It is almost a year to the day since my breast cancer diagnosis (G3 HER 2+, no lymph involvement). What drew attention to it was a burning sensation of my breast combined with nipple tenderness, and then I found the lump (easily palpable 2-3cm just below my nipple). I had FEC-T chemo between June and Sept (the FEC part shrank tumour well/ Taxotere not so well). Surgery in November (lumpectomy) and radiotherapy Jan/Feb this year. The radiotherapy disrupted the healing process and I had a persistent open wound infection for about a month after radio (4 weeks of metronidazole). The Path report of my Tumor says, good margins 5x7 cm mass removed. ultrasounds during chemo showed small cysts on anterior part of same breast.
My concerns are this: My breast does not feel any better, the tenderness/ pain I felt at the start went during FEC treatment, but returned with Taxotere as the tumour appeared to be growing again. It then got better again after surgery but returned again during the radiotherapy. It was present during the infection, and did not resolve with antibiotics. I had no outward signs of infection (red breast) only pain and weeping wound. My breast changed shape but not really size which i think is odd considering how much they removed. My G.P. thought that I may have an abcess and should have further USS! But breast centre did not think that case the case and sent me home with no USS. Just told to wait, give it time, been through at lot blah blah. It's been 2 months since I was last seen at clinic, I've been waiting, still no improvement. My (well fitting) bra leaves an indentation on the anterior wall of my breast which takes ages to disappear. My breast skin is starting to resemble orange peel effect/ and seems thicker when I touch it.
Its now almost 6 months since surgery and the pain is as bad as it was at the start. My breast now also appears to be swelling. Could a secondary tumour develop that fast? Or been missed? Could I have Inflamatory Breast Cancer? Could I still have an abcess in my breast that now has no where to drain out? Am I just having the normal paranoia? I have just been told I won't have a mammogram until November, that seems like ages to wait.
