i was diagnosed with invasive lobular cancer to my left breast at the end of July. I had no symptoms and it was picked up on a routine mammogram. As it was invasive they did a follow up MRI scan which did not give any indication that it was in the lymph nodes. This was fantastic news after the shock of the diagnosis. I was adamant that I wanted a mastectomy as my best friend had died from breast cancer when we were in our 30s following a lumpectomy. It took 4 doctors to finally convince me that I could have a wide local incision with a therapeutic mammoplasty to help take away my fears of the cancer returning.
i am now 1 week post op and feel glad that I listened to the surgeon who appears to have done a lovely job but on my discharge paperwork from the ward, it says that they removed hot and blue lymph nodes. I know the blue will be from the radio active dye and I have tried to research hot lymph nodes but it is all very technical. I go back on Tuesday to get my overall results and to see if I need chemo or not. I am very very anxious about this. I know I have to have radiotherapy but does a hot lymph node mean that it could have spread?
Hi @AMB1, as Londonmumof2 has confirmed - here's a link to breast cancer care which goes into more detail for you.
Try and relax (I know - easy to say!) before your SNB results as the MRI should give you more reassurance that everything should be ok I was diagnosed over 2 years ago and didn't have an MRI. Not sure if it's new or if it's just certain hospitals that do these as an 'extra'.
The type of cancer you have ER+ |Oestrogen positive (generally no chemo - depending on how ER+ you are), so they may be running extra tests to see how positive you are if they are saying that you might not need chemo. It is out of 8. There is also a new test which wasn't around when I was diagnosed called the Oncotype DX test which is more accurate the previous methods, but that takes longer to get back.
Best wishes,
