Hello ladies and a happy new year to you all. I recently had a skin nodule removed from my side which turned out to be skin mets. I now have a similar thing on the side of my face which the oncologist thinks is prob secondaries as well. I really dont want to have it surgivcally removed so oncologist said radiotherapy might help. Was just wondering if anyone had similar problems with skin mets and had radiotherapy been effective?
Hi trish
so sorry about the skin mets. I had these really bad across my recon + had surgery to remove. Sadly they started up again across the scarline and spread round my side. I had intensive rads for 5wks once surgery scars were sufficiently healed and thankfully (*touches wood*), the skin mets have been under control since (that was nov 2010). The area is a mess with disease under the skin in chest wall but the active rash hasn’t reapoeared. Even my rads onc has been pleasantly surprised at how well the rads worked- so I would say go for it.
I asked if it could happen on face + he hadn’t seen it happen he said. Why not have a biopsy/ fna to check before having facial rads?
Good luck with everything it’s really scary, I knowonly too well
tina x
I’m in the same situation as you. I’ve been dealing with ongoing pain issues on my treatment side and went to the Dr for a follow up. Whilst there I asked him to take a look at what I thought was just a patch of persistent eczema on the side of my face just in front of my ear. He took a really close look at it and said straight away that he thought it was cancer and that he’d start the process for a Dermatology referral. I have to go back in 4 weeks so that he can see if there is any change and take it from there.
What I didn’t mention, and now feel like I should have, is that I have a persistent sore place on the under side of my right heel and I’m wondering if that is also something to worry about. . .
I’m only 7 months from finishing active treatment so I’m dreading the possibility of having to go down that route again.
Nymeria i know what you mean as i’m having chemo at the moment as well, it just feels never ending and that you are not really on top of things. My oncologist never mentioned dermatology but that seems the sensible thing to do. I have a follow up appt with the radiologist next week so will ask him then. Good luck with your treatment and i hope your foot is something totally unconnected but i know you cant help thinking that everything that crops up is something to do with your breast cancer.
Gingerbud hope things continue to improve for you. I just dont know what to do as i’ve had rads to my face before for a numb chin caused by bone mets on my jaw and it wasnt pleasant, i had to wear a mask and dont think i could do that again although because they can see this lesion it might be easier. Isnt it so difficult trying to decide what to do especially when you dont know if the outcome will be beneficial.
My Dr did wonder whether it could just be skin cancer as I am very pale and burn easily. Although I am super careful about sunscreen etc, but I suppose like all these things that’s not a 100% guarantee! The irony is that my OH is very much a sun worshipper and I’ve spent the last 20 odd years telling him to be more careful otherwise he’ll get skin cancer!!! : -)
It is very hard not to worry about these things but there’s not much we can do about that is there?