When I had my first breast cancer 30 years ago my breast cancer surgeon, a woman, was very honest and never tried to hide information or treat me like I was too uninformed to understand anything. Since cancer can travel through blood vessels, lymph nodes etc. and you are cutting all of those in surgery, of course cancer cells get out. We just have to hope that our bodies have the strength to fight these now that the big clump of them has been removed. Here is an article which may help https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5380551/
I don’t think you can cover all the bases, all the time. Do what you can or feel comfortable with and keep positive that the body will do the rest. Running after every single test would keep me in a constant state of stress, but that's just me.
When I had my first breast cancer 30 years ago my breast cancer surgeon, a woman, was very honest and never tried to hide information or treat me like I was too uninformed to understand anything. Since cancer can travel through blood vessels, lymph nodes etc. and you are cutting all of those in surgery, of course cancer cells get out. We just have to hope that our bodies have the strength to fight these now that the big clump of them has been removed. Here is an article which may help https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5380551/
I don’t think you can cover all the bases, all the time. Do what you can or feel comfortable with and keep positive that the body will do the rest. Running after every single test would keep me in a constant state of stress, but that's just me.
I had focal lymphovascular invasion but the margins were sufficient for me to feel that everything had been cut out. I am ten years out. The article liked above does say that "Surgery is a crucial intervention and provides a chance of cure for patients with cancer." but suggests some possible approaches after surgery to prevent risk of cancer cell growth. I am wondering why they did not mention hormonal meds, which I have read address residual cells.
I was told that we have cancer cells circulating all the time. The significance of lymphovascular invasion was not the presence of cancer cells per se, but the fact that they were "wanted to travel" and were able to implant. Apparently some cells can and some can't.
I would never decline surgery based on this article and that is not the authors' intent.
I sat across from a women while we both had some IV treatments at an integrative medicine clinic. She had not had a biopsy because she had heard it causes cancer to spread. We always went same time, same day. Pretty soon she was no longer there.
I would discuss this article with an oncologist. It was originally 2015 I think. I am puzzled by the lack of mention of aromatase inhibitors or tamoxifen. If anyone is thinking about avoiding surgery, please talk to your doctor.
@checker98 you will probably have an Oncotype Dx test or similar testing to determine if chemo is beneficial, or if it is better to do only hormonal meds. What surgery are you having?
@catherineedna Thank you for the link to a very informative article regarding surgery and cancer metastasis. Although the article by itself is only a research based on other articles, it confirms that surgery can cause cancer spread. I agreed with @windyshores that its intention is not to discourage surgery but to discuss options that might reduces the risk of cancer spreading. After all I believe that surgery is the best way to remove majority of cancer cells from your body. There are some options that are suggested to reduce the risk of spreading, but need further research. I don’t understand much about medicinal terms, but correct me if I’m wrong:
1. Chemo after surgery: but it can increase risk of infection and wound healing. My question is that if your oncotype is low, how good is it to kill rogue cancer cells? @windyshores mentions the use of AIs, but if your cancer cells are ER-, this wouldn’t help either? It wouldn’t help if the cells stay dormant and don’t need fuel to survive?
2. Beta blockers/COX: results are inconclusive
3. Some other treatments/medications that need further research. I have no idea what it’s talking about.
Obviously if the threat of cancer metastasis is high, there would be an active effort to prevent that from happening. In the mean time what other options do we have but surgery?
@catherineedna Thank you for the link to a very informative article regarding surgery and cancer metastasis. Although the article by itself is only a research based on other articles, it confirms that surgery can cause cancer spread. I agreed with @windyshores that its intention is not to discourage surgery but to discuss options that might reduces the risk of cancer spreading. After all I believe that surgery is the best way to remove majority of cancer cells from your body. There are some options that are suggested to reduce the risk of spreading, but need further research. I don’t understand much about medicinal terms, but correct me if I’m wrong:
1. Chemo after surgery: but it can increase risk of infection and wound healing. My question is that if your oncotype is low, how good is it to kill rogue cancer cells? @windyshores mentions the use of AIs, but if your cancer cells are ER-, this wouldn’t help either? It wouldn’t help if the cells stay dormant and don’t need fuel to survive?
2. Beta blockers/COX: results are inconclusive
3. Some other treatments/medications that need further research. I have no idea what it’s talking about.
Obviously if the threat of cancer metastasis is high, there would be an active effort to prevent that from happening. In the mean time what other options do we have but surgery?
I did not have chemo, radiation or any other treatments after my DMX. I did have clear margins. I think that's why, after 5 years, chance of recurrence is much less. If it were going to spread, it would within those 5 years.
I did not have chemo, radiation or any other treatments after my DMX. I did have clear margins. I think that's why, after 5 years, chance of recurrence is much less. If it were going to spread, it would within those 5 years.
@meeshodge that is true for hormone negative cancers. If you make it five years, I have read, chances of recurrence are low. However with hormone positive cancers, risk continues to rise, according to my doctor. I am 10 years out from a hormone positive cancer and worry remains, though I try to keep it on the back burner.
@meeshodge that is true for hormone negative cancers. If you make it five years, I have read, chances of recurrence are low. However with hormone positive cancers, risk continues to rise, according to my doctor. I am 10 years out from a hormone positive cancer and worry remains, though I try to keep it on the back burner.
@meeshodge if you had an Oncotype, the graph shows this increased risk. I have read that ER- cancers tend to recur in the first 5 years but ER+ cancers have continued and rising risk. I have had testing (Breast Cancer Index) to assess my risk for years 5-10. Check with your doctor in case there is new research information!
@meeshodge if you had an Oncotype, the graph shows this increased risk. I have read that ER- cancers tend to recur in the first 5 years but ER+ cancers have continued and rising risk. I have had testing (Breast Cancer Index) to assess my risk for years 5-10. Check with your doctor in case there is new research information!
Connect
Connect
Like
Helpful
Hug
When I had my first breast cancer 30 years ago my breast cancer surgeon, a woman, was very honest and never tried to hide information or treat me like I was too uninformed to understand anything. Since cancer can travel through blood vessels, lymph nodes etc. and you are cutting all of those in surgery, of course cancer cells get out. We just have to hope that our bodies have the strength to fight these now that the big clump of them has been removed. Here is an article which may help
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5380551/
I don’t think you can cover all the bases, all the time. Do what you can or feel comfortable with and keep positive that the body will do the rest. Running after every single test would keep me in a constant state of stress, but that's just me.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsI had focal lymphovascular invasion but the margins were sufficient for me to feel that everything had been cut out. I am ten years out. The article liked above does say that "Surgery is a crucial intervention and provides a chance of cure for patients with cancer." but suggests some possible approaches after surgery to prevent risk of cancer cell growth. I am wondering why they did not mention hormonal meds, which I have read address residual cells.
I was told that we have cancer cells circulating all the time. The significance of lymphovascular invasion was not the presence of cancer cells per se, but the fact that they were "wanted to travel" and were able to implant. Apparently some cells can and some can't.
I would never decline surgery based on this article and that is not the authors' intent.
I sat across from a women while we both had some IV treatments at an integrative medicine clinic. She had not had a biopsy because she had heard it causes cancer to spread. We always went same time, same day. Pretty soon she was no longer there.
I would discuss this article with an oncologist. It was originally 2015 I think. I am puzzled by the lack of mention of aromatase inhibitors or tamoxifen. If anyone is thinking about avoiding surgery, please talk to your doctor.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
4 Reactionslumpectomy, and they will biopsy my lymph node.
@catherineedna Thank you for the link to a very informative article regarding surgery and cancer metastasis. Although the article by itself is only a research based on other articles, it confirms that surgery can cause cancer spread. I agreed with @windyshores that its intention is not to discourage surgery but to discuss options that might reduces the risk of cancer spreading. After all I believe that surgery is the best way to remove majority of cancer cells from your body. There are some options that are suggested to reduce the risk of spreading, but need further research. I don’t understand much about medicinal terms, but correct me if I’m wrong:
1. Chemo after surgery: but it can increase risk of infection and wound healing. My question is that if your oncotype is low, how good is it to kill rogue cancer cells? @windyshores mentions the use of AIs, but if your cancer cells are ER-, this wouldn’t help either? It wouldn’t help if the cells stay dormant and don’t need fuel to survive?
2. Beta blockers/COX: results are inconclusive
3. Some other treatments/medications that need further research. I have no idea what it’s talking about.
Obviously if the threat of cancer metastasis is high, there would be an active effort to prevent that from happening. In the mean time what other options do we have but surgery?
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionI did not have chemo, radiation or any other treatments after my DMX. I did have clear margins. I think that's why, after 5 years, chance of recurrence is much less. If it were going to spread, it would within those 5 years.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@meeshodge that is true for hormone negative cancers. If you make it five years, I have read, chances of recurrence are low. However with hormone positive cancers, risk continues to rise, according to my doctor. I am 10 years out from a hormone positive cancer and worry remains, though I try to keep it on the back burner.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionI have never heard of that. Mine was hormone receptive as well.
@meeshodge if you had an Oncotype, the graph shows this increased risk. I have read that ER- cancers tend to recur in the first 5 years but ER+ cancers have continued and rising risk. I have had testing (Breast Cancer Index) to assess my risk for years 5-10. Check with your doctor in case there is new research information!
All I had was the DXsion which was high (92)
What is the DXsion?