Hi,
I would like some advice please. I thought I had the hang of primaries, secondaries and local recurrences, but what is it called if cancer comes back in remaining breast? I have found a new lump, exactly 2 years after original diagnosis. Knew it was too good to be true. Am seeing oncologist next Monday, but when I looked for info there is stuff on secondaries involving lymph, liver, bones and brain, but not 2nd breast. Would that be included under lymph secondaries? I did have heavy lymph node involvement at original diagnosis.
Anyone out there with experience of both breast involvement?
Thanks Jax
Jax,
This might not be cancer ‘coming back’ but a completely new primary.
Hi jaxw,
I think that would come under local recurrence or new primary diagnosis, i found a new lump nearly 16yrs to the day later on the scar line of same breast and because they could not find ay evidence of spread to major organs they said they would treat it as a new primary, i am going to discuss the removal of my other breast at the end of the month definately not looking forward to that. Hope you get on ok.
Love Reneexx
Really? Would it be triple neg and same grade/stage as other one, or could it be completely different? The lump feels very similar to first one, that grew amazingly quickly before I had mastectomy. I had clear mammogram in July, and this one appears to have come out of the blue, as I am very thorough with regular checks. Damn!!!
Thanks RoadRunner.
Hi. I was thinking the same as Roadrunner…a couple of friends have had new primaries and they are completely different (er status etc) to the first tumour…Take Care…x
I’m sure I’ve read of women having new primaries that were different from their original ones.
Hi Jax
Please feel free to call our helpline tomorrow to discuss your queries, they are on 0808 800 6000 weekdays9-5 and Sat 9-2.
Take care
Lucy
Wow, you never stop learning in this evil game, do you? I only know of one friend who had breast cancer in both breasts at different times, about a 2 year gap again, I think, and she underwent a 2nd mastectomy. Would love to speak to her , but have lost contact unfortunately.
Thanks for all your help, as always, girls, and thanks to you, Lucy. I may do that if I can get some time on my own tomorrow. My OH is finding this new discovery hard to deal with, bless him. He has been a real rock, and I am sure will continue to be, but he is poorly himself at the moment, and my head is in turmoil.
Hi,
My new dx was the same as my previous one but i know not everone is the same i was dx er-neg pr-neg over 17yrs ago and triple-neg oct07,the onc said both tumours were pathalogically the same, although in saying that i found a lump dec06 and a lump when i was having chemo and they both turned out to be cysts. Hope that is the case for you. It,s worry worry worry all the time isn,t it.
Love Reneexx
It certainly is, Renee! I try so hard not to let cancer rule my life, but it really has been one worry after another. I’ve had severe back problems…but it wasn’t secondaries, thank god, then liver results all over the place, then bone profile blood tests high, then severe head pains (due to another disc collapsing at c5!). I have tried to live life in spite of it all, but it’s tough when you can’t sit, stand or walk!! Holidays and treats all cancelled for past year. Trouble is I start each new year thinking enthusiastically, and I am always met with BIG problems. I shall have to stop being an optimist, I think, but I also have dreadful sense of humour, which always wins out in the end.
Here’s hoping for a cyst or two! Thanks again,
Love Jax
My mother had BC and a mastectomy and a few years later got a new primary in other breast. Its called bilateral BC. I am not sure if her new primary was different from her first, but it was classed as a new primary. She lived many years after treatment and died of heart disease.