Hi everyone, could someone tell me if after having cancer in both breasts and mastectomys whether you still have mammograms, I feel really ignorant here, but because you havent got breasts doesnt mean that you carnt develop cancer in the scar tissue, or any other tissue left behind does it?
I have had a mastectomy on my right side, but I have a swelling which seems to start under my arm and comes round to the front which feels like my breast did, my bcn said it would settle down and go flat, but I had my surgery November last year, and it is still the same,
I would really appreciate any comments here as I am getting very concerned, I think it may be lymphodema but it isnt red or sore, just swollen.
love liz xxxx
Hi Liz. You cannot have a mammogram on your mastectomy side but if you only had a wle on the other side then you should have a mammogram on that side. You can indeed still have a recurrence of cancer on the mx side and any redness etc needs to be investigated. I think the flatness is something that we all expected but from talking to others isn’t that common. I still have lumps and bumps a year on but whenever I mention it to my onc or surgeon they take a look but say everything is ok. I do have very slight lymphoedema in the chest but not enough to do anything about. Hope this helps. Pam x
Hi Pam, yes that does help, Thank-You, another concern I have is what will be offered to me treatment wise, i.e. scans etc to check the rest of my body, because how will I know if I am developing cancer somewhere else, do I have to wait to be in pain or show other symptoms or will I be offered follow ups?
Sorry Pam I think I may be getting paranoid, but I am thinking about it a lot more this time I originally got diagnosed 10 years ago, and I never gave it a second thought of coming back (until it did).
Liz xxxx
No I don’t think you are getting paranoid at all. I think we all worry about this. I don’t think scans are offered by the nhs unless there is some indication for concern that needs to be investigated or your dx showed that spread was probable. I am sure because of your history they will be keeping a very close check on you and do discuss your concerns with your healthcare professionals. x
hi elizabeth i have had cancer in both breasts… mine were 3 years apart but you are correct that you dont need a mammogram if you have no breast tissue but you should still get a clinic appointment for the next 5 years and they will do a breast examination but the best advice is to just to be breast aware as you yourself would be the best person to know if there was a change.
scans arent routinely done… they would be done at the time of diagnosis if you had positive nodes they often do a bone scan and abdo/liver ultrasound and chest xray but you wouldnt get this regularly unless you were found to have secondaries.
having a scan wont prevent you getting cancer elsewhere but would cause a lot of apprehension having tests and waiting for results… the outcomes have been found to be the same when they find secondary cancer before it causes symptoms and after it has caused symptoms so its only at the point you get symptoms that they would do regular scans… however if you were worried about something eg you had pains in a your joints or developed a cough that didnt resolve they would offer further investigations.
i have had a few bone scans, a head ct and, spinal mri when i have had aches and pains but all have been fine.
do discuss it with your onc or breast nurse if you are worried though.
Lulu xx
Hi Lulu, thanks for that, it has put my mind at rest, its awful when you are unsure about things, and when I go to the hospital I always seem to forget to ask the most important of things, even if I write it all down lol, anyway thanks again Liz x