Not sure where to post this after nearly a year without posting. My wife was diagnosed with triple neg BC in June 2009 with spread into the lymphs under her left arm. She underwent 3 cycles of FEC and three of Taxotere before having a mastectomy on her left side and full node clearance last November, followed by 6 weeks radiotherapy. She completed her treatment in January of this year and all seemed ok, until 4 weeks ago when she started feeling pain under her left arm again; however at no time has she felt unwell as she did when the bc first presented. On return to her consultant he found a lump this time under her right armpit. X-rays revealed a possible problem with two lumps in her back at the original site which original biopsies showed to be necrotic. They were unable to biopsy her right arm because of proximity to blood vessels, and were concerned of possible spread to her liver or bones. The subesequent scans have to our surprise yesterday revealed no spread to either. They were also able to take a biopsy on the lump under her riight arm which is about the size of a golf ball although apparently they’re not sure if they have sufficient sample; additionally they took further biopsies on the two lumps in her back. She is now booked in provisionally for surgery on her right arm next Friday, though this may depend on what the biopsy may reveal next week. Clearly it has been a huge relief today to hear of no spread to the liver or bones.
This all seems a little odd to me as I’ve not read of a subsequent spread to lymphs in the other without a secondary in the liver or somewhere else. Is our new found optimism misplaced, and the simple fact of the spread to the right arm just portentous of something else as yet unidentified going on here? Any insight that anyone could offer would be greatly appreicated.
I’ll leave it to the moderators to find an appropriate home for this post (I cannot find my original ones from a year ago).
I’m sorry I cant help but dont want to leave you in limbo.I am triple negative but so far[4yrs post dx]ok.I think that lymph nodes initially ‘catch’ problem cells and attempt to deal with them.It is if the cells escape into the blood that they can spread to other organs.If the ct scans are clear then it may be that the problem is confined to the lymph glands and can be removed-this is probably ill-informed waffle but I do think the clear scans are a very good sign.
Good Luck to you both
Valx
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Thanks, Lucy, I shall call tomorrow. The rollercoaster threw us to the bottom of the ride today: the two lumps on my wife’s back that just two weeks ago they said were necrotic have, post follow up biopsies, proven to be cancerous. How do they get this so wrong? The remaining positive is the clear scans on bones, lung and liver. But my own confidence in Northampshire’s bc specuialists is now so low I’m going to call the Royal Marsden myself tomorrow, and see if I cannot get her moved there instead. She found the first lump over 5 weeks ago and still no treatment. A friend of mine who is a senior cancer nurse (albeit thoracic) asked if she’d had a PET scan for the lump under her arm. I’m not sure that Northamptonshire even has a PET scanner, which merely reaffirms the postcode lottery of the NHS; I know she’s just had CT. I’m actually getting quite angry about this now which I know is a wasted emotion. Suggestions, ladies? I shall call the hotline tomorrow.
Kevin
PS Good luck to you all, this is a horrible thing for anyone, but we husbands cannot really let on just how helpless we feel. Be gentle to your men!
There is another thread called Triple Negative secondaries/recurrences - a few ladies there may be able to assist.
I have had spread to lumph nodes in the neck and luckily not to any other organs after three years from primary. Triple Negative acts differently to other hormonal fed cancers ie: more aggressive.
I was ‘put off’ by three months and when I was eventually diagnosed insisted I be treated straight away - I recommend you pester your oncologist - be demanding - it works.
I am presently on Carboplatin chemo which is a trial drug specifically for triple negatives.
I hope things move on quicker and that Marsden can help.