Hi Jeannie,
May I suggest you visit the CSF-forum and post this question there? If my understanding is correct, the sentinel lymph node is always the first to be checked during a biopsy when a tumour is identified. It is the lymph node nearest to the tumour. This is because it is the first place metastasising cells will appear. What I am not sure about is what the presence of cancer cells in the sentinel lymph nodes and not nearby tissue means. This is a medical question which really needs to be asked of a consultant or doctor.It may indicate a particular type of cancer. Each type of cancer has its own set of symptoms or signs. This is why it is vital to inform your doctor of anything usal that you notice in your body. Depending on these presenting signs, the doctor will then choose appropriate biopsies or tests to investigate what may be happening.
You might find these links helpful:
http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertypes/Breast/Treatingbreastcancer/Surgery/Checkingthelymphnodes.aspx
http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertypes/Lymphnodessecondary/Secondarycancerlymphnodes.aspx
http://www.medicinenet.com/sentinel_lymph_node_biopsy/article.htm#1whatis
Hope this is useful,
Linda
could someone tell me if cancer has been found in the sentinel lymph node but not in the adjoining tissue, and the remaining lymph nodes are removed - how do they tell if the cancer has spread to other areas of the body?
Welcome Nikki,
Delighted to have you here. We have an association in Brittany which may well be of interest to you. Their details are on our website. I am sure they would welcome your expertise and input. Best wishes,
Linda
Hi Everyone :o)
I realise my joining now may be somewhat premature, as we haven’t even moved to Brittany yet! However, this is something I would be very glad to help with if I can be of any use… I used to be a Colo-Rectal specialist nurse, offering emotional and practical support to Bowel Cancer patients and their families. In addition to the professional side, I also wear a different cap having had personal experience of dealing with Bowel cancer which is prevalent in my family. So I will follow the activities and discussions of CSF with interest.
All the best to you all,
Nikki
Hi Alan, we hope to hear from you soon. You can visit our Languedoc Website at www.csf-languedoc.com for information and events. But please do contact our president Cat, as she can give you an excellent insite into what we are all about. Look forward to meeting you soon! Sara - VP CSF Languedoc
Morning Linda, thanks for this, I’ll get in touch with Cat.
Have a good day!
Best wishes, ALan
Morning Alan,
We have a verz active association in Languedoc/Herault. You will find their details on our website. They are about to open a day centre. Their president is Cat hartley. Her email is cathartley@aol.com. It was her secretary Sarah Bowles who created this group!
With every good wish,
Linda
Hi Linda, glad being a man is useful for once!! I’m in Beziers (Herault/34, Languedoc Roussillon). Definitely willing to help if I can.
cheers
ALan
Hi Alan,
Welcome to the group. It is good to have some men on board!
Where are you based? I wonder whether there is a group in your area. If there is, I an sure your offer of help would be welcome.
best wishes,
Linda
Hi all, I’ve just joined SFN; being a survivor (so far!!) of a minor brush with Cancer a few years ago I wanted to join this group although I’m not too sure what help over and above morale support I can offer! I am reasonably au fait with the French medical system and have gone through the applying-for-French-mortgage-having-had-cancer thing so let me know if I can help in any way.
All the best, Alan
Hi Linda,
That wasn’t the number Jane Thomas gave me, so that makes sense. I will try again with the new number.
RegardJane
Paul and I are in fairly regular contact. I have just tried his phone number: 04 78 03 71 16 and got through to his answerphone. I have left a message for him. The client email is lyon.csf@gmail.com If this fails, please let me know. Their secretary, Sophie Lafrate can be contacted on 06 66 07 95 19. In email correspondence to me, please use my presidentcsf@gmail.com account. I haven’t found your email yet.
Hope we manage to make better contact soon!
Best wishes,
Linda
Hi Linda
My e-mails to Paul Keats have been returned twice, mailbox unavailable and the 'phone number is non attributed. I don’t know how long it is since you have been in contact with him. There is not a group near us in Burgundy. I do not want to start one, but I am quite willing to fundraise, see my mail to Paul, which I copied to you. I suppose I need to speak to your fundraisers, so their contact details would be appreciated.
Many thanks and best wishes
Jane
Hi Jane,
I believe you left a message on our answerphone which my secretary picked up before going to the UK. She asked me to give you the contact details of the association in Lyon. The president designate for this new association is Paul Keats: paul_keats@hotmail.com If this is not the association nearest to you, then check out our website on www.cancersupportfrance.info You will find all the associations contact details there. Our latest Newsletter is attached:
Mar%202011%20final.pdf
With every good wish,
Linda
Hi Linda, I wasn’t angry that I had cancer, it was the treatment I received, or rather did not receive, from my GP’s that madxe me so bad. I had done everything right by going early and I was fobbed off.
Cancer is one of the hazards of life and you cannot expect to get through unscathed. My discomfort is getting better at the moment, I found not hanging onto the strap in the car made it a lot b etter. I have left a message on your phone, as I trained as a help-line listener with the Endometriosis Society and may be of some use to you.
Hi Jane,
I am so sorry to read of your experiences. Rest assured, anger is a normal and frequent experience whatever the stage of cancer! Weakness and discomfort is not unusual either. I too am a survivor - I had mastectomy 10 years ago and reconstruction 5 years ago. Discomfort continues, especially when the weather changes!!! My GP says that people suffering from arthritis are the best barometers! Feel free to contact me on presidentcsf@gmail.com if there are issues you would like to discuss.
Best wishes,
Linda
Check out our website for n association near you. They will be pleased to hear from you and I am sure welcome any experience, support you wish to offer.
www.cancersupportfrance.info
I am a survivor of breast cancer for almost nine years now. I was mis-diagnosed by two of my GP’s in the UK and my cancer was fou nd only after a deep biopsy. I had to have an immediate mastectomy and they took thirteen nodes, which were later found to be free of the disease.
My main problem was the anger in the way I had been treated by my GP’s, they were so arrogant and dismissed me, saying I had an abscess, which as I am very intolerant of antibiotics wasn’t much help. I had to wait until it was big enough to be operable! Fortunately, my cancer only grew to stage one in 12 months, one of the advantages of being older, and had not spread anywhere else. I didn’t need chemo or radoitherapy, and my surgeon was brilliant, which is more than I can say for my oncologist.
I have been left with a weakened left arm and sometimes pain in my scar and armpit and shoulder.
I am now living with my husband Jim in South Burgundy between Cluny and Charolles and we are in the final stages of a major renovation. I am 64 this year and we are both retired, although Jim is working harder than when he worked as a management consultant. Please do get in touch if you think I may be of help .
Welcome to Pam Kay who has just joined the group. Eachnew member is a most welcome addition to this group. We hope you will do all you can to ensure the CSF becomes as widely known as possible. Do contact us at the National Office if you have ideas that will help us, or if you need information and publicity materials where no group exists near you.
Have a great weekend,
Linda
Thank you Peta and Sandy.
A warm welcome to our group. I hope you continue in good health!
Thank you for your offers of help. May I suggest you check our web site to see which associations are nearest to you and make contact with them. Each association is always delighted to receive offers of help, and they can also provide you with training to help you become skilled listeners if that is something you would like to do. Another way of sharing your expertise is via the CSF forum.
Here is a map showing where our associations are. It is not quite up-to date, as the whole Rhone Alpes group no longer exist. There is, however a new group forming in department 69 - Lyon.
http://www.cancersupportfrance.info/Cancer_Support_France/Map.html
Here is the forum link: http://csf-forum.org/index.php
Do contact me at the National Office on 05 45 89 30 05 if you would like to discuss this more fully.
Best wishes,
LInda
Morning All,
Like Peta I have done the whole breast cancer thing almost 5 years ago, and am still here to tell the tale!!!
I live in dept 64 and would be very happy to try and help or support anyone going
through similar experiences. My French is very far from perfect, but I do have a fantastic oncologist who speaks perfect English. (He didnt tell me this until quite a long way through the process!!) But I would be very happy to help if I can.