Hello!
I am writing this since my mom who is 60y old was diagnosed with breast cancer 1 month ago. Doctors found 1 mass 13mm in highest measure on ultrasound, mamograph didnt find anything and her surgery was scheduled for today.
Now, i would even consider this type of cancer, but in my country biopsy is not done before but during surgery, so today, she had a mastectomy, her lymph nodes weren’t touched i saw her scar which is only on below breast), but, after, she was given antibiotics 'cause, what doctor said, mastitis was found during surgery (which i found on internet means inflammation of mammary nodes).
Results from surgical biopsy will be in 10-12 days, and since I have no knowledge about breast cancer, can you tell me, does this inflammation means that is certainly IBC, and if it is, are there any bad consequences of doing mastectomy before chemo for IBC?
Thank you very much!
Hi angel
Welcome to the discussion forums, I am sure you will find them a great source of support.
Whilst you’re waiting for others to respond, I thought you might find it helpful to read our factsheet on IBC. Here’s the link:
www2.breastcancercare.org.uk/publications/diagnosed-breast-cancer/inflammatory-breast-cancer-bcc23
Kind regards.
Louise, Facilitator
Hi Angel, so sorry to read about your Mum you must be very worried, mastitis is often confused with IBC so until results come back and say otherwise try to be strong for your mum, idealy Mx should not be done first if it is IBC but the tumor size is not that large, mine was reduced to 13mm after chemo, so I think all should be ok. Is your Mum having ant firther treatment like chemo ,radiotherapy etc…Let us know how you get on .
Jean
Thank you for your answer.
After the biopsy results doctors will decide on further treatment, chemo, radiation etc. I was just scared when I heard that mastitis was mentioned and the possiblity that the wrong course of action was taken, with the surgery being first.
Hopefully everything will turn out well.
Doctor said it is IBC :(((( (Actually he said it is the most aggresive form of cancer (number 5)…he can’t say ibc without biopsy obviously).
He said he took out all the lymph nodes and now I can only write how the doctors killed my mother. :((( She is waiting for the byopsy results now 10 days and she should have done chemo first then mastectomy.
Does anyone please know what would be now the best course of treatment sice mastectomy was already done? Should we demand immediate chemo ( I dont know even if this is possible right after surgery) or smth else. I feel so helpless and I can’t trust doctors anymore. Mastectomy was already done, and I can’t turn back time, so what would be the best course of action from now?
Angel, so sorry it has turned out to be IBC, please try to be positive, I am sure this would n’t be the first time mastectomy has been done first, hopefully chemo will be started very soon, your mum needs to be recovered from the surgery then she can start, Have they told you if she had spread to lymph nodes , if it has she needs a scan to see if it has gone anywhere else. Treatment plans are determined by the Hormone status and if Herceptin will work, have they discussed this with you. I assume you are not in the uk, where are you ? There are many many ladies out there who have IBC and are still here , I have many friends around the world ,particullarly in America where they are making advances every day , Please send me a private message if you need any help or advise ,
Jean
Thank you for your reply!
No, I am not from UK, I am from Serbia. All of her lymph nodes from armpits were taken out during the procedure. I just can’t believe that doctor didn’t stop the procedure if he suspected that it is IBC.
After talking to my mom, doctor didn’t say actually IBC, he said she has the most agressive tumor grade 5, that her lymph nodes were taken out, that biopsy results will show which type of cancer it is, but after the procedure he said that she has mastitis and antibiotics were given to her.
Now, I know that it can’t be IBC 100% without biopsy confirmation, but I can’t believe that he would do the procedure if he wasn’t sure 100% that it wasn’t IBC, and I doubt he can be sure without biopsy results.
Only biopsy she had was biopsy ex-tempore, which is done immediately before the procedure starts, but it is not detailed biopsy. I don’t know if he could see if it is IBC or not with that kind of biopsy.
I’ve sent you this also as private message…So scared right now, so sorry for lenghty posts…