On reactive lymph nodes and delayed diagnosis

[hutchibk]

Sheila, Debbie L, Bejuce, Ceesun and Jackie... I agree wholeheartedly. I still hear from friends who's GYNs, etc. tell them that "watchful waiting" is the recommendation, and it irks me to no end. One friend had been on watchful waiting with mammos and nodes for over a year when I convinced her to go elsewhere for second opinion. She was immediately dxed with triple neg breast cancer... terrifying.

Unreg, please please please push for the "better safe than sorry" path, and get a biopsy from a breast cancer specific surgeon.

[Jackie07]

One reason I think they do that ('watchful waiting') is because of the misconception that things can be 'over-treated' and that they want to avoid causing 'unnecessary worries' to the patients. My surgeon had told me that 'it doesn't make any difference' when my recurrence was finally found.

I heard about people losing their life because of misdiagnosis or delayed treatment. I'm not sure I've ever heard of anyone who has 'worried' him/herself to death!

However, being a 'glass half-full', die-hard optimist, I always look at the bright side of things (such as my recurrence was discovered when Herceptin had been approved...) There is a possibility that the doctors are waiting for the 'magic bullet' to be availble for their patients...

Ok, this is how it went yesterday.

The surgeon is not nearly as concerned about the cyst in my breast as he is the two lymph nodes. I don't know how big they are suppose to be but on the report they are more then 3 cm each which in his words they are alarmingly large. His office is setting me up with radiology to do a needle biopsy of the lymph nodes and he asked me if I would like to have have the cyst in my breast drained while I was there so I said I might as well. I am assuming if they drain it that will be biopsied also.

His office hasn't called me yet with an appt date and time yet, I figured I would have heard something yesterday afternoon but I didn't so I don't know when I have to go for that.

As for the "special breast cancer surgeon" I tried to do that before I saw a surgeon but in my area they do not have surgeons classified like that. They are all general surgeons and you just have to try to find one with alot of experience with the breast. The surgeon I have I know at one time but it was many years ago was one of the best breast surgeons in the area, but he also happens to be the one that removed my gallbladder too so who knows. I do trust him though he his a very compassionate and down to earth doctor. If he can't take care of it he will make sure I get to someone who can.

I am still keeping the faith and thank you for giving me this thread to purge.

You can call me Becca if you want so you don't have to call me unregistered.

My appt for my biopsies is on April 6th and then I see the surgeon again on April 11th to get the results.

Hi guys, i found this thread after crawling the internet for answers, for the past year ive had a swollen lymph node in my neck and right underarm which i thought nothing off until i starting losing drastic weight approx 2 stone in 2 months and being really exhausted and constant sore heads aswell as
terrible night sweats, so with all this i went to the docs i was fobbed of with its cysts or swollen glands, after going back and forth for about 3 months i was sent for a ct scan and a biospy which resulted in my diagnosis being reactive nodes or as the consultant said he doesn't know, im am now left frustrated and i have nowhere left to turn and was just wondering if u guys would have any advice?

Thank you in advance

[Jackie07]

Hi Becca,

I can understand your anxiety of the situation. Below are two websites that provide explanation on 'reactive lymph nodes':

“When this system is reactive it means that the system is working to fight infection. When the body has foreigners attack its cells the lymph system is a line of defense that begins to combat the infection by producing cells to fights the underlying infection. The sort of infection and its severity can be determing by examination of the accompanying symptoms.”

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_reactive_lymph_nodes_mean#ixzz1h9EDTXYE


More detailed/technical explanation can be found in this one:

http://pleiad.umdnj.edu/hemepath/normal_node/normal_node.html