i was told monday i had vascular invasion mx i november 5 chemos in and noone metioned this before,im really scared now can anyone help as im reading bad stuff about it.
I was told exactly the same, after I'd had 4 cycles of adjuvant chemo (gemcitabine & cisplatin) following surgery to remove the bottom lobe of my right lung. It was the oncologist who mentioned it quite casually at my final appointment before signing me off from oncology & transferring me back to the Respiratory Clinic for follow-ups. I was flabbergasted - no-one had mentioned it at all, not even my assigned lung specialist nurse! I was left wondering what might have happened if I'd decided against having chemo.
That was in September 2011. Every check-up since then has been clear, I'm pleased to say. I'm now on annual review, the next check-up being due in July. The doctor told me they would be checking my liver and brain at that time - scary or what?!!!
However, I deliberately haven't Googled to find out what my chances are. I don't want to look at statistics or doom-and-gloom websites. I feel fine, am putting on weight (too much!) and am generally glad to be alive. I'm not even nervous about the July checkup. I'm 69, and 2 years on from diagnosis, and I intend to get to my 3-score years and ten, so there!
So Jenny my advice is - stop looking at those websites! Just carry on with your life, as there's no point dwelling on the "what-ifs". You'll drive yourself barmy with worry, and miss out on all the life you've got left, which will be a shame.
Hey Twirly! Three score years is no good - you will reach much more than that I hope. I'm 65 and just started my chemo after surgery. (Tax/Carboplatin/Herceptin). I want another 20 years at least!
As for vascular invasion. No-one mentioned this to me either, but I did get all my path reports and it was on there - no evidence of any in my case. As that was good news, I would have thought it might have been mentioned.
Hi, I also had "extensive lymphovascular invasion" with grade 3 breast tumour but they have told me I do not need chemo as ER positive so the Letrozole will cover any cells which may have gone walkabouts as sentinel node was clear. They also couldn't get clear margins as against chest wall. I was assured that 5 radiotherapy boosts would cover that. I really wish I could trust this information but have never had these problems pointed out to me only found out from path report which I requested. I wondered whether there was anyone else who hadn't had chemo despite lymphovascular invasion. All the best to you x
