Breast Cancer Mammogram

Found this interesting information on the Breast Cancer Newsgroup. Thanks for sharing.

Ok, well my mum had the lumpectomy and they've now told her that four out of the five lymph nodes they removed were positive and that she is now a Grade 2 and has to have a mastectomy.

What I don't understand is the following and I'd be really grateful if somebody could advise:-

1. Why did they initially think it was a grade one when they did thebiopsy, what sort of tests do they do on the tissue to determine this and why is it now all of a sudden a grade two?

2. If they took 5 random nodes and 4 turned out to be positive does this mean that if they took 20 other random nodes, could those 20 have been positive?

3. She's not due to start chemotherapy for at least two weeks after the lumpectomy, istn't there a chance the cancer could spread even further in that time?

4. If the Cancer now resides in 4 out of 5 lymph nodes what's it's next most likely port of call, I mean does it spread in like a foot path of nodes or is it more complex than that?

5. She had a mammogram last June and they gave my mum the all clear, she believes that the cancer was there then. If they had actually done a scan as well as a mammogram would the scan have picked it up?

Thanks in Advance. I never expected my mum to get breast cancer as she has always been so health conscious, she has never smoked, drunk alcohol and has always been so consiencious about what food she eats. I also feel very guilty because for the last five years I have suffered from Depression and I have often talked in the past about wanting to die because of my depression.

Kind Regards.....

* If anyone has some answers, please respond below or email me and I will make sure to reply to the newsgroup.