Hi all, I’m 37 and hsve recently been diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. I started neo-adjutant in February and have now had 3 treatments of EC. There was always a slight cystic component to the cancer but with the chemo, the cystic element has increased and my breast surgeon has aspirated it twice. I’m so worried as to me it is feels like it is growling but she has shown me on the ultrasound it is fluid filled. After the second one, they decided to stop the chemo to go straight to a mastectomy and rebuild after the third one and I’m now booked for surgery. I’m so scared it’s now grown to my nipple and I’m going back to ask for it to be aspirated. I’m so scared as it seems this is uncommon. Has anyone else had a similar experience, it just feels to me that the tumour is growing.
Hi Chemita16,
Welcome to the forum but I am sorry that you are going through this difficult time.
I have moved your post to our surgeryboard to give users more of a chance to respond and show their support.
In the meantime please do call ourhelpline at 0808 800 6000 who will be able to talk to you about what to expect from the surgery and offer a friendly ear. I have placed the opening times below.
Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm
Late opening Wednesday 9am-7pm,
Saturday, 9am-1pm
Best wishes,
Lizzy
Hi Chemita. I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Is the cystic part cancerous too? If not I would be cautiously optimistic as at least the growing bit is safe. I know that’s not much help. For me I had surgery first and I think once the tumour has gone it’s far easier to get your head round.
Hi Chemita
Sorry to hear you are having a hard time. I was diagnosed with triple -ve and started on neo adjunctive chemo in mid May. I was told after my first session that the FEC wasn’t working and the tumour had almost doubled size. I was terrified as you can imagine. I coincidently had an appointment for clip insertion with ultra sound a week later where I was informed the was a lot of fluid which was aspirated, the radiologist indicated this was good news. However I had another 2 weeks until I saw the oncologist and surgeon today, worrying if this fluid would get into my lymph system and cause spread. Both the consultants reassured me that chemotherapy causing a cyst inside the tumour is not unusual and has no negative effect on prognosis, and the fluid doesn’t come out as the membrane round the cyst is quite thick and strong. I asked and my surgeon gave me the measurements from my first appointment and the ones taken 2 weeks ago, there is an increase of less than 1 cm which happened in the three weeks before chemo strategy.
Hope this is helpful, good luck with the rest of your treatment and wishing you a positive outcome.