for those who started out with DCIS and/or microinvasive breast cancer
 

they are now looking at what factors predict a positive sentinel lymph node biopsy in order to counsel patients preoperatively regarding whether SLNB or not and when...

Am J Surg. 2008 Apr 22 [Epub ahead of print]
Role of primary tumor characteristics in predicting positive sentinel lymph nodes in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ or microinvasive breast cancer.

Yi M, Krishnamurthy S, Kuerer HM, Meric-Bernstam F, Bedrosian I, Ross MI, Ames FC, Lucci A, Hwang RF, Hunt KK.
Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
BACKGROUND: We determined the incidence of positive sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or microinvasive breast cancer (MIC) and the predictive factors of SLN metastasis in these patients. METHODS: Of 4,503 patients who underwent SLN dissection between March 1994 and March 2006 at our institution, we identified those with a preoperative diagnosis or final diagnosis of DCIS or MIC. Clinicopathologic factors were examined by logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the 624 patients with a preoperative diagnosis of DCIS or MIC, 40 had positive SLNs (6.4%). Of the 475 patients with a final diagnosis of DCIS or MIC, 9 had positive SLNs (1.9%). Clinical DCIS size >5 cm was the only independent predictor of positive SLN for patients with a preoperative diagnosis and patients with a final diagnosis of DCIS or MIC. Core biopsy as the method of preoperative diagnosis and DCIS size >5 cm were independent predictors for a final diagnosis of invasive carcinoma in the 149 patients who had a preoperative diagnosis of DCIS or MIC. CONCLUSIONS: SLN dissection for patients with a diagnosis of DCIS should be limited to patients who are planned for mastectomy or who have DCIS size >5 cm. Patients who have a core-needle biopsy diagnosis of DCIS have a higher risk of invasive breast cancer on final pathologic assessment of the primary tumor. This information can be used in preoperative counseling of patients with DCIS regarding the timing of SLN biopsy.
PMID: 18436181 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

This is me, me, me!!!

I have often wondered if they caused my 7mm invasion due to 6 punches from a core needle. I had 4.2 cm of DCIS.

anyone else with this???

Gruesome chemo with TCH?
 

Hi there. I write to ask if anyone, has experienced dreadful 7-10 in the bed malaise, pain, migraines, heart racing- from Herceptin Carboplatin Taxotere chemos? I do not believe I can do this three more times. Thank you! I am HER2 positive, ER-PR negative. negative nodes.

REally appreciate it. Westswon