I’m trying not to freak out but had a new letter from my surgeon on Saturday which featured some new letters at the end of my histology report and no explanation to what they meant. So of course I googled them - something I’d not really done before as everything else had been explained to me properly. And now I’m panicking because it suggests cancer cells have been found in my blood at some distance from the original breast cancer tumour.
And of course it’s Sunday of a bank holiday which means I can’t get to speak to my BCN until Tues and none of the helplines are open today or tomorrow. We BC-ers do get abandoned at the weekends don’t we??
Anyway, just wondering if anyone else had cMo on their pathology/histology reports and got any clarity from their consultants?
Just a wild stab in the dark but trying to find ways to calm my worried mind!
Was this at the bottom of the path report? It might be the NPI score which uses the size of the cancer, the number of affected nodes and if there is distant spread to work out a prognosis. I would guess M0 means no metastases. What did you google to think it had gone into your blood?
Hi Quaggie,
I wouldn’t know what it means, but maybe just go with what you’ve been told. If it was clinically significant, they would have told you.
I must admit, I didn’t get my path reports, I just went on what I was told & the consultant’s letters.
My understanding is that is whether there is node involvement or not which is key in treatment planning etc.
Easier said that done, but maybe try to put it aside for now. It will be explained to you & nothing’s going to change in the interim or on what you know now.
ann x
Hi Quaggie, I agree with Citty, my guess is that the pT pN relates to Prognosis indicators for cancer found in Tumour [size] and Lymph Nodes [number+] and the cM relates to Clinical Metasteses [Number of sites]. If cancer cells are in your blood they are not a tumour. They only become dangerous if they start to form a tumour. Here’s my blog with lots of info for coping; lifeafterlola.com
Hope you manage to get a satisfactory answer from the medical team soon. Best wishes. xxx