So backstory is that I was diagnosed with stage 1, grade 3 TNBC in November with a 10.5mm tumour plus margins and 5 lymph nodes removed in December. Margins were all clear as were lymph nodes and I was advised a course of adjuvant chemo was to follow in 8-12 weeks then radiotherapy. I actually started chemo on 24th April, which was actually 18 weeks after the surgery.
I had noticed the tissue under the scar seemed quite lumpy and it had been giving me some increasing pain so I went to get it checked last week. The ultrasound did show something and it was thought this would likely be something like fat necrosis, however a biopsy was performed to be sure.
And today it has been confirmed that there are more cancer cells present. A subsequent mammogram has showed two masses of 16mm and 14mm, however we’re not sure how much of these two masses are actually cancer cells so I’ll be having an MRI and CT scan to get a clearer idea in a couple of weeks.
I don’t even know how I feel at the moment, but would love to hear from anyone else who has experienced similar.
Hi @mssteel so my story is slightly different but also a little similar! I discovered a second lump shortly after finishing chemo! I was knocked sideways and faced all the scans like you’re having. Had surgery beginning of March and started RT yesterday. Now I’ve come to terms with it I’m fine and feel well but it is such a shock so sending you lots of love as I went into quite a dark place when it happened! My October chemo buddies were a great help, they always are!
Happy for you to message me if I can help at all x
Hi @loupy, thank you so much and I really appreciate you taking the time to reply. I think the absolute worst thing is feeling like you’re alone so although I wish this never had to happen to anyone ever, it is also comforting to know it’s not just you when it does.
I’m not surprised you went to that dark place after finding a second lump after chemo. I’ve only had one round of chemo so far but the side effects in the first few days would have been enough for me to go there too if I’d have found a lump after finishing the course.
If you don’t mind answering, how long after your first lump did you find the second and was it in the same place?
So glad you’re feeling better now and hope your RT is going well. x
@mssteel don’t mind you asking at all, it was two further lumps in the same breast but different areas to the first, they think it didn’t show on my first mammogram as very early and then the chemo didn’t kill it so it grew whilst I went through that - I think it’s very rare, my surgeon was devastated!
Oh god, I can imagine! I definitely only had the one tumour on the mammogram 4 weeks prior to my lumpectomy so I’m wondering if something similar has happened, only mine is in the same place.
My surgeon and BCN were not happy with the length of time it took for chemo to start for me as the intention was for it to prevent recurrence due to the high grade and lack of other treatments for TNBC. My surgeon offered that I’d been failed and apologised, which I really appreciated as I’ve no reason to believe she didn’t do her job properly, and I will be looking into contacting PALS regarding the issue as this could potentially now result in a mastectomy that may not have been needed if chemo had started earlier.
But back to dealing with the problem, I got a lucky break today and managed to get an MRI over a week earlier due to a cancellation so that’s happening this coming Monday now.
Crikey @mssteel thats terrible if the delay did cause it! I did have a delay to chemo starting but won’t know if that made a difference! Unfortunately mine did end in a mastectomy but to be honest after finding the further tumours I was glad to be having it!
Thanks @loupy, yeah apparently delays in chemo for the more aggressive TNBC and HER2+ subtypes lead to much poorer outcomes and mine was a significant delay.
So I’m now going to be finding out exactly where this went wrong and will be making a big deal of it in the hope it doesn’t happen to anyone else. First step is I need my surgeon’s write up of our discussion yesterday so just waiting on that, then will take it from there.
Had a rubbish night as you can imagine but I’m feeling what you said here this morning so thank you again. x
Hi there. So I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer which was grade 3 stage 2 - spread to lymph nodes in April 2024 (I was 37) and had 16 rounds of chemo, lumpectomy and total node clearance - a total of 13 lymph nodes removed followed by 20 rounds of radiotherapy. I was given the all clear in March 2025 and had a clear mammogram in December 2025 but found a lump in my armpit area in March 2026 which was subsequently scanned and biopsied and have now (1st May) just been diagnosed with two new tumours in my armpit area that are confirmed as being the same triple negative breast cancer which I previously had. Trying to stay positive but struggling until I have my CT to confirm if it has spread any further so I know exactly what I’m up against. I’m finding I’m having to comfort friends and family more than myself so haven’t really had time to process things. And to be honest, I’m scared and tired of being the positive one. Any words of wisdom or advice would be greatly received xx
@aussiegirl I don’t have any words of wisdom or advice I’m afraid, I hope you don’t have to wait too long for your CT scan. Since writing the above message to @mssteel Ive had a biopsy on another lump which I’m now waiting results on. I understand completely about being fed up of being the positive one - my lovely lot on the October chemo group have been the only ones who I’ve ranted to which has helped massively so if you need to rant on here we are here for you!
Sending lots of love - on this shit show (this is the name we use instead of bloody journey ) xx
It’s absolutely devastating to go through those kinds of treatments believing they’ve done their job only to find out they haven’t. I have an MRI scheduled tomorrow and a CT scan on Tuesday and am also scared. I’ve definitely visited that place in my head where they sit me down and tell me it’s everywhere and there’s nothing they can do.
Luckily I don’t tend to take up residence there! For me, I let my feelings exist, don’t try to distract myself or change how I feel and let it all run its course. For example if I start catastrophising, I roll with it and it does always come to a natural end. It’s unpleasant no doubt, but fighting makes it even harder and prolongs those feelings. It’s kind of like letting yourself float when you’re stranded in open water rather than frantically kicking and flailing around.
Talking to people in a similar situation who understand, as you’ve done here, helps big time. I can’t overstate how much. This forum is amazing, I have a counsellor I’ve connected really well with who I was referred to through my BCN and I’ve signed up for Breast Cancer Now’s Someone Like Me service so you might benefit from looking into those.
As for other people. I can imagine the powerlessness they feel as they basically just have to stand by and watch this happen. You can’t take on their feelings and deal with your own as it’s too much and there is external help available for them too. I’ve gently explained this to my family and signposted where they can seek support and they’ve acknowledged this. Where you can give them some control back is to let them help you practically where they’d like to.
And one of the most important things for me is that this recurrence has made me very keen to start on the changes I want to make in my life now. I was waiting until this was all over and done with to make those changes, however recent events have made me realise this is not going to go according to that neat little schedule that we had planned, and so instead I’ve decided it’s now about living well alongside it and I’ve taken steps to embark that qualification I’ve been wanting to do whilst also dealing with cancer.
I really hope this helps and you manage to find your own kind of peace at some point in all this, and I also wish you all the best with your further treatment. Please feel free to reach out any time. x
My MRI results from Monday’s scan show the area of recurrence in the left and a small area that needs further examination in the right. An ultrasound is booked for 20th May to investigate further.
And it looks like the course of action for the left side is to change my chemo regime to try to shrink it.
Even though I’m obviously devastated this has happened at all, I’m very impressed by and grateful for the time and care that is being put into dealing with this and the speed it’s moving at.
I was diagnosed in September 2025 with grade 3 invasive ductal carcinoma in situ. I had my op in November, they removed 2 tumours from right breast and did a full lymph node clearance in the right armpit because they already knew one node was affected there. Turns out I had 2 positive nodes. Anyway I had post op complications but eventually had first chemo at beginning of march. In the meantime I’d felt a little lump next to my armpit scar, which my surgeon thought was a stitch granulation but ‘let’s get an ultrasound anyway’. Turns out after a biopsy that it is a lump of more of the same cancer. Unfortunately I’ve now had my chemo paused for 2 months as i got a skin infection that melted away some of my breast wounds. This pause has allowed me to have a PET scan which thankfully didn’t show any more suspicious areas. I am desperately trying to get my wounds healed up enough to go back on chemo, followed by surgery to remove this new lump and then radiotherapy. I feel like I’ve been in limbo for ages now and have had to put my life on hold not knowing when I’m getting treatments. The only good thing is that I’ve been started on hormone therapy although will have to stop for chemo and then restart again afterwards. What has partly made it more worrying is that one oncologist told me that if things were delayed too much then I wouldn’t be allowed to continue with the chemo. Yet I have a recurrence which I spotted! I was so angry he said that, but since then I’ve spoken to another oncologist who said I would definitely be getting chemo. It’s just all such a total shit show of a journey.
@mssteel I think it just feels better to actually have a bit of a plan!
@bobcat1 so sorry to hear this, unfortunately don’t think our situations are as uncommon as we think, I do hope you also get a plan soon can’t see why a delay would mean you can’t have chemo? I had a delay but it still went ahead so fingers crossed for you
I think it’s probably fairly common to get a recurrence close to the surgical wound/scar as that area was disrupted and the cells were then really active in getting things healed, so cancer has a space to grow. I just never expected to have a recurrence so quickly after my surgery and before I’d had an opportunity to have chemo or radiotherapy….
It really gave me (and still gives me) worrying thoughts that it could just be growing everywhere and I’ll never be free of it. I’m in clinic on Monday next week so hoping there will be a plan in place for me.
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