Reluctant about mastectomy
This is awesome that a supportive community like this is available. My mum was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She has had an initial lumpectomy and now requiring a mastectomy. She's struggling to understand the necessity of undergoing this treatment due to being asymptomatic. I was wondering if any ladies here, particularly Cantonese-speaking were willing to share their experience in undergoing this type of surgery. I know my mum would appreciate talking on the phone to someone, if anyone is happy to share details or exchange emails. Thank you so much for your help in advance 🙏🏻 🙏🏻 🙏🏻 ☺️ ConstanceLymphoedema Information & Events
Lymphoedema can develop after breast cancer surgery or radiotherapy treatment. If lymph nodes are removed – usually from the armpit – fluid can build up and cause swelling known as ‘lymphoedema’. Find out what causes it, ways to reduce your risk of lymphoedema, and what to do if you develop lymphoedema. Signs and symptoms of lymphoedema Reduce your risk of lymphoedema Lymphoedema treatment Compression garments for lymphoedema Coping with lymphoedema Watch Ask the Expert 'Living well with lymphoedema' - with Maree O’Connor
Here we go again...
I've decided I was a bit nieve (not sure of spelling) about original diagnosis/treatment in 2023 so facing it again in 2025 is a bit of a shock. I live in Bundaberg and can not fault the system from detection, diagnosis and treatment as it was speedy. Might have been why my attitude was.....got breast cancer, have treatment, get over it and move on so I didn't let it consume my life. I felt blessed it was found early, I was told if you have to get cancer it is the better variety(grade 2, invasive lobular carcinoma in situ er +, Pr - ,her2 - )and it wasn't in any nodes so it was lumpectomy, radiation and hormone blockers. I have to say none of that terminology means anything to me now so I need to do a refresher. As part of my annual checks, concerns arose around a lymph node and two months later I'm home from surgery having lymph nodes removed. That's about all I know so not sure where to from here other than changing my attitude and thinking I'd better pay more attention to cancer and connect with others. I do think I'll tell the medical oncologist I don't like being in the 20% band where the blockers didn't work 😉🙂 as facing cancer again was not on my radar.
Lymph node visibility in imaging
Hello, I've been reading these forums for a few weeks and finding them very helpful - thank you to all that share their knowledge. I'm trying to understand more about lymph nodes and imaging. For my backstory... My ultrasound showed nothing suspicious in my lymph nodes. A month ago I had a lumpectomy for IBC (1cm ER+ PR+ HER2- grade 1) and sentinel node biopsy where they found spread to 3 of 4 lymph nodes including one with 0.3mm of extranodal spread. On Monday I had CT and whole body bone scans. Today the surgeon rang to say the scans were all clear however the next step is more surgery to remove 12-20 lymph nodes. This sounds like axillary lymph node dissection. I'll get the reports and paperwork next week to make better sense of it and then I'll chat to my breast care nurse. We're a bit puzzled over how my lymph nodes are so involved for such a small grade 1 tumour. I'm wondering whether my involved lymph nodes should have shown up on the ultrasound, and whether nothing showing up on the post-surgery CT is a useful sign that other nodes might not be involved. Does anyone have experience of lymph node involvement without it showing up with imaging? Or do they show up on some types of imaging but not others? Or did you have axillary lymph node dissection even with a clear CT scan?
BMX with ALN removal and SN biopsy.
Hello to all you lovely folks on here. I've had 6 cycles of THCP and I'm having BMX this Wednesday, with axillary clearance on the left and sentinal node biopsy on the right. Has anyone had the same? And any advice for recovery? Were you able to go out for a walk or is it mostly housebound at first? I'm also dealing with heamorroids so a little worried about that. Thank you and best wishes to everyone going through this.How did I get here?
Hi everyone, what do I say…I am in shock! I felt it was time I reached out to the community as I’ve been reading all your posts the past few weeks and now I really need support and reassurance. I am 56 and have a wonderful husband and three beautiful 20 something children. I had a routine mammogram in April (12 monthly due to Mum and sister both having BC in the past - both early and doing fine now) and diagnosed on 13 May with invasive carcinoma with micropapillary features, 17mm in size, ER/PR+ve HER2 2+equivaocal from biopsy and ultrasound/3D mammogram. A further weeks wait for HER2 ISH testing which was negative before surgery options were discussed. As I have size G breasts and the lump was apparently so small I opted for WLE with oncoplastic breast reduction as my Mum and sister had both had good outcomes with lumpectomy so I was confident with the reduction they would get good margins. Surgery was performed on 30/5 and I’ve recovered well. Here js the kicker…I went back for the surgery and sentinel lymph node biopsy results and first the surgeon tells me the tumour was 64mm not 17mm! Then he tells me there were mega metastases in the lymph node which was removed. On the pathology report it say ‘the lymph node is almost completely replaced by metastatic carcinoma with similar histological features’. The sentinel node was 28mm. Does this mean I have metastatic cancer? I am reeling…how did they get it so wrong??? And what now? The surgeon has said the next step is an auxiliary dissection which he has booked me in on 30/6 to do…20 days away! He said he needs to wait for things to settle properly after the last surgery with reduction. Meanwhile this cancer is travelling all through me… I am booked in for a PET with CT scan on Thursday which I guess they are looking for more metastases. Should I also be asking for a bone scan? I have not been referred to an oncologist yet, apparently that is after the next surgery but I really don’t understand why they wouldn’t be thinking to get me started on that now rather than waiting even longer. I just can’t comprehend the results I got yesterday. I have so many questions and I just feel like the surgeon is following a routine but I don’t understand why. After a sleepless night of anxiety through the roof I would love some words of advice from this amazing community. Thank you x
