Hi
Just wondering if anybody can give me any info about chest secondaries. I think I was bombarded with bad news at the time, I took in all the info about bone mets and treatments etc and I have researched and been helped on here by so many people about every issue of bone mets. However my research into chest lymph node secondaries/tumours in the chest area seems to have drawn a blank, I can’t remember what I was told about their severity and not knowing and not seeing the oncologist until the end of June is beginning to panic me.
Are they worse than ones in the bone? better? Are they more likely to spread to Lungs etc. Is there a specific treatment for them (I have only had my hormone therapy changed to date!) Is my prognosis worse for having them than if it had ‘just’ been bone mets?
I was just wondering if anybody else has had any type of tumour in their chest and what was told to them, or in fact what sort of treatment was given?
Sorry for the bombardment of questions, I have suddenly after being quite calm just convinced myself that the tumour will grow irrationally and stop my vital organs from functioning! (apparently it was probably a lymph node that has been infected and grown, it is right next to my aorta)
Hope somebody can calm my fears that appear to be growing more and more irrational and exaggerated as time goes on!
Thanks Nicky
Hi Nicky,
I’m sorry I can’t answer your questions but I was also wondering as I have just been diagnosed with secondaries in chest and neck lymph nodes… am currently on Xeloda as a first attempt to shrink them.
There doesn’t seem to be as much info on spread to chest lymph as you say so just bumping this up. Hope someone can advise x
Thanks Scaryfox
At the moment I am not having chemo, I have been told that they will ‘try’ stabilising them by changing the hormone therapy first, but as Tamoxifen and then Aromasin didn’t work I am really dreading further spread.
Have you been told that the chemo is long term, or is it over a short period to shrink the secondaries?
I have been reading lots of posts and you seem to be the only other person I have found who has chest secondaries. Keep me posted on how you get on, really hoping the chemo works for you.
Regards Nicky
Hey Nicky
I’m also on xeloda for secondaries in the lymph nodes in my neck.
Both scaryfox & I are triple negative, so that’s the reason we’re straight to chemo.
I’ll be on this chemo until it stops working, or if the se’s are unbearable. Then I would be switched to another chemo.
Good Luck with your treatment.
Hxx
Thanks Nicky,
Yes, like Hayz said, Xeloda for as long as it works (too early to say if it is yet) - if it’s not my oncologist was talking about combining or switching to Carboplatin injections. I’m not sure what the next step is after that though - but yes it will be different for me (and Hayz) being Triple Negative I’m sure.
I was in a right state when told i had secondaries after a neck lymph node on opposite side to my BC was biopsied - and didn’t want to know prognosis, statistics, etc. Still don’t! My onc. said that he couldn’t give me them even if I wanted as each person/cancer/response to drugs is completely different.
They did a CT scan after the biopsy to see if it had spread further, which showed tumours in lots of lymph nodes in neck and chest, but no other organs. I do remember him saying this was a good thing, and I quote “this gives us the possibility of a longer remission”. I am just hoping that the xeloda has at least held it stable and that my next scan doesn’t show any further spread :-S
Hope that helps a bit - I haven’t really done much ‘research’ this time apart from all the complementary stuff I can do to help my odds/body cope with chemo etc… am trying to only focus on the positive stuff x
Hi Hayz and Scaryfox
Thanks for your responses. That is actually quite encouraging what the onc said about a longer remission. My oncologist just glossed over the chest and was more concerned with the extensive mets in my hip last time I saw him. He then said that replacing the hip, may take pressure off my spine mets, I was just gobsmacked that I now had them in the spine without being told! that I forgot to question him any further.
Take care to both of you and here’s wishing for some stabilisation or shrinkage! for all of us,
Nicky xx
hi,i have secondarys in the chest lymph nodes,i was told last week.i was on capcitabine but it is not working so have to go on a chemo beginning with v,cant remember the name.doctor has told me to see him in 4 weeks to start.cant believe it,i have had fec,tax and 2 lot of capcitabine since 2001,but hey im still here so should nt moan.best wishes to all.xxxx
Hi Janet
Just a couple of questions
Do you have secondaries anywhere else, or ‘just’ in the chest lymph nodes? Was 2001 your primary diagnosis, or have you had secondaries since then?
Take care Nicky
Hi Nicky,
I wasn’t going to reply mainly 'cos I am not hormone positive but in case it is of help here goes.
I had spread to my lymph nodes in neck & chest back in 2002. Started off with one or two along collarbone then got more and more spreading up to behind the ears and under jawline - all ones I could see & feel, and am told in the chest area (can’t remember the complicated name they gave it now). Mostly they were in areas they were unwilling to biopsy. My original primary diagnosis was in 1990, and as I said the spread in the chest & neck area was in 2002. I had other primary recurrences between 1990 & 1999. Of course once I had a number of these lumps come up they did then scan for further spread and found I had very extensive bone mets to skull, ribs, collarbone, all of spine, hips & pelvis. I haven’t had spread to any other organs. The bone mets remained stable until recently when I was found to have a soft tumour mass growing alongside my lower spine. When the bone mets were dx I was put on capecitabine but as I reacted badly to that was taken off it after 3 cycles. Then went on to vinorelbine (Navelbine) and the lumps all went down but returned after a while. It was at that point they checked on tissue taken from last masectomy and found I was her2 positive so have been on herceptin since 2004. Not sure if this info is helpful to you but thought I would put it here.
Dawn
xx
hi nicky,i had breast cancer in 2001,had mastectomy,chemo and rads,then 2004 i got a local recurrance in chest area ,then 2008 i had a scan and they said i had secondarys in lymph nodes in chest under right arm and above my right kidney.xx
Dawn you awlays give me hope with your comments 
> I love reading your bits when I see your smile in your lovely picture.
I have had a tumor on my chest, found last summer after 5 years clear :9 I have been on Paxtaxiol chemo from Sep to Feb and then radio for 3 weeks, they have reduced the mass by 80% and I now cant see or feel it. I have other hot spots in lungs and spine but all very hopeful and under control.
Please dont worry there is SOOOOOOOOOOOO much they can throw at each day as it comes !
victoria