Hi Claire,
Not a medic, just an ex-patient, but appreciate that you want detailed answers to your questions. I was the same.
I am certain they would never delay chemo for 10-12 weeks if they thought the delay might jeopardize your survival. Your medical teams are experts. And they want you to be cured.
My non-expert understanding is that a biopsy is never a substitute, in terms of accuracy, for a full pathological examination of the lymph node. But the medical team works very hard to balance the morbidity risks, associated with lymph node removal, with the reduced side effects, but also reduced accuracy, of a biopsy. 
I was terrified when I was waiting for my sentinal node procedure results. I knew in advance that a positive result would have meant  a removal of all lymph nodes in the groin. But I had read up on it, and knew it would have been the right thing to do. Fortunately for me, I got lucky. My sentinal nodes were fine.
Really sorry your results were not great. I wish you the very best, Claire.
x Harry

Hello and thank you for your post.

I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis and I can appreciate that this must be a difficult time for you.

Hopefully, you have spoken with your breast care nurse and have a better understanding of what is happening. I hope the following information will help too.

Sometimes after breast surgery, once it has been checked, more cancer is seen.  So to be sure that all the cancer is removed more surgery is needed. To mop up any cancer cells that may be left, and to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back, treatment is needed after surgery; radiotherapy is given to the local area (where the cancer was) and chemotherapy is given into the blood to go all over the body.

Radiotherapy or surgery is used to remove the lymph nodes if one or more have cancer in them.  Doing this reduces the risk of the cancer spreading.

I am afraid that I do not know if having a mastectomy may mean you do not have radiotherapy to your breast, because that will depend on exactly where the cancer is found in your breast and lymph nodes and the risk of cancer coming back.  You will have to ask if having one is the best option for you.

You may need to have a CT and or MRI scan to see if the cancer has spread but I am not sure about that so do ask.

It might help if you read our information about how breast cancer treatment decisions are made.

I realise that waiting to start this treatment is a worry.  But if you have further surgery that area needs to start to heal before other treatments are given. Therefore,  I am not sure that even if you went privately it would be done much sooner. 

I hope you have support.  You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline.  The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9 am till 5 pm, Monday to Friday.

Take care,

Caroline

Thank you so much for your kind words and sharing your though and Experiance x