reactive lymph node

[julesah]

I am 45 and had a mastectomy 14 months ago for symptomatic DCIS. Histolgy revealed wide spread disease which was comedo in type and of high grade. I have just had my annual review and expressed concern that I can palpate a small lump in my axilla (the consultant could not feel it but requested an uss) The scan identified a reactive lymph node. I did not have the opportunity to have a sentinel node biopsy which i understand can identify micro-invasive disease which can occasionally occur in high grade DCIS. Should i ask for any further investigations or am i just being paranoid? Jules

[bluebutterfly2222]

Sorry, I meant to type "had widespread disease."

[bluebutterfly2222]

I can understand your concern, especially since you have widespread disease, comedo type, and high grade.

A sentinal node biopsy would have identified macroinvasion, but probably not microinvasion.

Local therapies (surgery, radiation) remove or attack visible cancer, while systemic therapies (chemo, hormone-suppressing  meds, monoclonal antibodies, etc.) attack and hopefully kill  invisible cancer cells (microinvasions/micrometastases) at distant sites.

I this was not already recommended, you could certainly request short-term followup, to see if the has node enlarged.

If you are highly concerned, you could also discuss with your breast surgeon whether it would be reasonable to biopsy the node.

Bestwishes...