lump near mastectomy scar
lump near mastectomy scar I have had breast cancer in both breasts. I had a radical mastectomy of the right breast thirteen years ago. They then found a cancerous lump in my left breast eight years ago and I chose to have a mastectomy to hopefully be done with cancer. About two months ago I found a pea sized lump near the scar on my left breast. On Friday the surgeon excised it and I am currently waiting results but I am fairly sure it will be cancer. I am not looking forward to a third bout of dealling with this. Has everyone that has had a local recurrence had radiation and chemo? I have read a lot of scary statistics that women with local recurrences develop metastatic cancer in a very high percentage. I am really quite frightened . My husband does not handle any of this very well and as he has just taken early retirement is here all the time so is very involved in my health.
Hi Esther Sorry you are having to cope with all this uncertainty and worry again.
I had a local recurrence last year under my lymph node scar from the first time. This time I had a mastectomy and was expecting chemo. However, as I am very hormone receptive, I was put on Arimidex instead.
A friend of mine got a recurrence like yours on her mastectomy scar and was treated with rads as she hadn’t had them before. That was 7 years ago and she is NED and doing fine.
Yes, there is a higher chance of metasteses with a local recurrence, because the cancer has had another chance to spread, but it certainly isn’t inevitable and lots of women get local recurrences and then nothing further. Try not to worry too much before you get your rssults and do let us know how you get on.
Good luck
Kathy xxx
Well the lump turned out to be cancerous which I really did expect. I went back friday to get the results and ended up with a further excision to get clear margins. I go for a bone scan and ultrasound on Wednesday and then we’ll see where we go from there. Thank you Kathy for your positive thoughts.
I understand I’ve got a very similar history to you, so I know exactly how you feel. I’m managing to keep positive and to trust to the wonders of medical science to see me through! My medication has recently been changed from Arimidex to Aromasin, but if there has been no improvement in 3 months, it’s back to the chemo ward after Christmas.
It’s very stressful all these tests and waiting for results, but I do hope things work out well for you. Please let us know how you get on. Lots of hugs.
Hello Esther,
Just wanted to quickly respond to your question about whether everybody with a recurrence ends up having chemo and rads.
I had a mastectomy two years ago and had an immediate reconstrcution. In June I discovered a new lump (four lumps in fact, one large one and three very small ones) on my reconstructed breast which turned out to be cancer again.
I had WLE for each lump. Because they were found to be ER positive they changed my hormone treatment from tamoxifen to arimidex and I am about to start a six week course of radiotherapy. I have been told that if my lumps had NOT been ER positive I would have been put onto chemo, but as they ARE ER positive it is rads only for me.
Hope this helps.
Deirdre
Well, not to my surprise it is cancer . I have had ultrasound, lung x-rays and a bone scan and do not yet have the results. I have my fingers crossed they will be clear but am sitting on pins and needles. I keep trying to push the dark thoughts down but they come bubbling up every so often. I am tired of staying positive and would just like to sit and scream sometimes. This disease is so insidious and we can never say I’m all better now, it just becomes so tiresome. Thanks for letting me rant.
Just an update. I had my appointment with the oncologist yesterday and thankfully the scans came back clear. my next step is 4 weeks of radiation treatments and then tamoxifen. I have never taken tamoxifen and would like feedback on side effects. I am going to take time off work while doing the radiation with the logistics of trying to balance daily appointments and getting to work. Thanks for your support.
Also had pea sized lump!!! Hi Esther,I had my mastectomy with 6 months of chemo 10 years ago.I got a total all clear from the clinic,then by accident suddenly found a pea sized nodule at the side of my scar.It was found in a one off examination regarding another problem.They were wonderful and did a biopsy there & then.My husband was with me & didnt realise what we might be told.30 mins later a breast care nuse joined the consultant to support me,then I guessed it was back again.We were devastated after 10 years exactly .I had rads and now feel Im on the mend.Finished rads 3 months ago.Waiting for my 2 checkups later this month.I wasnt on tamoxifen but was given it immediatly.I forgot to mention I had it removed so have 2 long ,but faint scars.I was given a
bone scan and ct scan as i had pain in my breast bone and shoulder blade.But after being worried sick while waiting for the results(I really beleived it had spread)The result were all clear!!!So just had Rads ,no chemo.Hope this helps alittle,they said that when the cut it out they want clear margins all around the surrounding skin tissue,which is what I had,luckily.Im sure you will be the same,all the best.Ill be thinking of you,toes and fingers crossed!!! Debbie
Thanks Debbie for your good wishes. I have now done 11 of 25 rads and then I am scheduled for 5 boosts, which I am not to sure what they are. I have quite a bit of redness and am starting to get quite itchy. I had the same surgery as you I think but had to be reopened after the pathology report as the surgeon didn’t get clear margins the first time. I go on tamoxifen after I finish the radiation. I am a little worried about the clear margin thing but have to assume the secod time she managed to get them hopefully. I am so tired of worrying all the time . It seems like as soon as you get complacent with this disease it bites you in the a**.
update I am now at 20 of 30 rads and looking forward to the end of it all. I am really red and itchy and dry and moaning and feeling sorry for myself. I will start tamoxifen after the rads are done and can’t wait for those side effects. Oh well, happy new year to everyone and hope that 2008 will be a happy, healthy year.