Based on her previous pathology report, her left breast has been diagnosed with Extensive Intraductal Carcinoma with lymphatic invasion present. This is a very common form of breast cancer (65% of all breast cancers) and it is usually very easily treated. Currently, the treatment plan is to go back into surgery on Monday, March 2nd at the University Hospital in Columbia, MO. They will inject a die into the area that had previously been biopsied. The die will then flow to her lymph nodes. The lymph node that collects the most die is called the Sentinel Lymph Node.
Next, she will go under general anesthesia. They will complete a sentinel lymph node biopsy and remove a small area of tissue surrounding her previous biopsy. While she is still under anesthesia, they will look at the lymph node and surrounding breast tissue microscopically. If they detect no cancer cells, the surgery is complete. She will then proceed with a week of radiation via a Mammosite and possibly chemotherapy once every 3 weeks for 16 weeks.
If cancer cells are detected in the breast tissue or sentinel lymph node, there is a wide range of treatment depending on the extent of the cancer. They will take anywhere from 5 to all of her axillary lymph nodes - the lymph nodes near her underarm. And the worst case scenario is a mastectomy. Whatever treatment is appropriate, will be completed that day while she is anesthetized.
If it appears that the cancer is extensive in the lymph nodes, further tests would be completed, bone scans, PET scans, etc. to determine the extent of the metastasis. She would then have extensive radiation and chemo.
She was disappointed that she has to undergo further surgery, but I think she is in good spirits. She doesn't like for me to see her upset, so it is hard to know how she really feels. I feel that everything will go well. I believe that there will be no more cancer detected on March 2nd.
praying for y'all for March 2nd.
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