anyone in same boat as me??? Had last chemo on Monday (4 x FEC and 4 x TAX) and due to have full axilla node clearance on 18th Dec. ONC decided to do it this way round and start chemo first. I am HER2+. SNB showed 4/5 nodes showing disease. Just wondered if I was alone, or if there is anyone else out there??? Seems that most ONCs remove nodes if positive before surgery. Getting into a bit of state re op and using the results to see if chemo has worked, which isn’t the reason why they are doing the op, as the nodes have to come out anyway!
Hope this makes sense
J
As you know I had chemo prior to my surgery. I also had a full node clearance with my mastectomy. The nodes all tested clear and my tumour had reduced from over 12cm to 1.5cm. It was good to know that all the chemo was worth it. Our diagnosis is quite similar so hopefully your pathology results will be as good.
Thanks Jan for posting. I think because my SNB showed 4/5 nodes positive, I am feeling really frightened that there may be more and the ONC says “don’t be surprised if there are”. Great, after going through all that chemo and putting life on hold. Perhaps I shouldn’t get too worked up on the numbers, and just get them out, afterall it won’t change my treatment plan - easier said than done though!
xx
This may not be of much help but a lady I became friends with whilst in hospital for my mastectomy was in a similar situation to yourself although I don’t know all of the details. I know that she had a mastectomy and SNB then had her chemo, I think she said because her cancer was aggressive, and then she had an axillary clearance after her chemo was completed which was why she was in hospital when I met her. I know that she has since started Herceptin and Tamoxifen and that her results came back on the rest of the nodes as being all clear. Not sure if this helps at all like I said but it seems a similar situation and also it seems a positive outcome for her so hopefully yours will be equally as positive.
This helps no end! Thank you. This is obviously what I am hoping for! I am trying not to get too het up about it (easier said than done) cos they are coming out anyway. I am really hoping and praying that no more nodes are involved!