Hi
I received my results at the hospital last week. I saw a locum surgeon, not my surgeon and the appointment was very vague. Told all margins clear no lymph node involvement and onto radiotherapy & letrozole. Not much conversation or detail given.
Pathology results now received
anterior margin: involved
Posterior margin: 1.8mm
All other margins 2mm
LVi: negative
Vascular invasion: present
I am having 4 boost for the involved margin but I can’t understand why they would tell me it’s clear and not explain in more detail.
I have talked to the BC nurse and she just kept saying it’s classed as clear as nothing left to take. Surely if it’s involved it’s not clear. (I understand they can’t take anymore)
She explained that LVi was cancer cells travelling to the lymph nodes and VI was cells found in the blood, another way for cancer cells to spread. Then said it was odd & confusing that VI was shown as present with LVI being negative as they are the same thing (although she had just explained to me that they are different) therefore she was going back to the pathologist to ask.
My dx is grade 2 IDC er+ her2 low so not classed as aggressive but I am now starting to feel unsettled by their responses to my questions.
I got similar and although with my actual surgeon and came armed with lots of questions, he wasn’t as forthcoming as he could of been. Zero margins in 2 directions- to the end of breast tissue and up to skin (anterior). He could of mentioned that this meant extra radiotherapy boosts, but it wasn’t until a few weeks later on meetung the oncologist that I got told about it.
You could maybe ask the Breast Cancer Now nurses about your queries too ?
Either on the forum or on the phone Ask our Nurses your questions
0808 800 6000
Will be interested to hear your feed back about the LVI and Vascular invasion. I too was off the impression they were the same thing. Cancer cells found in blood vessel was exactly how it was explained to me from a temp Oncologist (who incidentally I didn’t like, had no confidence in her, and hopefully never see her again!)
From my understanding and I’m not a health professional, vascular invasion present and LVI negative is not necessarily contradictory. The meaning of LVI negative is no lymphatic invasion, whereas for vascular invasion present, cancer in blood cells. It could mean only blood vessel invasion and it will help the oncologist to decide whether chemotherapy is needed, the aggressiveness, prognosis but taken alone it doesn’t determine treatment decisions.