Nearly a year after first diagnosed (TN with substantial node involvement) I had mammogram and ultrasound today. Breasts look fine but I mentioned two lumps just above my collar bone which radiographer said did not look good. She took pics of several around collar bone and up my neck which she said are possibly regional recurrence. BUGGER. She said Onc will probably organise biopsy asap. Anyone know what can be done? Is this classed as stage IV?
TJ x
bump!
Hi Teej,
BUGGER just about sums it up. I said that and a few more when I discovered lumps & bumps around my clavicle & up my jawline/neck on both sides - right up to under my earlobes as well. This was around 2000 - I had BC since 1990 with several recurrences - I am not TN and back then it wasn’t even called that because the ‘third one’ HER2+/- hadn’t been discovered. But I wasn’t er/pr positive either. After having my lumps & bumps treated with chemos which worked for a while eventually in 2002 they checked out tissue from my last surgery and found I was her2+++ so I was put on herceptin and am still having it every 3 weeks along with zometa as my cancer had spready rapidly throughout my bones. It has kept me alive all this time :).
It is not normally classed as Stage IV but is an indication that the cancer cells are on the move and I think you will find that they will be scanning you to check for any further spread. Swollen lymph nodes in some ways can be a good thing - they are an outward sign that things aren’t right so everything crossed that it has been caught early and treatment will be very effective for you. Stick with the forums because you will find a lot of support and wise advice from others. The helplines are good if you need to talk to someone about treatment etc. But most of all try to stay off Google - as others will tell you a lot of the stuff ‘out there’ is out of date and inaccurate. Even during the years I have had BC things have changed so much and new treatments are around now that weren’t even heard of back in the 90s.
Do keep in touch and tell us how you get on with the biopsies.
Dawn
xx
Thanks Dawn, very reassuring to see you doing well. Still no word on biopsy date, probably because my onc is on hols this week. The uncertainty is very hard to deal with. x
I have my biopsy 21st August as due to RADS CT showed up an abnormality on my chest wall… onc called me straight in and said it was very worrying??.. wouldnt mind but I had showed my surgeon and he said it could be from surgery and my onc said it was a blood blister!!!..after being in extreme pain in right shoulder and breast for months it seems I now have to go through it all again