:Thanks!
For all your comments & info. I have never felt comfortable with this doc anyway, so I guess it's time to move onto someone else! I see him next week for another test so I do believe I will call him on this then before I move on. It's just been difficult finding one that accepts my insurance. I kinda got "stuck" with him at the time.
About my LN question-when I go into surgery, the surgeon says he will do a biopsy on them then. So do they remove them then or do I have to have more surgery after the Lumpectomy?! Or does this all depend too?
Still confused...
Good to see you back Calleen! :-)
Cathy
I found my own lump and went to my PCP, who examined me and said there was a swollen lymph node also, so they were suspecting it was pos. I had mastectomy and my surgeon told me while I was under they would take lymph nodes one at a time and put them in dye...they would keep going until there were no more positive ones. They took 26 and 6 were positive. I had already decided on the masteomy...but he told me if I had a lumpectomy and found more CA I might wake up with a mastectomy anyway. I know it is different everywhere, but that was how it was explained to me.
BTW....It is so good to see you back Calleen! I have missed you.
Love Jackie0 -
Cathy,rjjj said:Cathy
I found my own lump and went to my PCP, who examined me and said there was a swollen lymph node also, so they were suspecting it was pos. I had mastectomy and my surgeon told me while I was under they would take lymph nodes one at a time and put them in dye...they would keep going until there were no more positive ones. They took 26 and 6 were positive. I had already decided on the masteomy...but he told me if I had a lumpectomy and found more CA I might wake up with a mastectomy anyway. I know it is different everywhere, but that was how it was explained to me.
BTW....It is so good to see you back Calleen! I have missed you.
Love Jackie
Different surgeons probably have different ways of doing things, but this is how my lumpectomies went:
I had sentinel node biopsies done on each side at the same time as my lumpectomies. My surgeon explained that he would biopsy 3-4 lymph nodes during the surgery. If all of them came back clean, then those are all the lymph nodes that would be removed. If any came back positive, he would proceed right then with a full axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), which would remove 20-30 lymph nodes.
So I went to sleep not knowing how extensive my surgery would be, but knowing that he wouldn't do any more surgery than I really needed.
My surgeon did warn me that the node analysis done during surgery isn't perfect -- in a small percentage of cases, the final post-surgery pathology may show positive nodes when they showed as negative during the surgery, which would have meant going back for additional surgery. But at least they no longer just go in and hack out all of a woman's lymph nodes, only to find out later that it wasn't necessary.
Hope that helps?
Traci0 -
CATHY
All I can say is if you don't feel comfortable with your doc, then it's time for a new one. I will be having consultations with 2 breast surgeons in the next few weeks as I'm not feeling comfortable with the one I have now. Something in the back of my mind is not feeling right. And that is very inmportant!! Not sure about the lymph nodes. I actually found my cancer that way. I don't have a tumor in the breast,the cells went directly to the lymph node. Hugs, Diane0 -
Hi Cathy
I had the sentinel node testing during my bilateral mastectomy and the sentinel node was positive so they removed 21 lymphnodes, and 0 were positive.
As far as the liver goes, I had a 2mm spot on mine as well. Both my oncologist and pcp told me it was very common for people to have hemangiomas on the liver. They see it all the time. I know a nursing colleague who had several nodules on her liver and actually had to have part of her liver removed and none were cancer so there are other things that could be there that are not cancer. My oncologist wanted to do an mri of the liver but couldnt since I have expanders in so she talked to radiology and was told that he really wasnt concerned. She then told me that even if there were a spot on the liver she wouldnt change my treatment plan which is very aggressive. I asked her where in the scheme of things should I place the liver issue on my plate of worries and she told me to set it aside and dont worry about it...so I wont.
As far as your doc is concerned you need to be able to say that youre freaked out about the liver thing and you fear he isnt telling you everything in a nonthreatening way. AFter all he is working for you and your needs are whats important. If you cant have that conversation then maybe its time to move on.
Lots of hugs
Linda T0 -
my co-worker was recently told she had cancer in the lymp nodesTraciInLA said:Hi, Cathy -
It does sound like a few women on this board have had a sentinel node biopsy as a separate procedure, before their surgery. I had mine at the same time as my lumpectomies, so my surgeon also didn't know the result of the SNB until after surgery, as your surgeon said.
But, from a few of the recent posts, it also sounds like maybe lymph nodes can "light up" on an MRI or maybe a PET/CT? Or am I reading this wrong? If someone has had this happen, can you talk about that a little?
Traci
She has had the M R I and it showed that it's not in the bones. They put a stint or something just above her right breast to start her first chemo section next Tuesday and I would like any information on how to give her the support she needs and to understand this kind of cancer better.0 -
Pray for my co-workermlmjt1 said:Hi Cathy
I had the sentinel node testing during my bilateral mastectomy and the sentinel node was positive so they removed 21 lymphnodes, and 0 were positive.
As far as the liver goes, I had a 2mm spot on mine as well. Both my oncologist and pcp told me it was very common for people to have hemangiomas on the liver. They see it all the time. I know a nursing colleague who had several nodules on her liver and actually had to have part of her liver removed and none were cancer so there are other things that could be there that are not cancer. My oncologist wanted to do an mri of the liver but couldnt since I have expanders in so she talked to radiology and was told that he really wasnt concerned. She then told me that even if there were a spot on the liver she wouldnt change my treatment plan which is very aggressive. I asked her where in the scheme of things should I place the liver issue on my plate of worries and she told me to set it aside and dont worry about it...so I wont.
As far as your doc is concerned you need to be able to say that youre freaked out about the liver thing and you fear he isnt telling you everything in a nonthreatening way. AFter all he is working for you and your needs are whats important. If you cant have that conversation then maybe its time to move on.
Lots of hugs
Linda T
Mrs.Linda T
My name is Clora Roquemore and my co-worker was recently told she had lymp nodes cancer. She has been preped with something like a stint to start her chemo on Tuesday 9-15-09 she's scared and I try to keep her spirits up. I was wondering could I please recommend this web site and you to her. She really needs to talk to someone. I feel like she's already giving up because she's talking about a Bucket List and not living life to the fullest with her children and grandchildren. Any information, resources that you could recommend please feel free to do so.
God Bless You
Clora0 -
Hi Cloramsdeberry said:Pray for my co-worker
Mrs.Linda T
My name is Clora Roquemore and my co-worker was recently told she had lymp nodes cancer. She has been preped with something like a stint to start her chemo on Tuesday 9-15-09 she's scared and I try to keep her spirits up. I was wondering could I please recommend this web site and you to her. She really needs to talk to someone. I feel like she's already giving up because she's talking about a Bucket List and not living life to the fullest with her children and grandchildren. Any information, resources that you could recommend please feel free to do so.
God Bless You
Clora
You don't even have to ask to suggest this site! Welcome to the most wonderful place on earth after you have been diagnosed with cancer! She can find loads of information on here & can also call 1-800-ACS-2345 and she can speak to someone, discuss her situation with them and they will send her booklets. I just got my thick package today and WOW! I'm impressed with what I received. Anything I could possibly want to know was in there! I myself will be having a port installed for Chemo in the next couple of weeks. I think it is perfectly normal-alot of people seem to think death when they hear cancer. It's shocking,scary,you get angry, depressed, well it's just a mix of emotions.(Instead of a bucket list how about a "Survival List"!?) She'll come around. But in the meantime, she can join here and have love,laughter, tears-plenty of shoulders to cry on or ears to vent on,support,hope,advice and read stories of other peoples journeys through this fight.
Hope this helps!
Prayers & Hugz
Cathy
P.S. Day or night! It's 24/7 here!0
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