Post lumpectomy, pending chemo

[sonica]

Hi there

I have recently been diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer and underwent a lumpectomy on 25/7.

I feel physically well post surgery but the emotional side is harder. I have an oncology appointment next week to discuss Chemo, radiotherapy and bishposphates.

I am keen to get started as my tumour grew from 1cm on 17/6 to 35mm by the time it was removed on 25/7.

I want to stay positive as possible but hard with the worry of this aggressive form.

Will I know how things are going with treatment or is it belt and braces as they say?

Also, what replaces the breast tissue that was removed? Is it fluid, tissue…just wondering how I will know what normal is going forward. I have dense breast tissue so hard to know?

Thanks for any constructive advice.

[ivy-cat]

Hi - I’m also triple negative but had chemo first to shrink the tumour - it was just under 3cm. I’ve just had a lumpectomy to remove the tumour bed and the sentinel lymph node. Hopefully your oncologist will be able to confirm that the surgery was successful and everything was removed. The chemo will make sure that any stray cells are killed off. My surgeon said that when a large area is removed you may get a ‘dip’ in your breast, although I guess it depends how close to the surface your lump was!
I hope the next stage goes well for you. I didn’t find the chemo too bad. I did my best to remain active and to eat healthily and I recovered quite quickly after each session. Best wishes, Emma

[sonica]

Thank you for your reply Emma.

I hope your recovering well from surgery.

Yeah mine was originally quite small and even the MRI said 16mm on 29/6 so shocked and disappointed that it was 35mm 4 weeks later when I had surgery. They got as clear margins as they could because it had gone very close the the border (so no more tissue to take). Luuckily it hadn’t spread to lymph nodes (4 removed for testing.)

I suspect there may be quite a dent but it’s towards the upper outer quartile by armpit so I aren’t really worried aesthetically more how will I check for recurrence?

Hoping Chemo and Radiotherapy does the trick of kicking this “invader” out.

I will brave it out I’m sure…trying to stay active, will do yoga and meditation if I can exercise and have a few crochet projects I will get started on to give me something else to focus on. Take care and thanks again

[Nurse_BCN]

Hi sonica

Thanks for posting on our forum

We hope to be able to respond to you on Monday.

In the meantime our helpline is open between 9am and 1pm tomorrow (Saturday) if you would like to talk things through.

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With best wishes.

Lisa

Ask Our Nurses service co-ordinator

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[Nurse_BCN]

Hi sonica,

Thanks for posting.

You are not alone in finding the emotional side of a breast cancer diagnosis and its treatment difficult.

It is understandable to feel worried about the increase in size of the cancer. It is not uncommon for there to be some difference in the size of the tumour on the scan to when it is removed. This is not necessarily because the tumour has grown significantly, but often down to the fact that the scan can only give an estimate of the size.

Research has shown that the risk of triple negative breast cancer coming back or spreading is higher than some types of breast cancer in the first few years. However, after 5 years the risks are similar to, and may be lower than, other types of breast cancer. Surgery is used to remove the cancer, and most people will be offered a combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and bisphosphonates. The aim of any treatment on top of surgery is to kill off any remaining cancer cells and reduce the risk of the cancer coming back (adjuvant treatment). During his time, you will be monitored regularly by your team for any side effects.

As @ivy-cat mentioned, some people do have a ‘dip’ in the breast following a lumpectomy. Sometimes during the operation, the surgeon can reposition the remaining breast tissue to fill the area where the cancer was removed. If you find in time that you are unhappy with the shape of the breast, you can discuss with your surgeon the options in your particular case.

Once you have healed from surgery, there is no special way to check your breasts. It’s important to get to know your breasts and report anything new or unusual. You can take a look at our information on ‘breast cancer recurrence symptoms’, and your breast care nurse can also talk this through with you.

We often find that talking to someone who has had a similar experience can be helpful. Our Someone Like Me service can match you with a trained volunteer who’s had a similar experience to you. You can ring the Someone Like Me team on 0114 263 6490 or email them at, so they can then match you to your volunteer.

Do call our helpline if you would like to talk this through or have any further questions. The helpline team have time to listen, talk things through and signpost you to more support and information if necessary. Your call will be confidential, and the number is free from UK landlines and all mobile networks. The number is 0808 800 6000, (Relay UK - prefix 18001).

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Our usual opening hours are Monday to Friday 9am - 4pm and 9am - 1pm on Saturday.

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Best wishes

Katie

Breast Care Nurse

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As we are unable to monitor for further replies, this thread will now be closed. If you have any additional questions or would like to provide feedback, please start a new thread, call our helpline, email us or request a call back.