HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Can someone explain what metastic disease means?

Becky · 10-22-2009, 01:37 PM

Dear Lisa

I suppose what needs to be determined is what the difference between metastatic disease and Stage 4 is. For example, like you, I was also node positive and nodes are not breast so... theorectically any woman with node positive disease or even just angio/lymphaic invasion has metastatic disease - cancer in nodes or vessels. However, I have always considered metastatic disease as cancer in other organs but then, the lymph system and nodes are different organs than breast.

I suppose you should call back and ask for this clarification - are they looking only for Stage 1 women without or without angiolymphatic invasion (or those Stage 1s with no invasion at all perhaps?!??)

If it is Stage 1 women, then they don't want anyone who had nodes involved and thus, they are considering positive nodes as "metastatic" (which strictly defined is true but not when the rest of the world defines metastatic (aka "mets") as distant organ involvement.

10-22-2009, 01:37 PM	#2
Becky Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Stockton, NJ Posts: 4,179	Re: Can someone explain what metastic disease means? Dear Lisa I suppose what needs to be determined is what the difference between metastatic disease and Stage 4 is. For example, like you, I was also node positive and nodes are not breast so... theorectically any woman with node positive disease or even just angio/lymphaic invasion has metastatic disease - cancer in nodes or vessels. However, I have always considered metastatic disease as cancer in other organs but then, the lymph system and nodes are different organs than breast. I suppose you should call back and ask for this clarification - are they looking only for Stage 1 women without or without angiolymphatic invasion (or those Stage 1s with no invasion at all perhaps?!??) If it is Stage 1 women, then they don't want anyone who had nodes involved and thus, they are considering positive nodes as "metastatic" (which strictly defined is true but not when the rest of the world defines metastatic (aka "mets") as distant organ involvement. __________________ Kind regards Becky Found lump via BSE Diagnosed 8/04 at age 45 1.9cm tumor, ER+PR-, Her2 3+(rt side) 2 micromets to sentinel node Stage 2A left 3mm DCIS - low grade ER+PR+Her2 neg lumpectomies 9/7/04 4DD AC followed by 4 DD taxol Used Leukine instead of Neulasta 35 rads on right side only 4/05 started Tamoxifen Started Herceptin 4 months after last Taxol due to trial results and 2005 ASCO meeting & recommendations Oophorectomy 8/05 Started Arimidex 9/05 Finished Herceptin (16 months) 9/06 Arimidex Only Prolia every 6 months for osteopenia NED 18 years! Said Christopher Robin to Pooh: "You must remember this: You're braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think"