is it really a lump?

txstardust

I was dx in August of last year, went thru chemo and rads.  Had trouble with Tamox, so haven't been able to take that.  I am ER/PR positive, but not overwhelmingly so (if I remember correctly, I'm ER 64%/PR 35%).  For a while after surgery, I was anxious about the feeling of my scar, but my onc said it would get better over time, and it really did get much softer.  

Over the last month or so, however, I've noticed a small portion of the scar seems to be much harder, about pea-sized.  It's not the edge of where the scar is, but kind of in the middle.  I'm torn about whether to call the onc about it or wait until my next appt with him in 6 weeks.  I know 6 weeks doesn't seem like a big deal, but my first dx came just 3 months after a clean mammo, and I am afraid that if it is a recurrence and it's similarly aggressive, i shouldn't wait.

Any advice or ideas are GREATLY appreciated.

~Shelby 

lovemyfamilysomuch

Hi sweetie!  Call and get it checked, if only for your peace of mind.  Please let us know how you make out! xo

flopsy

txstardust,  Definitely insist they see you right away.   Stress is not good for any of us and especially this kind.   Good luck and I am thinking of you.  Very likely this is just scar tissue but better safe then sorry.   Hugs,  Ginny

ronqt1

You have every right to call the onc asap. Please don't wait.

With Hugs,

txstardust

Thanks ladies.  I guess I'm worried about overreacting.  One big part of me wants to just sweep it under the rug and just hope it's nothing but scar tissue.  Another part of me says to get it checked ASAP, just in case it isn't nothing.  

I'm just soooo tired of the doctor-go-round.  My onc sent me to a gyn onc to talk about ooph last month.  He did a routine Pap, and that came back bad.  Turns out I have a precancerous condition of my cervix.  Totally unexpected.  Could I really be facing a BC recurrence too?  Ugh, can't I just run away from all of this? 

maggiesmom39

I had a bilateral mastectomy in May of this year followed by failed expander reconstruction. I had them put in the beginning of August and they were removed due to infection mid-to-late September. I've been feeling sore from lifting my 3 year old. I did a self exam last Friday and found what felt like at pea above my scars (on the bad side) I had just visited my oncologist 3 weeks ago and had a clean exam. Concerned, I called this morning and they got me in. Unfortunately  my surgeon is on maternity leave (lucky lady). I met with her nurse practitioner and she found another surgeon to take out growth. They said it was 50/50 cancer or not. Will get my pathology back on Wed hopefully. I'm having a hard ime believing that it could have come back so quickly. I'm on Tamoxifen and my Oncotype score was the 2nd lowesty my onco had every had.

 I asked the surgeon to look at what she took out. I expected it to round like I felt, but I could only feel the top. It was actually long with a round top.

 Txstardust: I would get it checked out for peace of mind. right now the only peace of mind I'm getting is from Lorazepam, but I will know on Wed. If it is cancer, scared that it came back so soon and that the Tamoxifen isn't working.

mrsnjband

I agree, get it checked out.  It's worth it for the peace of mind. 

Sending love & prayers. NJ

txstardust

Thankfully, it turned out to be fat necrosis, which sometimes mimics a tumor apparently.  Whew!

Maggiesmom, I hope yours turns out to be B9 as well. 

maggiesmom39

Glad to hear you got good news!  Sadly, I didn't. Got the call this morning. Going to meet with the surgeon this afternoon to find out the next steps.

changes

Maggiemom,

I'm so sorry about your news. Sending cyberhugs your way,

Karen

maggiesmom39

Came back from BS today. They aren't calling it recurrence, but a persistence since it is so close my original bilateral mastectomy date in May. 9mm. No one wanted to fess up why it was found in subsequent plastic surgeries or by my oncologist 3 weeks ago when he did an exam. Have been on tamoxifen, too. Sounds like radiation is in my future. The are also going to check my nodes again to be on the safe side. Wondering if I'm going to have to work the ultrasound machine on Friday since I'm the only one who finds things. Ugh. Sorry. Just venting.  Guess I'm going to have to switch my posts from worried about recurrence to have recurrence.

 I did ask if I should have had radiation after my bilateral and they said that I didn't meet any of the 3 qualifiers: tumor over 5cm, nodes involved and more thing I forgot, probably more than 1 tumor which I know have. Help!

maggiesmom39

Karen- Thanks for the cyber hugs. I need 'em!

txstardust

Maggiesmom, just saw this post - I'm so sorry!  What's the plan?

(((((hugs))))) 

maggiesmom39

Just say radiaology/oncology today. Liked new doc, PET scan scheduled for Monday to check for spread. My lymph nodes looked good under armpit today on ultrasound, but no guarantees. Dr flat out said that the tumor was closer to the chest wall they they thought and they missed some. He's going to look at slides to see if I need more surgery for better margins. So, if the PET scan comes back clean, looking at 1 month plus of radiation, possible surgery. If the PET scan comes back back bad, surgery/chemo and radiation,

 I'm feeling kinda robbed in way, My original tumor was an "easy" tumor as defined by docs at the time. Had very low ONCOTYPE DX score. If they would have got it the first time this wouldn't be happening. Doctors are human though. It's almost worst finding this out than finding out your parents are human, too. Feeling sad that I'm putting my 3 year old thru stress when I have been reassuring her that I'm better for weeks. Just sad. Wondering if this is why my body rejected the expanders. For a week before I found the 2nd tumor, I kept reliving 1st tumor diagnosis. It was almost like somehow I knew before I even felt it and was preparing myself. Will post on PET scan results. Please pray for clean results!

txstardust

Wow, what an ordeal!  Are you sticking with the same doc?  Even though I know they're human and fallible, I'd still be wanting to find a new doc, but that's just me.  I'm glad you found the lump before it got worse.  Good luck on the PET...

maggiesmom39

txstardust: I have a new breast surgeon in event that I have to have more surgery. Other surgeon is on maternity leave.

CV9

Maggiesmom- Sooo sorry to hear this! Came on this thread cause I'm worried bout my mom; she had a single mx in July and is currently going through chemo. Which is takin a lot out of her.  But she too had a failed expander and now she has skin folds which I have to dress cause the incision opened- been noticing a hard pea shaped lump on the top of the skin fold. Haven't mentioned it to mom cause she's so stressed about everything as is but how do I ask the onc without worrying her?! We're seeing the onc on Monday.

Txstardust- what tests did they do to determine it was fat necrosis or did they just examine it? Not sure mom is up for more tests 

Can cancer reoccur mid chemo?!?!

txstardust

Unfortunately cancer can reoccur during chemo, but I don't think it is very common.  

I had to have a mammo, ultrasound, and a fine-needle biopsy for them to determine what the lump was.  The lump could be a number of things, including scar tissue or a granuloma from a stitch in the incision.  I would definitely bring it up to the doc, just ask him to check the incision.

Good luck! 

Anne222

Oncologist said he found a lump in my other breast in my 6 month followup this week. I swear it feels like muscle to me - not the round lump I felt the first time around. Here's the question - schedule another appt with the breast surgeon to have her look at it (was just there in October). Oncologist wants to see me in 3 months to check the lump. I swear - I just can't go on this merry go round again.

maggiesmom39

Just wanted to post a quick update here. Had surgery this week to clean up margins before starting radiation. Surgeon called back Friday and said pathology was clean. Radiation will start in 2 weeks. Had them take out excess skin too to better fit prothesis. I cannot have reconstruction for a year after radiation. Expanders out. Will be flap.

ktn

Found this topic very helpful. I had a double mast and later radiation. The left breast has always been a little indented from the middle to the back side of the scar. The BS said it's due to radiation. Underneath (not on) the middle of the scar where it indents it feels like a "ridge"- also not exactly on the scar. I have 650cc expanders and can feel ridges down low with them too at times. My main question though is what test do they do after mast and expanders? I know no mammogram but do they do ultrasound or MRI? Also is it best to see the onc or the BS? I also have my yearly post radiation checkup next month. Hope it's scar tissue or fat necrosis too!