lymph nodes!!

Hi everyone, 

My oncologist has made no mention of my lymph nodes being involved however my specialist nurse dropped a bombshell on me and said it looked like I had enlarged nodes on either side. Micro metastic is?? Sorry about spelling. Anyway this has thrown me and terrified the living day lights out of me. Anyone with positive nodes? I don't understand why my oncologist wouldn't have said unless he doesn't see it as a massive diagnostic issue? Starting to really not like the nurse lol!! Also more concerned by this as I'm not having the conventional treatment for stage 1b2 I'm having taxol combo followed by hysterectomy. 

 

Thanks in advance guys 

Charlene xx

Hi Charlene,

have you had MRI and ct scans? I would have thought they'd check the lymph nodes one way or the other. Why are they offering a more unusual treatment?

i really wish everyone involved would get their story straight before they speak! You must be all over the place. 

Hugs, Molly xx

Hello Charlene,

did the nurse use the term 'micro metastic'?  I had micro metastisis of the ovaries.  I asked for the ovaries to be removed during surgery for a radical hysterectomy and after everything was analysed, cancerous cells were found in both ovaries. These weren't picked up in the scans due to it's small size, hence the term 'micro'. 

I wouldn't be concerned that your treatment does not seem 'conventional' as each case is treated individually and is specific to your case.  I'm sure there are other ladies out there who have had taxol combo then surgery.  I think the taxol combo regime is to shrink the tumor to optomize its surgical removal.   Maybe some of the ladies whose treatment has been similar will reply to confirm this?

Sharon

Hi Charlene,

No wonder you are terrified (((HUG)))

I will try to help ease your worries abit.Sorry if it's abit garbled!!

I believe fom reading your previous posts you are having the Taxol combo

because you are unable to have radiotherapy,have I got that right?

So that's the reason you are finding it hard to chat with ladies at the same

stage as you, going through the same treatment.Most ladies have the cisplatin/radio

to shrink the tumour then maybe surgery afterwards if needed.

I had major lymph node involvement and was able to have the cisplatin/radio to

shrink my tumour and resolve the lymph node involvement.If this had not worked

or if I need more treatment in the future it will be chemo,as I can't have any more

radiotherapy.

As Molly say's,if you have lymph node involvement I would have thought they would

have given you a pet/ct scan.I am not medically trained and everybody's treatment is

tailored to their own individual needs,everyone is different.Even when it sounds the same

the strength of the chemo and the radiotherapy is different,dependent on loads of other

factors.

I would call your CNS or ask the consultant to call you if you don't like your nurse, and

ask them to explain things from start to finish.It's your body and you need to know what

is going on so that you are clear and don't have any extra worry.You need to be as calm

as poss to get through this,stress is not what you need.

I hope everything goes well for you.

Takecare

Becky x

Thanks guys, yip it was recommended by my doctor we didn't do radio as my bmi was too low to protect my other organs. I just don't get why my nurse would bring it up when the oncologist has made no mention and tbh I'm too scared to ask. I'm sure the taxol will have sorted out any loose ends and the surgery will involve the lymph nodes coming out! I had a pet ct straight away after diagnosis before I had an mri in fact and it was clear to my knowledge I was told nothing more than it was staged at 1b2 adenocarcinoma. Quite high up. He didn't give me any indication of size just that it was smaller than expected and made no mention of the nodes. I understand it was too big for surgery and so now we are bringing it to an operable level what I don't like is getting told over the phone there is lymph node involvement and that it's fairly common try not to worry. Then when I said my concern is having the surgery then as obviously I want to make sure these nodes are treated and all I got was yeah I understand your concern!!! A a aah! My specialist nurse is never available and the one time I talk to her in like 3 months she drops one on me like a ton of bricks. I know I'm probably being over dramatic because at the end of the day it's stage one and that's fab when you put things in perective but the lymph node thing just made it very scary. She never said micro metastisis but again I figured if there was technically a secondary cancer in my lymph nodes he's bound to have told me. Sometimes I think he's going me a favour not telling me things I don't need to know, that only cause fear.

 

Charlene xx 

Hi hon,

for me, I would rather know everything. It sounds like not being sure of things is causing you considerable stress, so I really think you need a big long phone call, or an appointment, to get everything set down for you in black and white. being worried about it is not going to help you get better!

i think I have been lucky with the people I have dealt with, but I do maintain that one of the most helpful for me was my consultants secretary. Is there someone like that you could ring?

big hugs, 

Molly xx