Pathology Report
Posted by David Poncelow Fri, 22 Sep 2006 14:46:00 GMT
I just got a call from my doctor with the pathology report from my surgery. The result was that three out of the twenty-one lymph nodes were involved. The surgical borders were all clean, so the surgery got all the cancer we know of, but the cancer had gotten into fatty tissue around the sentinel lymph node. As a result, I’m going to need to have radiation therapy in addition to chemotherapy. Some of the results of the hormone tests on the first biopsy also came back- they are positive for Progesterone and Estrogen receptors. As a result, hormone therapy is also likely to be helpful (a good thing- one more way to fight this). Tests for HER2 are still outstanding- that might be another helpful mode of treatment. I’ve got another appointment next Friday at 11:15, so perhaps I’ll get a bit more interpretation for these results then. I think I may be into the time when there are fewer answers forthcoming- it’s going to be a long game of wait-and-see. I’ll know what the next step is on Friday at least.
In the meantime I’m healing well. I’m up and about, even took a walk into downtown Ballard a little while ago. It’s a bright, sunshiny day today- another perfect day to be living in Seattle. It’s definitely fall, with a bit of a nip in the moist air (it’s been raining in the evenings). I’m about ready for another nap, and I might even make it out to visit with some friends tonight. I’m already a bit stir-crazy, which may not bode well for the next couple weeks