Question 1

80yo father diagnosed with early colon cancer. inadequate margins, retreated. expired 9yr later from obstruction how can i get slides to know my risk?

Accepted Answer

Slides: First.  Slides should be filed at hospital diagnosed. You do not need them you are at higher risk alas first degree relative. Survelence  colonoscopy polepectomy is the appropriate . See your physician and get screening started.

Question 2

53 year old male with psa result of 5.3. all other cbc perfect, including full urinalysis. no brca1 or brca2 gene. no family history of cancer (has 5 brothers) and dad still living. what are chances of cancer? any margin of error on these tests?

Accepted Answer

: This needs to be followed very closely! Did you have a PSA test before? The best advice I can give you is to consult a Urologist very soon. That doctor will lay out a diagnostic plan that may include urine tests, other blood tests, a digital rectal exam, an ultrasound and/or a prostate biopsy. For sure, you will need to do a second PSA.

Question 3

do i need radiation therapy if i have early stage  breast cancer with clear margins?

Accepted Answer

Probably: Discuss at length with your doc.  If you are really 32, you have a much higher risk of recurrence in the breast than a much older woman (assuming that you had lumpectomy). Radiation or mastectomy is definitely indicated.  Lumpectomy alone may be ok in very selected post-menopausal tumors that are estrogen receptor positive, good margins, small, and with specific pathologic features.

Question 4

what is recurrent colon cancer risk if inadequate margins were taken?

Accepted Answer

Depends: This depends on the original stage of the cancer, and where is was located. Rectal cancers can sometimes spread outside the areas that can be safely removed. It depends on if the cancer was growing into another structure, or into lymph nodes. The surgeon usually works very hard to remove all cancer, unless it is not safe or cannot be done. Chemotherapy may be indicated, and sometimes radiation rx.

Question 5

i recently underwent a leep for cin 3. the results showed no signs of cancer but had unclear margins/gland involvement. what is glandular involvement?

Accepted Answer

LEEP biopsy: Cin3 is severe dysplasia without invasion (invasion = cancer).  Within the the endocervix there are endocervical glands.  If dysplasia involves these small glands it is known as glandular involvement.  Most concerning is the positive margins.  The goal is to have negative margins.  You will probably end up having another procedure possibly a cone biopsy.  Speak to your doctor.

Question 6

is radiation therapy necessary when i have early stage of breast cancer with all clear margins?

Accepted Answer

Adjuvant radiation: For early stage of breast cancer-when a breast sparing surgery-i.e. Lumpectomy is able to be done with clear margins- postsurgical radiation therapy is recommended to reduce risk for local recurrence to the affected breast. So, the asnwer is yes, it is necessary.

Question 7

what is the difference between cancer in situ and differentiated vin3?  what is the long term prognosis? vin3 twice in 12 months with clear margins

Accepted Answer

VIN3 = appearance of: cells under microscope, judged to be most abnormal, "pre-cancerous appearing" yet not clearly cancerous; see: https://www.google.com/#q=VIN3. Cancer in situ simply means no other sites (metastasis) of similar cells have been identified/recognized to be present. The 2 key definitions of cancer are: (1)  Invading adjacent normal cells &amp;/or (2) also growing in other parts of body (metastasis).

Question 8

if margin is clear could cancer cells still be left behind after surgery?

Accepted Answer

Yes: The goal of every cancer surgery is to remove the cancer and a rim of normal tissue to "clear margins".  Despite this, there may be microscopic cancer left behind, either in the surgical area or elsewhere in the body. This is why we often recommend radiation- and chemotherapy --to treat this local or systemic disease, respectively.  Regrettably, it's what we don't see that matters most.

Question 9

inadequate margins done, now recurring colon cancer - expectations / what to say?

Accepted Answer

Hard to say: I am sorry to hear about the recurrence of the cancer. However, it would be hard to say anything about your case, as more information needed. What kind of treatment did you get before after surgery? What was your stage before? Where is the recurrence now? Any spread of the cancer to distant organ like liver, lungs ? Those are at least the very minimal information needed to say more about your case.

Question 10

what are margins in relation to breast cancer?

Accepted Answer

Surgical success: Breast conserving treatment requires the complete removal of the cancer by lumpectomy, followed by radiation therapy.  The pathologist measures the success of lumpectomy by carefully looking at the outer edges of the lumpectomy to be sure no cancer went right to the edge; if it did ("positive margin"), we need to reoperate to remove more breast tissue.

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Doctor answers about:

Cancer margins

A member asked:

80yo father diagnosed with early colon cancer. inadequate margins, retreated. expired 9yr later from obstruction how can i get slides to know my risk?

A member asked:

53 year old male with psa result of 5.3. all other cbc perfect, including full urinalysis. no brca1 or brca2 gene. no family history of cancer (has 5 brothers) and dad still living. what are chances of cancer? any margin of error on these tests?

A member asked:

Do i need radiation therapy if i have early stage breast cancer with clear margins?

A member asked:

What is recurrent colon cancer risk if inadequate margins were taken?

A member asked:

I recently underwent a leep for cin 3. the results showed no signs of cancer but had unclear margins/gland involvement. what is glandular involvement?

A member asked:

Is radiation therapy necessary when i have early stage of breast cancer with all clear margins?

A member asked:

What is the difference between cancer in situ and differentiated vin3? what is the long term prognosis? vin3 twice in 12 months with clear margins

A member asked:

If margin is clear could cancer cells still be left behind after surgery?

A member asked:

Inadequate margins done, now recurring colon cancer - expectations / what to say?

A member asked:

What are margins in relation to breast cancer?

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