skin mets ?

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skin mets ?

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skin mets ? hi, i havent been around for a while, lots going on in the family but i finished my radio on 8th august and a few days ago noticed a small round red mark on my breast about half an inch away from my scar, it looked a little like a burn but is not going away, its a little sore to touch (but that could be because i havent stopped poking it !)
i am now obssesed that it could be skin mets, has anyone had any experience of this and can offer any advice ? i have had such a bad couple of months and feel like i cant take anymore and just need to not have to worry about this too, thanks dawn xx

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dawnie skin mets are very variable in appearance. Mine have been misdiagnosed as innocent by a useless onc and a GP, plus excellent surgeon and plastic surgeon have been uncertain when looking at some of them. They are most likely to appear on original site. So contact your BC nurse and get it looked at. If what you have is one of those red spots WITH NO BUMP AT ALL it may be precancerous, which everyone ignores.A bunch of mine turned into bumps simultaneously but this is not what they usually do. Hope yours turns out to be OK but keep an eye on it whatever you’re told and if it multiplies get back to BC nurse pronto, best wishes, dilly

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thanks for your reply, what it looks like is about the size of a 5p totally flat and feels rough to touch, it is red but the centre seems to have peeled and is slightly lighter.

i am now begining to wonder if it is a patch of excema (although i dont suffer from it) its just that it is so close to my new scar that it is worrying me.

i think i will see my g.p tomorrow and maybe also call the bcn just to put my mind at rest.

thanks again for your speedy reply, dawn xx

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dawnie it sounds like something I showed doc- who dismissed it as a something I can’t remember. Later it went brown and causes neither worry nor nuisance. Hope yours is likewise but just casting an eye over it will not take much NHS time so ask. Hope it’s innocent, dilly

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Suspected recurrence same breast I was dx Jan 2003 with a 2 cm ductal tumour, 4/18 nodes affected. Had lumpectomy, then total axillary clearance, FEC chemo and 25 rads. 18 months later, I had strange ropey lump above the nipple about 4" long, which turned out to be benign Mondor’s disease. Am ER+, HER2 negative, PR not done. Have been on Arimidex about 3 yrs after a short course of Tamoxifen. Have weekly injection of methotrexate for Crohn’s, which my gastro said he is concerned about, in the light of my previous cancer.

These past couple of months I have noticed my whole breast is swollen, particularly the aureole, which is lumpy and feels hot to the touch. Last week I noticed 3 white lumps above and to the left of the scar, and the area is pink and looks inflamed. Rang my bc nurse yesterday and she suggested I get my GP to look at it and if he was not satisfied, to ask for an urgent appt with my breast surgeon. I was seen last evening by a locum female GP who examined me and said she could see there was something wrong, but didn’t know what and she would fax my surgeon for an urgent appt and a mammo (last one 18 months ago as we only get bi-annual ones at my hospital).

My original tumour was non palpable and found on regular 3 yrly mammo for the over 50’s so I don’t know what a malignant tumour feels like, or indeed, what inflammatory breast cancer looks like.

Has anyone had white spots, with noticeable swelling, that turned out to be a recurrence? My bc nurse asked me to voice mail her after I had seen the GP and she said she will look out for the request so I may get seen next week hopefully. That terrible angst and waiting game all over again. Any information gratefully rcvd.
Thanks, Liz.

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lizziecee one sort of skin mets is labelled rice grains because they are long rather than round, white and hard. They are slow progressors and not unduly terrifying. The swelling could be lymph accumulating rather than malig- good you’re getting it checked. Don’t panic! Hope it’s nothing nasty. best wishes, dilly

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Thanks Dilly you are the only person who replied to my post, and I am grateful.
I wanted to make a new post but got screwed up somewhere, and it fell into skin mets.

I think you could be right about the lymph swelling, as I had a total axillary resection - horrid surgery, took me months to get my right arm to function again.

The lumps have suddenly gone to long fingers radiating out from the breast, so am pleased I will be seen probably next week in in the bc clinic , My bc nurse is very supportive and is looking out for the fax from my GP so she can see me and make sure I see my original surgeon.

Many thanks for your support.
Liz.