The waiting is hard! But it looks like you may have some cute fur-babies to help keep you distracted and busy while you wait! Congratulations on the news of the clear lymph nodes! Keeping you in prayers for continued good news in the pathology reports! Until then, rest and heal! Hugs!
July 20
First, clear lymph nodes is genuinely great news — it means the cancer hasn't spread to those nodes, so no further lymph node surgery should be needed. Now comes the waiting game for pathology results, which will shape the next steps. Hang in there!
While waiting, here's what to generally expect after a lumpectomy with Show Full Answer
First, clear lymph nodes is genuinely great news — it means the cancer hasn't spread to those nodes, so no further lymph node surgery should be needed. Now comes the waiting game for pathology results, which will shape the next steps. Hang in there!
While waiting, here's what to generally expect after a lumpectomy with clear nodes:
- Radiation therapy is commonly recommended after a lumpectomy to destroy any remaining cancer cells
- Hormone therapy may be suggested if your cancer is estrogen or progesterone receptor-positive
- Chemotherapy might be recommended depending on what the pathology reveals
- Targeted therapy could be offered based on any genetic mutations found in the tumor The pathology report will confirm whether cancer cells are present at the surgical margins (the edges of the removed tissue). If margins are clear, that's another positive sign. If not, additional surgery may be needed, though advances in technique mean only about 20% of people require further surgery.
Your full treatment plan will likely be confirmed once your care team reviews the pathology results, so that conversation with your oncologist will be really important.
July 19
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