More than 1 tumor same breast

IowaSue45

Hi, I'm am just wondering if any of us her2neu gals had more than 1 tumor? I had 3 in the same area and after the biopsy they were 8mm, 5mm, and 5mm. Just wondering if I am a fluke or if anyone else had this. Thanks

flash

multifocal is not that unusual.

suemed8749

Hi from another Sue - also ER-,/PR-, Her2+ (and I grew up right across the Mississippi from Iowa.) When I had a lumpectomy for my 2.2 cm tumor, another 7 mm "minion" was discovered as well as DCIS. I had a unilateral mast, TCH, a year of Herceptin and now I'm in a clinical trial for Neratinib (post-Herceptin drug.)

Best wishes to you - I'm 2 1/2 years from dx, and doing well. Yours was discovered at Stage 1 - you'll do great.

o2bhealthy

another HER2+ with IDC and DCIS multi focal (3 masses) 5mm, 7mm and 1.2mm in right breast.

I had a BMX with TCHx4 and a year of Herceptin

orange1

As Flash said, multifocal disease is common, especially in Her2+ breast cancer.  I had 2 lumps 1.4 cm and 1.2 cm along with a cyst that was filled with cancerous cells.  Oh yeah I also had DCIS and a small spot of LCIS.

Take comfort in the fact that since multi-focal disease is common in Her2+ cancer, many of the women in the clinical trials would have also had multifocal disease, and overall, Herceptin treated women are doing very well.

PinkSurvivor

I have a 5cm and also a 1.8cm tumor in left breast, both at 11:00 spot.  I am not sure if it is common or not, the 5cm was felt and also showed up on the mamogram but the other only showed up on the MRI.

newday67

I also had three tumors. I felt one and almost fell down when I was told there were three in the same breast.  All under 2.0

lovemygarden

Two, right next to each other (guess the larger one "pupped"?), and also Paget's (although the two were nowhere near the nipple).

geewhiz

Me too, 3 tumors with the largest being right at 2 cm and also had extensive DCIS. Mine was called multifocal, multicentric.

redwolf8812

4 here, largest being 11cm by touch (not MRI measurement), which is the only one I felt - the others showed up on mammogram & ultrasound, in addition to an enlarged axillary lymph node.  The doctor in Jersey said I was multicentric, but the U of Penn doctor feels it's really one tumor that "branched out" into 3 outer quadrants of the breast.  Anyway, started neoadjuvant chemo of Taxol & Herceptin last month.  The largest was down to 5cm last week.  Praise Jesus!  God wants us to be well!

LouLou40

I had multifocal IDC, 2 tumors 2cm and 1.5 cm (1.5cm and 4 cm from nipple) and had a lumpectomy as both tumors could be removed in the one incision.

I did have a full axially dissection at the same time as my BS felt a sentinel node biopsy may not be accurate with multifocal, I did have pos nodes.

I believe that only the biggest tumor is counted for staging, please correct me if I'm wrong.

lexi4

I also had multifocal disease. Altogether totalling 3.5 cms. This darned her2+ is so aggresive.

Lexi

IowaSue45

Thanks Ladies for your response, my onc. actually said my case was a little more unique with the multifocal, she has 300 bc patients, she said its not all that common.  So very glad we can have herceptin, ups the odd of it not coming back a great deal !!

IowaSue45

Thanks Ladies for your response, my onc. actually said my case was a little more unique with the multi focal, she has 300 bc patients, she said its not all that common.  So very glad we can have herceptin, ups the odd of it not coming back a great deal !!

lovemygarden

Yes, only the largest of more than one tumor is counted for staging purposes. So for instance if one is 2.2 cm and the other is 1.2 cm, you would be Stage 2a (because they take the 2.2 size as the criteria, not 3.4 which would be the total size of both masses).

kyra

hi girls, l also had multifocal in my one breast ILC & DCIS my oncologist said it is known alot in patients l had lumpectomy then mastectomy,  (adjuvent ) chemo then radiation ,  1 year later bilateral diep reconstruction taking no chances.

H3ath0r

Also multifocal.  3cm, 1cm, and a third, smaller & benign tumour. I had a lumpectomy, chemo, radiation, and am still on Herceptin & Tamoxifen.

shadow2356

I had multifocal too. ER/PR-, Her2+. I had 4 tumors. One 1.7cm, one 6mm, one 5mm and 5cm of DCIS. I had a mammo 8 months prior and none of it showed up. I felt a "thickening" and had it checked. Of course it was positive. I had to have a mastectomy because there was too much for a lumpectomy. At that point I decided to take them both.

I think Her2+ people are much more likely to have mutifocal disease.

IowaSue45

Hi Mary Ellen, you were one of the 1st ladies I messaged when I 1st joined this board.How are you and that beautiful little girl doing? I am moving toward my last of 6 chemos Dec. 3. Have thought about you off and one and wondered about you. Take care everyone, Sue

shadow2356

Hi Sue!! I hope you are well. I had my last herceptin today. I am thrilled to be finished but a little scared too. I am glad you are almost finished. I am also happy to say I am hearing better things about our prognosis as ER/PR-, Her2+ people. Today my doctors told me that the year of herceptin has dropped the recurrence rate for us stage one people waaaaayyyyy down. Nice to know! There are no published numbers yet but I guess they get data.

newday67

I actually thought I had one tumor, found out i had three as well.  Suprise, suprise!

KeepingFaith69

I had 3, blinking HER2!

dearjilly

Moi aussi!  My tumours covered 11cms of my breast.  I had 3.

vickilind61

I had three also.  None of which showed up on any of the mammo's!  Range in size from .5 cm to 1.1 cm.  Two of the tumors were tested and one was HER2- and the other +.  I keep making the doc's scratch their heads.