Ladies who had surgery first

[Butterfly318]

Evening Girls.

It really is difficult sometimes to get your head around the different treatment at different units.  I was diagnosed on October 2012.  Surgeon advised 4cm  tumour (from physical examination) and suggested Neo Adjuvant Chemo then look what she was left with to plan surgery etc  Then sent for ultrasound which indicated 6.5cm 'area of concern' (i love the terminolgy).  At no stage was i ever offered any scans.... In the 2 weeks after diagnosis i was given a chest xray (I was told this was routine if i was to have surgery) and a MUGA Heart Scan just to get a baseline before FecT, there was nothing obvious in nodes on ultrasound.  after 3 Fec tumour was showing little signs of shrinking on a Breast MRI. but we continued with Chemo.  I had therapeutic mastopexy but unfortunately she didn't get clear margins so i had mastectomy.  Due to the size of tumour i was advised on diagnosis to have Chemo (before or after) and full ANC so no scans offered which to be honest has made me very anxious throughout my treatment..

Pathology report following surgery showed grade 2 tumour 4.2cm 1/23 nodes affected (no evidence of response to Chemo in the other nodes which i am advised they can be confident it was never in any other nodes) and no vascular invasion.

After 12 months i had mammogram on left side before surgery to match up reconstruction to right.    

I do think, with hindsight, i was not particularly well informed, didn't find this sight until Moving Forward Course. At the end of treatment i asked the Oncologist about CT /MRI scans blood tests etc and he said they don't routinely do them, unless clinically indicated, and they had all the infomation they needed from Path report to be confident i was NED.  I have since had a Bone Scan in Dept of Nuclear medicine from Athritis Consultant which has shown 'no alarming features'.

So it may be that you aren't offerered any Scans.  I had Chemo then surgery then Rads.   12 months later had right reconstruction and left lift and reduction to match. 

Despite being 26 months on from original diagnosis, back at work etc i do sometimes wonder why i didn't have scans and everything hasn't been plain sailing but i am so grateful for all the treatment.

Good luck to you all with your ongoing treatment.  Gilly x

[JETS]

I'm grateful for this thread - am having bi masectomy on 12 jan but no conversation yet about possible post treatment x they will be testing nodes rtc after the surgery - it's lobular and I am terrified I am actually riddled with cancer that they haven't seen as each step has been " we found more" using different tests x it's good to know about ct scans etc so I can prepare in case this is also recommended - I've been pretty naive up until now x

[Daisy1975]

Thanks all.
Maggie - mums 2nd chemo was due Tuesday but delayed another week as still productive cough and bloods suggested infection still present. Another week of antibiotics.
Slightly worried as oncologist said 'a number of nodes' were seen to have cancer at MRI, in the 1st and 2nd level of lymph nodes but no mention of the third. Not sure why they haven't given a number - possibly not accurate enough at this stage, or possibly hard to see for sure. The fact seen in both levels makes me worry there are lots and that gives a worst prognosis.
Hope you're doing well and on track for your first chemo.
Daisy

[Katherine62]

Hi all,

+node detected at biopsy, followed by WLE and ANC, 2.5cm IDC her2- er+. All cancer out at surgery. Then bone scan and cat scan as ANC showed 3/15+ nodes.

Scans clear thank heavens, so chemo, radio and hormones in due course.

love jane

[maggie59]

Remedial mammoplasty and full node clearance as 5 tested positive during op then given CT and bone scan to check it hadn't established elsewhere.
How is your Mum doing Daisy?
Maggie x

[MrMunch1]

I had a WLE and sentinel node biopsy and the sentinel node came back positive with a macromet, I then had an axillary node clearance and came back with a further two nodes effected.  

I then had a CT (liver and chest), along with a bone scan AFTER both surgerys before seeing Onc for treatment plan.

Hope this helps.

[skinnyminx]

I had a CT and bone scan in the short time between diagnosis and surgery (large multi-focal mass and a palpable node so was told right from the start that surgery, chemo, rads and endocrine therapy were recommended, in that order).  So my scans were effectively after the cancer was detected in one node (on palpation), albeit before treatment commenced.  

I would have thought that anyone with node involvement (whether discovered on palpation, x-ray, ultrasound, surgery) should be offered a CT and bone scan in order to check that the cancer has not spread via the lymph nodes to other parts of the body.  Perhaps that is too simplistic a view or perhaps protocols have changed since I was treated 5 years ago.   

[Brewster]

I have had SNB, Bilateral mastectomy and due chemo next week. Have not been offered any scans .

[Mel66]

I had surgery first and then discovered in lymph glands. Chemo was then thrown into the mix but never offered CT scan. My mum has offered to pay for me to have one privately, but I'm undecided at the moment.

[Susan8574]

I had lumpectomy and mastectomy left side , 2 nodes involved, my oncologist wanted me to have a base line ct scan, I was terrified of results, but all looked good, cost wasn't an issue as we are private

[kitten_mad]

Definitely didn't have CT scan between first op and chemo. Have had a couple since then as since had some recurrences in the skin. I don't think they are given as a matter of course, they are an expensive procedure and I think they only give you one if there could be some doubt about it spreading. Hope this is of some help. Take care

K M x

[Daisy1975]

hi all

Just a quick question for those of you who had surgery first, only to discover it was in the lymph nodes at point of surgery and then had to have chemotherapy afterwards. Did you have a CT scan before or after discovering it was in the lymph nodes, or not at all?
Thanks

Daisy