Hi everyone, I am half way through my first chemo drugs this week. Bit of a milestone. I will then have another course before I have surgery as I have the triple negative kind of breast cancer. I just wondered if anyone knows how they decide whether the chemo has been successful. It took a biopsy to prove I had cancer I think but I can't see any advice that says I'll have another one to check whether it's gone, please universe,or whether they wait until after surgery.
Hi Mellowyellow99
Before surgery they will insert a guide wire in the breast that is being operated on so that the surgeon knows where the tumour to be removed is. They will also inject you with a blue dye to highlight the sentinel nodes to be removed. It doesn't take very long it is painless. Once the tumour and the nodes are removed they'll be sent to pathology and they will do a biopsy to see if there is any cancer left. You may need another surgery if they don't get clear margins from your operation, but hopefully they will. The results will probably take about two weeks and then your surgeon will arrange an appointment with you to discuss the results.
Wishing you the best of luck with your operation.
Best wishes
Daisy53
