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Easier said than done, but try not to worry too much before you know what you are dealing with. Are you able to see your surgeon or breast care nurse to discuss your worries before your surgery? Sending you a hug and best wishes, Jane xx

Thank you Jane. My main worry is that I am having pain in all my lymph nodes, even those in my neck. I suspect that's not a great sign.

My understanding is that confirmed staging happens with pathology results after surgery. Because I'm having chemo 1st, that may bring my staging back. From what I've read, probably IIb, but not 100% sure. 

It seems most people have a sentinal node biopsy at time of lumpectomy. The results of that biopsy decide whether an axillary clearance is required, which is then another operation to take further lymph nodes out.

Hope that's helpful, Lyn

Hi again, I had axillary clearance at the same time as my mastectomy. Previously I'd had a lumpectomy (no clear margins, hence the mastectomy) and a Sentinel Node Biopsy (as described by Robyn B) which is one way of seeing whether there are cancer cells in the lymph nodes under the arm, usually the first place for the cancer to spread. As one of the 3 nodes they biopsied was cancerous, I had to have the further axillary clearance, which saw a further 19 nodes removed - apparently we all have a different number of nodes. Luckily there was no further spread and subsequent CT scans were clear too. 

Just wondering if you've ordered your My Journey Kit from this site? The booklet Guide for Women with Early Breast Cancer was a great information source for me and I used it a lot to think about the different questions I needed to ask my treatment team. Hopefully you also have access to a breast care nurse - when I couldn't speak to my surgeon, I would call / email her and ask questions, which was great.

Hope this helps, but feel free to ask more questions if you need to. Jane xx

Hi Claudinem, Ask all the questions you wish, as breast cancer diagnosis and treatment is a whirlwind experience.  Early 2011 I suddenly noticed big red lump and nipple inverted, and having family history, suspected what that meant. I had Mammog, US with core biopsy, then Mastectomy with Sentinel node biopsy. On post op visit to surgeon he said the sentinal node biopsy showed it had spread to the nodes and so I then underwent the Axillary Clearance which is another op to remove the underarm nodes. The dye they inject during the sentinal node biopsy helps show the nodes during surgery and which are affected.  

I do hope your surgery goes well, and you get all the support you need. Thinking of you, Robyn B

Hello Traceyb

thank you for your response. Did they do the axillary clearance during the mastectomy? How do they decide to do it? I'm off for surgery next week and am wondering if they'll take the lymph nodes out prior to pathology.

thanks

claudine

What is axillary clearance? Removal of all arm lymph nodes? Is it uncomfortable afterwards? Did they do the axillary clearance during the mastectomy? Sorry about all the questions.

Thank you so much for responding Lyn, I really appreciate hearing from others. What stage cancer did/do you have?

Hi Claudinem, welcome to the network and good on you for getting a second opinion when things didn't seem right. 

I was diagnosed in Feb 2012 and after a lumpectomy which couldn't achieve clear margins, had a mastectomy which uncovered that I had 3 tumours; 2 invasive multifocal lobular, both hormone + and a small but invasive ductal tumour, which was HER2+. Only one lymph node was affected, but still meant I ended up with a full axillary clearance. I don't recall any pain under my arm prior to surgery - the one clue that sent me to the GP in the first place was that my nipple had become inverted.

It was a long treatment road, with active treatment finishing in July 2013, and I am now on hormone tablets, but I'm finally at the other end, having completed reconstruction surgery last year. With the help of this network I have been able to process some of what happened and to move on and I hope you find it as good a source of support as I have.

I wish you all the best with your treatment and hopefully you'll be able to throw off that flu soon too :-) Warmest wishes, Jane xx

Hi Claudinem. My first symptom was pain in the nodes under the arm. Mammogram & ultrasound + fine needle aspiration if required were ordered. Mammogram showed the tumour, U/S showed enlarged nodes, so I had core biopsy of the tumour & FNA of one node. Both returned results showing cancer. I'm having chemo before surgery, but know that when the time comes, regardless of the type of breast surgery, I'll be having an axillary clearance. The one thing that has consistently surprised me on this site is how few people have a FNA of enlarged nodes. I feel lucky, in a way, that I already know, and don't have to go through a sentinal node biopsy, with the possibility of more surgery. Hope you get over the flu quickly, and that your surgery goes well. Will be thinking of you

Lyn