Hey all I'm wondering if anyone has had breast cancer spread to there internal mammary chain? I'm confused what this means and wanna know anyone's experience please. Xxx
Hi. Yes I struggled to find ppl in a similar situation but there are a few about.
Hang on in there, it will get easier. I was a wreck in the beginning. Everyone said once you get a plan & get started it gets better. Didn't believe them but it was true.
I've got IDC and 2 internal mammary nodes. ER + (weakly) No other spread thankfully. Just coming to end of chemo & waiting to see what operation will be needed. Not sure of stage. Didn't want to know. Wasn't in right frame of mind at beginning. Tho can work it tbh. Just thought better to get through it.
Re the sternum pain. Had a little discomfort but not sure if that was anything to do with it tbh.
No, I've not started treatment. I'm told i should start chemo in 2 weeks and take it from there. Just found out results of bone scan and CT. They found an isolated lesion on my sternum but they've still diagnosed it as locally advanced breast cancer in view to cure it. That may explain the swollen internal node. Thankfully the rest is clear.
Hi, I was diagnosed Feb 2019 with locally advanced (internal mammary node involvement) thought I'd share my experience it may help. I searched for weeks for ladies with a similar diagnosis and found a few.
I had 6 rounds of chemo EC/Docetaxel right side mastectomy with full lymph node removal (they can't operate on internal mammary) pathology results after surgery showed a complete pathological response to chemo. No active cancer left in the breast or the nodes and the mammary nodes were no longer showing active (hope those little suckers are all dead) and due to the complete response they are presumed to be the same.
finished up with radiotherapy to the breast and sternum. Good luck ladies ️
Hey I hope you are doing well and recovering from your awful diagnoses you are incredibly brave. I just wondered about your experience how they knew your internally mammary nodes were effected? I was told pre cancer then after lumpectomy 6 weeks wait for the results to be told invasive mammary breast cancer tall celL which I've never heard of. :( any help And advice would be much appreciated xxxxxx
I had my surgery before chemo but otherwise think I am following a similar path to you. surgery removed my breast and axilla lymph nodes on right side (I also had left breast removed due to risk factors)
as a whole bunch of unexpected cancerous lymph nodes were undetected at biopsy but found during surgery, I requested a post surgery CT scan
The results of that showed an infected node in my internal mammary gland chain. My post operative treatment plan was always chemo (EC and Abraxane) followed by radiotherapy. But if I am honest I was hoping to limit the amount of radiation I would need. I guess with this mammary node, that will be out of the question ♀️ I am also looking to see if the mammary node being affected, affects long term survival rates or chance of reoccurrence. I am 41 with two young kids so this is very important to me. Any light you could shed on it would be much appreciated, I like to be informed.
