Sentinel node biopsy post chemo? No axillary clearance? Anyone else?

[Daisy1975]

Found this but now worrying she'll be in the 9%were it's still lingering
http://forum.tnbcfoundation.org/neoadjuvant-chemo-and-snb-study_topic10592_post109631.html

[Daisy1975]

Thanks Songbird

V confusing as she's in the list that should not have it. She has locally advanced to the lymph nodes but is post chemo so they are saying that the SNB will show if the chemo worked on the nodes. I am wondering how they can say for sure that all nodes are clear just because SNB nodes are clear? We were told it was in a number from MRI but they don't know how many that is. The breast surgeon wasn't good at answering the questions. Hoping the oncologist is better when we go for my mums breast rads xx

[songbird68]

Hi Daisy, sorry to hear about your mum's dx. I'm glad I had SNB (two years ago) because it reduced my risk of lymphodema. If SN is affected they will continue and do a full node clearance.

Info from breastcancercare:
http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/breast-cancer-information/treating-breast-cancer/surgery/surgery-...

This page from breastcancer.org explains:
"In 2014, the American Society of Clinical Oncology released guidelines on sentinel lymph node biopsy. The guidelines say sentinel lymph node biopsy SHOULD be offered under these circumstances:

breast cancer in which there is more than one tumor, all of which have formed separately from one another (doctors call these multicentric tumors); these types of breast cancers are rare
DCIS treated with mastectomy
women who have previously had breast cancer surgery or axillary lymph node surgery
women who have been treated before with chemotherapy or another systemic treatment (treatment before surgery is called neoadjuvant treatment)"
http://www.breastcancer.org/questions/sentinel_node

Big hugs and best wishes
x x

[Daisy1975]

My mum was diagnosed with 44mm grade 3 tumour last year. She had lymph node involvement also at time of diagnosis so had chemo first FEC-T. Her tumour has shrunk to 22mm on MRI. MRI showed 'a number of affected lymph nodes' in axilla. She is to have lumpectomy on May 20, followed by rads to the breast. We were expecting a full lymph node clearance but was told today that they will do a sentinel lymph node biopsy and if cancer appears to have cleared they will not do anymore to axilla. If small amount present may do rads and if more present then axillary clearance. They say it's based on new research and just as successful? Anyone else had treatment this way?

Daisy
Xx