Lymphatic/vessel invasion

jj5 · New User Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 3 Location: Australia

I had IDC BC. On my pathology report it states that there is Lymphatic/vessel invasion, My nodes where positive. Does this mean that the cancer has gotten into my blood stream I have heard of people that have had no invasion with positive nodes. is this possible
thanks
JJ
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IDC DX 2006, nodes positive, chemo, rads and Tam

Cindy · Senior User Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Posts: 156

Unfortunately...yes. BUT...do not panic. Doesn't mean you are going to die. My pathology was horrible. On top of large tumor, triple negative, positive nodes, multifocal points of cancer, yada, yada, I had EXTENSIVE angiolymphatic invasion. Doc did the lumpectomy, told me I needed mastectomy, but I was sent straight to chemo, as I didn't have time to have the mastectomy. Doc said cancer cells were in my blood stream and I had to start treatment as soon as possible. To make a long story short, I am almost a 5 year survivor with no recurrence. I still take it one day at a time...but I do not worry about death.
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Where is the cure???
www.truefacesofbreastcancer.org
www.diepbreastreconstruction.org
www.bcsisters.org/forum
www.mybreastcancerstore.com

Muttsmom · Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 8:49 pm Post subject: Re: Lymphatic/vessel invasion

Hi,
Even though the pathology report showed no cancer cells in the blood vessels they checked during my mastectomy, there is no doubt that it was in my blood stream, having 9+ nodes. I don't know how it couldn't have gotten into my blood stream since it was already in many lymph nodes. With that said, I'm 5+ years out with no recurrence. I've seen ladies with no node involvement have a recurrence, and those with node involvement still doing great. A lot of this is a crap shoot, but getting with a good onco and getting the treatment best for your kind of cancer along with all the other details of your specific path report, gives us all the best chance of killing any of those suckers still floating around in our blood stream so they can't set up shop.

There is nothing saying having positive nodes means you won't live with NED for many many years. We have to keep praying for a cure, so we don't live with this black cloud over our heads. The longer out from treatment you are, the less you live and breathe cancer. I remember when I was dx and for probably the 1st year, maybe 18 months, I went to bed thinking about cancer and woke up thinking about it. Now, a lot of times, it feels like I'm talking about someone else. Time really does help!!! Smile

_________________
Nancy
2/14/02 ILC 43 - 5.5 cm 9+/16 nodes
Stage IIIA er/pr+ Her2-
2/02 MRM
FECx6 radsx33
Tamoxifen - Arimidex (chemo induced menopause)
4/03 SM w/bilat. recon.
9/03 expanders removed
5/04 repair reconst. disaster
10/04 Actonel for bone/joint pain from Arimidex
NED - 5 years
3/07 Diabetes
In memory of Kim 12/1/04

Cindy · Senior User Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Posts: 156

MM...I absolutely agree. As time goes on, we think about cancer less and less. I still think about it, but sometimes a day goes by and it doesn't enter my mind. I never thought I would EVER have that kind of life again. I know we are not "free". We will never be free until there is a cure. Sure, I would Love to have my old life back, but what I have learned is there is still room for a good life in this new/different body.
_________________
Where is the cure???
www.truefacesofbreastcancer.org
www.diepbreastreconstruction.org
www.bcsisters.org/forum
www.mybreastcancerstore.com

brainman · Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 12:05 pm Post subject: Re: Lymphatic/vessel invasion

Just one slight correction: the Lymphatic system is not the blood system. Having said that, your having nodes that are positive does indicate that all of your body could potentially have breast cancer cells present. I will continue to keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

JM · Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 9:13 pm Post subject: lymph node involvement

Hi JJ5,

I haven't been to this site in some time now, but I happen to see your post tonight and I wanted to share this with you. My pathology report showed that I had 34 positive lymph nodes. I was so devasted when I read that report. I was diagnosed in between two hurricanes in Sept 2004. One month later, I had a double mod. rad mast. Turns out I had a 12 cm tumor in one breast and a 9 cm tumor in the other. No one thought I had long to live. I went through a full load of treatments and here I am two and a half years later. I have alot of physical limitations in my upper body now as a result of my surgery and radiation burns, but I have come to a leveling off of sorts. I have slowly come to learn what my "new normal" is and I hope that in time you will too. I haven't met any other person who had tumors as large as mine and with as many positive nodes, but I'm sure they are out there.

MM is right. As time goes by cancer isn't the main focus anymore, at least for me. For the first year or so after my diagnosis I was in cancer world and it was all cancer all the time. I didn't know what else to talk about. Now, I do think about it, as I have physical issues to deal with, but it does seem like it was someone else who went through it. It's kind of fuzzy in spots now.

I don't know if I've been of any help or comfort to you. All I can say is hang in there, get the treatment you need and know that one day, down the road, you will find your new normal.
Best wishes,
JM
_________________
JM Age 44
DX9/04 Lobular
10/04 Dbl MRM 9 cm tumor & 16 pos nodes on right side & 12 cm tumor & 18 pos on left
Stage 3C ER+/PR+ HER2-
11/04 AC-T
3/05 -6/05 Rads under arms,sides & chest, collarbones to last ribs. 3rd degree burns,lost 5 layers skin
4/05 Tamoxifen-Is it hot in here or is it just me?

Muttsmom · Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 10:51 pm Post subject: Re: Lymphatic/vessel invasion

Hi JM,
You were just a year older then me when dx and both ILC. I had 9+ nodes and a friend of mine had 11 and we're all hanging with NED!! I love that name Smile

_________________
Nancy
2/14/02 ILC 43 - 5.5 cm 9+/16 nodes
Stage IIIA er/pr+ Her2-
2/02 MRM
FECx6 radsx33
Tamoxifen - Arimidex (chemo induced menopause)
4/03 SM w/bilat. recon.
9/03 expanders removed
5/04 repair reconst. disaster
10/04 Actonel for bone/joint pain from Arimidex
NED - 5 years
3/07 Diabetes
In memory of Kim 12/1/04

jj5 · New User Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 3 Location: Australia

Hi There all...I would just like to thank you all for your comments, It does make me feel ALOT better.
You will all be in my thoughts and prayers
Jj5
_________________
IDC DX 2006, nodes positive, chemo, rads and Tam

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