Hi I’m jumping ahead in my treatment, but it’s going round and round my head so thought I’d ask for help.
I was diagnosed with a 25mm irregular IDC with lymph node involvement, ER and HEP + My breast is small and so to achieve a good margin, the surgeon reckoned it would have been a difficult lumpectomy if surgery had been done first. Hence his recommendation that I had 8 rounds of chemo where I also will benefit from 2 targeted therapies. Also there is a question of lung nodes found on a CT scan so I do feel that chemo first gives me the best chance of survival. I’m half way through, cycle 4 this afternoon.
My confusion lies over the amount of tissue that will need to be taken when surgery takes place. My understanding is that the only way they know that all the cancer has gone is to remove tissue and test? So surely they will need to take an amount the size of the original tumour? And so how does that make a difference to having surgery before or after? Full lymph node clearance is also still likely.
I am not averse to having a mastectomy, and would rather opt for that than have to have further surgery if margins are in doubt.
Sorry for the long list of questions, but has anyone else had a similar experience and doesn’t mind sharing?
Thank you ladies. Xx