On Friday I went for the results of my operation and I got mixed news. The great news is that following the SLNB, the lymph nodes do not contain cancer cells meaning that the cancer is contained and has not spread.
What happens after a lumpectomy is that the tissue that has been removed is examined to see if there is a 2mm margin of healthy cells around the cancer. This is known as a clear or negative margin. Unfortunately in my case there wasn't a clear margin (known as positive margins - ironic because it's not positive news!), which means that I need to have another operation (scheduled for 22/01) to remove a bit more tissue. Apparently this happens in around 20-25% of cases following a WLE.
Although obviously I'm really pleased about the lymph nodes, this journey just seems never ending!
Hi Jo
ReplyDeleteWonderful news about the clear nodes but what a pain to not have clear margins. I am with you, it does seem never-ending. Two steps forward and another one backwards.
I also had SNB. When I went for follow-up I sat there getting increasingly optimistic as surgeon told me clear nodes, clear margins, stage 1c tumour, 8/8 ER +........ wow, I thought, this is as good as it gets with bc... then came the 'BUT".... HER2+. So this put me on the road of having to go through adjuvant chemo and am now just finished cycle 8 of 18 cycles of herceptin and will finish August 2013. as you say Jo, it seems never-ending - but we will get there:)