Finding lumps after breast reconstruction

suabo

For the most part, my reconstructed breasts are smooth and natural. Pressing in on them, however, reveals to me small, hard masses. I only have a couple that I can find, but it did cause some alarm initially. The surgeon assured me that they were fat tissue that had hardened as a result of the transplanted tissue and were completely unrelated to any breast cancer issues. I sometimes wonder if I am completely safe though. Last week the other breast cancer blogger on HealthTalk, Suzette, wrote about her recent experience in finding a lump and undergoing a biopsy only months after breast reconstruction. The thing I admire about Suzette is her knowledge of her body and her vigilance against recurring breast cancer. I learn a lot from reading her blog posts. Thankfully, the results were negative, but it got me to thinking again about all of us with reconstructed breasts.

For one thing, how will we ever know if breast cancer begins growing on the muscle wall behind implants or transplanted flaps? I know the oncologist takes blood tests to help determine if our body is reacting to a new cancer, but how do we stay on top of this without a mammogram or other screening? It is easy to fall into a sense of security from having our breasts removed, but there can be recurrence in the muscle and wall of the chest. Oh brother. Suzette's recent adventure brought this to light for me and I plan to contact the reconstructive surgeon to ask what he suggests and also review this with my oncologist at my next visit.

We all now know that our best defense against breast cancer is to be proactive, I am glad that Suzette is a great example of what we all need to do to stay cancer-free.

http://breast-cancer.cancer007.com/2008/10/01/finding-lumps-after-breast-reconstruction/