Hi everyone
I wonder if anyone knows that the chances are of developing cancer in your other breast whilst on chemo?
I had a mastectomy and lymph node clearance in May this year and have recently finished my chemo (6 x FEC and 6 x Taxotere).
For the last couple of months I have had pain in my other breast and under my arm. The pain is there all the time niggling away and, at times, it can be quite painful.
I saw my consultant 3 weeks ago who had a look and feel but she said she can’t see anything obvious and it looks and feels fine.
However, she has referred me to have a mammogram next week just to reassure me.
I am worried sick and am convinced it’s back in the other breast but people keep telling me that it can’t be because of the chemo.
I do have a portacath inserted and it’s actually been put under the top of that breast so it could be related to that but the pain is all over the breast.
My shoulder has also started to hurt but that could be the line for the portacath.
What do you think? Am I being paranoid and worrying unnecessarily?
Thanks.
Thanks,
I think it’s probably a good idea to have the mammogram for reassurance. A few months ago I experienced a lot of pain in my back on the side where I had surgery, it was the sort of pain that really hurt when I breathed in and I was thinking about lung cancer as I used to be a smoker. It was actually a muscle I had pulled when I had gone 10 pin bowling and it repaired itself after I took up yoga. All these little things can make you so apprehensive about what is going on in your body.
I found out I had BC by chance last year when I went in for day surgery to have a benign fibroid removed and had been told before the op that everything was fine and all my tests were clear. When I went back the following week my surgeon told me he had found an agressive cancer which had been hidden by the fibroid, therefore I would need to have my lymph nodes cleared followed by chemo/rads/chemo. I had 1 node out of 22 involved and am HER2+. My chemo was 4xFEC and 4xTaxotere, 3 with Herceptin. I’m now on Herceptin until next May and have done 9 so far.
I was worried about the cancer coming in my other breast but when I asked my surgeon he said it was negligible. I also asked what my chances were of the cancer returning and he said 50 per cent, but he added that they tell that to nearly all cancer patients, not just the BC ones. My oncologist has told me I have a very good prognosis and says whilst they can never give guarantees, they are not expecting it to come back in my case even though I was diagnosed HER2+.
I felt a lump in my other breast whilst on Chemo and the Onc. said it eas very unlikely to be anything, however to put my mind at rest I had a Mammogram and just got the results it was clear, I guess it was just knobbly breast tissue which I would normally have ignored. I expect you will be fine but it is best to have it checked out as there is enough to worry about as it is. I had a masectomy two weeks ago and the Chemo had completely destroyed all the C in my Breast but there was some in13 out of the 17 nodes tested. I dont know why the Chemo didn’t work on them.
Good luck with the Mammogram.
val
Hi
Thanks for your comments.
Just thought I’d let you know that I went for a mammogram today and all okay on the left side. No change from when I had it when they found the cancer in my right breast.
I am so relieved.
Time to look forward and crack on with the radiotherapy, herceptin and tamoxifen.
Feel I can fight anything now.
Thanks again,
That’s great news and so reassuring. Good luck with the rest of your treatment.
Margaret x
That is really good news about the left side. Good luck with your treatment.
Take care
Love
Dawn
x