Lymph Node Involvement in Breast Cancer: All You Need to Know
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 พ.ค. 2024
- Why do lymph nodes matter in breast cancer? How do lymph nodes influence treatment options and prognosis? Is there a difference between lymph node metastasis and metastatic breast cancer? In this video, Dr. Jennifer Griggs explains everything you need to know about lymph node involvement in breast cancer.
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Disclaimer: Yerbba TH-cam videos are for informational purposes only, do not constitute medical advice, and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your medical team, mental health professional, or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your medical condition.
I'd never heard about lymph nodes that re grow, or new ones being formed. Just assumed we had a fixed amount of them in our bodies. Learn something new every day! Thank-you Dr. Jen.
Our pleasure. Our bodies are amazing.
Can I ask is it possible to have a breast lump and lymph node (sentinel area) larger and it not be breast cancer?
@@yerbba I didn't know that. I had 16 of them removed and 14 were involved.
Wow! They removed all of my lymph nodes on the right side, I didn’t know we could grow more! That’s cool!
It's amazing what our bodies are capable of! While the lymph nodes that have been removed won't grow back, your body will "recruit" additional lymph nodes.The lymphatic system is incredibly adaptable.
Thank you . Very informative . I now understand my breast cancer better . I was stage one . I did surgery , chemo , and radiation . I was HER 2 positive . I will be taking pills . I have genetic risk of recurrence. That is why aggressive treatment was chosen . Thank you .
Thank you!! Your videos explain things in much more detail than my doctor has time to do. I love my onc but there's just never enough time to cover everything and your videos really help fill the gaps.
Thank you for your kind words. It's heartening to hear that our videos have been a helpful resource for you. We appreciate your support.
Very helpful thank you!
Thank you for watching. We are so glad you found this video helpful!
Excellent video 🙌
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Very informative, as always! Thank you!
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Thank you for this video. Good information as always.
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Thank you Dr Jen for sharing..❤❤❤
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Such great informative video, thank you dr Griggs x
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Thank you, Dr Griggs, for medical advice.
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Thank you so much ... this answered my question about lymph nodes.
We are so glad you found this video helpful. Thank you for watching!
Thanks 😊😊
Thank you for watching!
Thank you very much for your information and for your kind way of informing us.
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Thankyou Dr.. very good information 💖🙏
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@yerbba Thank you so much for this video . I do watch regularly your videos and they give a lot of information as well as they do give positive vibes for questions in mind and hope .
We're so happy to hear that our videos have been helpful for you during this time. Thank you for watching!
Thank you so very much 🙏
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I'm a year and 6mths cancer free I had 2 sessions of the green chemo my immune system crashed however I did have 6 sessions of radiation therapy that went well.. stradexa I took for 2and half mths this did not bid me well so discontinued talking it....I was Her2 N EP and PP ....I have a family history of blood clots and heart failure so far I'm healthy I'm 61 this year . Goodness I have so much to tell feel like I'm in therapy 😊thank you sooo much you've answered all my questions in this clip...I keep my diet clean and green also lots of protein...thank you for this platform .. 😊
You're very welcome! We're glad to hear that you found the information helpful, and it's great to know that you're a 1.5 years cancer-free. Your proactive approach to maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a clean and green diet is commendable. Thank you for being part of the Yerbba community!
This has truly been the BEST video I have seen on this topic. Thank you so much!
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Love these videos, have learned alot about my breast cancer.
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Thank you, Dr. Griggs, for your continuous medical advice.
Thank you for watching!
Thank you doctor for creating this video. These are the answers I was looking for 🙏🏻
We're glad to hear that the video provided the information you were seeking. Thank you for watching!
🌎🩺💖🙏 Thanks Dr. Jen
Thank you for watching!
excellent video. Very informative! I'm curious about positive supraclavicular nodes. I have one positve. The few statistics that I can find are quite grim. Do you talk more in depth about these specific nodes and the role they play in any of your other videos? Thank you!!
Great question. Supraclavicular lymph nodes used to be classified as Stage IV disease. Then it was found that many people were being cured with systemic therapy and radiation therapy. This led to supraclavicular lymph nodes being reclassified as N3 and the overall stage as IIIc (3C). Yes, this is a serious illness but not without hope of cure.
Many thanks, Dr. Griggs, for this informative video. I never knew most of this and it's reassuring to know that one can grow new lymph nodes.
Thank you for watching. Our bodies are amazing.
Can you do a video on extranodal extension and the implication for prognosis in stage 2B, er+, pr+, her2 -? Thank you!
Thank you for your question. Extranodal extension is associated with a higher risk of recurrence, which is why we give radiation therapy. In someone with positive lymph nodes, with or without extranodal extension, radiation therapy is considered.
@@yerbba I appreciate that you answered my question. I’ve had surgery, radiation and I’m on anastrozole. 1 lymph node positive and clean margins. Oncotype was 14. Before this I thought I had 20-30 more years but now I take one day at a time!
My pathology report noted both extranodal extension and lymphovascular invasion (Stage 3, 11 positive nodes because the original tumor was actually under my arm, not on the breast) Because of this location I just assume I have a high risk of recurrence. Would I be able to stay on a targeted therapy long-term??
My surgeon did not recommend removing lymph nodes for testing because I was stage 1 and grade 1, ER positive and am 73 years old. I was told, in my case, the risks outweighed the benefits. I had a lumpectomy with clean margins. I hope it was not a mistake to not test the lymph nodes. Thank you for your very informative videos!
Thanks for writing. In general, for people over 70 years of age with a tumor like the one you're describing, there is compelling evidence that lymph node assessment is not necessary.
@@yerbbahow about people with the same type of breast cancer stage 2 with axillary lymph nodes (1) involvement, should I get removed them and do radiotherapy?
So helpful! Thank you!! I wonder though if vigorous exercise forces cancer in lymph nodes to spread more quickly? It seems like it would get things flowing through the lymphatic and blood stream more readily.
Any cells in the lymph nodes are well embedded in the tissues. As far as we know, vigorous exercise does not dislodge cancer cells from the lymph nodes.
Great video, thank you for this! I had lumpectomy for my Er+ BC, stage 1a, with two sentinel lymph nodes taken out and pathology found no cancer cells in them. However, I would like to know,if no cancer cells were found in those two sentinel nodes, is there a possibility that in axillary lymph nodes ( if they were taken out but they did not) there would be some cancer cells? From your video I understood that they can pass some lymph nodes and go in others?
Good question. It is unlikely that someone with negative sentinel lymph nodes would have other lymph nodes that are positive. In someone with clinically negative lymph nodes (non-palpable, no enlargement or other abnormality on imaging studies), the likelihood that this would happen is very low.
Hi Doc,also kindly explain the link of sciatica and cancer patients
Thanks for the question. There is no relationship between sciatica and cancer unless someone has recurrent cancer that compresses the sciatic nerve. This is extremely uncommon.
Your videos are incredibly helpful, thank you! It would be nice if you could teach us what to expect when we stop letrozole after 10 years of treatment. Will I feel better, and if so how?
This is a great question. One would expect that any side effects from the medication will resolve and go away after a couple of weeks to a couple of months. Most people find the hot flashes and similar side effects get better first.
Thank for another informative video. A couple of questions - if a sentinel node biopsy is negative following chemotherapy and the surgery does that indicate recurrence is unlikely. Secondly I was injected with radioactive blue material injected directly into my breast prior to surgery. I understood that was to help the surgeon find the lymph nodes. I’d like to understand more about that as I took from your video that it is the pathologist who finds them. Thanks
We'll start with your second question first. The surgeon identifies the node or nodes that take up the blue dye or, in some people, the radioisotope, by looking at the lymph node with the naked eye. The pathologist is the one that identifies the actual nodal tissue and whether or not the lymph node(s) is or are positive under the microscope. Sometimes the lymph node may be enlarged or hard, both of which may indicate that the lymph node is likely to have cancer. For your second question, a negative lymph node after chemotherapy is a good sign, but the amount of tumor in the breast is also important in helping estimate a prognosis.
I wish you were my doctor in the beginning.
Thank you for watching. We hope our videos are helpful!
Thanks for the info . Do I have to worry about lymph nodes at the end of my jaw line ? It developed during my chemo sessions . Also my sentinal lymph node is clear .
It would be worth showing your doctor the lymph node that you're noticing. This is not a typical place where lymph nodes show up related to breast cancer, but it never hurts to check.
When you have metastatic disease. Internal mammary chain adenopathy noted . Does that mean there are cancer cells present in the lymph node?
Great question. This finding on imaging may mean that there are cancer cells in these lymph nodes. In general, the treatment given for the other sites in the body will treat these lymph nodes as well.
Hello, I had many nodes removed from my left arm and armpit (due to cancer), and thought the few healthy nodes would duplicate. I asked my Oncologist if they woud and was told no !
You mention recruiting lymphoid tissue - how can/does this happen please? Thank you.
Our bodies are amazing, and it's not uncommon for people who have a second lymph node dissection after a complete dissection in the past to have lymph nodes that were not there previously.
Thank you Doctor.
May i ask, would you mind telling us more about how lymph nodes work and how cancer cells go about reprogramming the nodes over time to see the cancer as "friendly"?
I just had an 80 x 50 x 60 mm tumour removed from my breast, with one node having a macro-metastasis of >10mm (but no extrusion escaping through the node wall).
At what point do cancer cells reprogramme the lymphatic system to see cancer as "friend" and therefore no longer send cells to attack the tumour?
When one node has been reprogrammed, and lets tge cancer basically claim squatters rights, live in there, and reproduce in the node: does that mean the whoke lymphatics system has come to see that particular cancer as "friendly" and so won't attack it in future?
Is this how lobular carcinoma manages to lay down micro-metastases early, and our bodies reach a point where our TNFactor and the various immune cells then won't attack those micrometastases?
Good questions, and there is of course a lot of interest in these questions. It's important to differentiate between the lymph nodes and the immune system. The lymphatic system is only part of the immune system. Immune cells are present throughout the body, including the blood and the tissues themselves.
Had sentinel lymph node biopsy with lumpectomy, all imaging prior showed benign nodes. Now dealing with cording and lymphedema, I'll have to live with a swollen arm and hand the rest of my life with constant physiotherapy appointments.
So hard to have such long term effects. Physiotherapy can be highly effective in helping with the types of problems you're having.
Day 1 post surgery
Thank you for sharing. It's important to give yourself grace during this time and focus on your healing. Make sure to follow your healthcare team's advice closely, stay hydrated, and rest as much as possible. Wishing you a smooth and gentle recovery.
How much should the patient or would want to know? Since you talk about lymph nodes why not tell about LVI.
Are some cancers of stem cell origin? If so what kills them?
Does IHC predict prognosis? If yes, why do favorable IHC outcomes die?
What is DCIS? If it’s not a ‘cancer’, why do pure DCIS patients die?
I've got a sudden appearance of a lump in my right breast which can be seen as rather a large lump on digital photos I took..I've had painful lymph nodes under my right armpit for around 1 month..severe Shingles I got early September and I'm extremely tired with a red rash over the right breast plus in between which doesn't go away..Im 52 and it is also painful on my right side near the armpit..Im going back to the doctors in a day..Any thoughts?please..😐😒
Thanks for writing. Without being part of your medical team and having the ability to examine you, it is difficult to render an opinion. The best guidance we can give is to see your doctor soon.
Can you have ctdna if your lymph nodes were clear?
The role of ctDNA is not entirely clear regardless of the stage of disease. There are no studies showing that outcomes are improved in people who have ctDNA testing done.
Hello doctor actually im new in canada and im having swolen lymph nodes and i don't know what is this and how can i be treated and is this a stage of breast cancer and i also have pain in my right side of body
Thanks for writing. Without being part of your medical team, it is difficult to know if these lymph nodes are related to cancer and what is causing your pain. If possible, seeing your primary care doctor is likely to be the next best step. If you have a known diagnosis of cancer, your cancer team can also help.
I finished breast cancer treatment for six months now but i feel some lumps above my right collar bone....is it recurrence...i am taking tamoxifen now
Thank you for writing. We cannot provide medical advice without being part of your care team and would encourage you to talk with your medical team.
1/3 is really scaring , are positive lymphe nodes that are still in the capsule more favorable in terms of prognosis?
People with cells that have not broken through the capsule may have a lower risk of locoregional recurrence.
How long can someone take for their body to heal from chemotherapy ?
The side effects last for a variable amount of time. You may find our video on the duration of chemotherapy side effects helpful. If you have other questions, come back and let us know. th-cam.com/video/smdh7F_WNYA/w-d-xo.html
Are you staging by the AJCC 2018, because I was staged at 2B, under the AJCC 2018 I was 1A
Yes, we are using the AJCC 2018 staging system.
It didn’t seem that you were by stating the size of the tumour and nodes, the 8th edition came out January 2018, there will not be a 9th edition however a 9th version digitally, there’s an app called Oncoassist
Confused. I have stage 1, level 1. Lumptectomy in 2 weeks when one node will be removed and tested. But if the slow growing tumor has not spread to nodes is radiation needed? Are you saying it can return elsewhere even if prognosis is good?
Radiation therapy is actually given to decrease the risk of recurrence in the breast and neighboring (regional) lymph nodes. Radiation therapy in your case does not decrease the risk of cancer returning in other parts of the body. Even if the surgical margins are clear, radiation therapy decreases the risk of the cancer coming back in the breast after surgery.
@@yerbbathis confuses me. Radiation doesn’t decrease the risk of it reoccurring elsewhere and yet it dii or es decrease the risk of it returning in the same spot. Yet mine is slightly w growing and doc says I have 10!years risk free. At 78 dies radiation make sense? ?
My friend got an ultrasound today and they found breast cyst, lymph node and mass can that be cancer?
We understand this must be a concerning time for your friend. It's important to note that while these findings could be related to various conditions, including non-cancerous ones, it's crucial for them to consult with a healthcare professional for a thorough assessment. Encourage your friend to share their concerns and feelings with their medical team, who can provide the necessary guidance and support during this process.
I had 1+ lymph node with favorable tumor grades and did not receive chemo or radiation and 2yrs later I have a regional reoccurrence. I don’t understand
This does sound confusing. We hope you can ask your team about the decision-making process. Thank you for watching!
3c tnbc… so tough to accept
Facing a diagnosis of stage 3C triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is undeniably a significant challenge. It's completely normal to feel a range of emotions, including difficulty in acceptance. Remember, you're not alone in this. There is a community of support here for you. Thank you for watching.
@@yerbba Thank you for what you do and the positive spirit you have.
Hi Dr.I had stage 2b breast cancer 30.5 years ago.One lymph node had a small amount of cancer in one node.I had a lumpectomy,chemo,and radiation.In March of 2020 i was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.Advanced,after having a no evidence of disease letter sent 3 months before this! Cancer is sneaky!
Hi deborah and Dr. Riggs, if deborah had a mastectomy instead of a lumpectomy, do you think she could’ve been cancer free?
How are you now deborah? I’m also diagnosed with invasive ductal stage 1 grade 2. After Mri was called in, I found out that 2 of my lymph nodes are enlarged. Do I need to be concerned that my cancer has spread in my lymph nodes?
I actually had a lumpectomy first,2.0 centimeter in late 93.With one to several lymph nodes involved you should be o.k.,with proper treatment.Mine recurred in the axillary area,and skin which is a more serious condition.
Thank you for opening up about your incredible journey. Facing stage 2b breast cancer and now navigating through a stage 3 diagnosis after a period of no evidence of disease must have its own challenges. We're here alongside you, and if there's anything more specific you'd like to learn about, please let us know.
@yerbba Dr.Griggs thank you for all that you do to help us understand breast cancer.After having 18 lymph nodes removed,and only a small amount in one 30.5 yrs.ago.I thought I wouldn't ever have a concern in my axilla area.So 4 yrs.ago the cancer recurred as a 1.5 cm.tumor,with an inch of skin involvement.What a surprise since it was not in my lymph nodes.Anyway,I did have radiation with 10 boost extra,because of not having clear margins in Nov.93.Thank you again for helping everyone on here.
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