Sentinel node biopsy
Started out finding out after mammogram I had early dcis told very unlikely cancer only to find out 2 weeks later found 8mm cancer now removed. This week going in to seen if in lymph nodes having a s...
Forum Discussion
Hi @Pommy8 and I am sorry you are going through this and find yourself here. You will be able to find a lot of really helpful information here. When I joined here, I knew very little, but everyone here was so generous with their knowledge and support.
I cannot offer too much because I did have chemo as I had a large tumour, clear nodes and hormone positive. The waiting for results is so hard. It has been 2.5 years since my diagnosis but the use of the ‘oncotype’ test is now recognised in Australia as a very good tool to use when making decisions about chemo and other treatment pathways. However, unless things have changed, you will pay approximately $4000 for a sample of tumour to be tested in the USA. It is a lot of money for sure, but it is particularly helpful for women who have early stage BC and who are trying to make a decision regarding chemo. In the USA oncotype testing is a standard protocol, and whilst it is recognised here as a valuable tool, it is a ‘user pays’ situation. This may be something to talk about with your oncologist. However, your treatment will be decided based on many things that are unique to you - age, grade of tumour etc. Keep asking questions both here and of your treating team so that you feel more comfortable with your decisions.