What to do about this?

lopsided_blogger

What to do about this?

lopsided_blogger

I'm about four years out from diagnosis and treatment for IDC. Now I'm noticing a painful when I press on it spot on my other non-cancer breast. There's also a bruise there, but it could be from my pressing on it.... It's just an area on the inside of the breast that hurts a lot when I press on it, more so than other areas of the breast. I can't tell if it's the breast tissue itself that hurts or the area behind it. I don't really have any other IBC symptoms--though maybe the area is a litttle warm. My ? is do you think this could be IBC? How long should I wait before getting it checked otu? And what is the best way to get it checked? PET?

Thanks!

AlaskaAngel

Getting past the first 2 years with no recurrence helps some to handle the "what is this" questions because in that first 2 years they come up so often. You are now 4 years out and for a HER2 positive, that helps some because it is generally quicker to recur if it is going to. I had some radiation necrosis (more extensive than just a bit) that is painful, and you likely did not, but what it has shown me is that radiation continues to affect the tissues more and more over time long beyond the treatment itself, over the years. I say that so you might take that into consideration as just one possible cause for pain that occurs 'down the road' from treatment, assuming you had any. Even in areas where the main radiation necrosis isn't, in my breast, there are sometimes spots that get tender when I press on them.

A mammogram and ultrasound are a good idea for starters, but I also think an under-used test is the CA 15-3 or CA 27.29 along with a mammo and ultrasound as just one more indicator, as well as an alk-phos and LFTs. Since you are farther out, I would use those to get some feedback at the same time to indicate whether there is anything distant and occult happening.

I don't panic at all with these checks or with the tender spot, and I've had plenty of them over time. These tests are relatively inexpensive and give you a baseline to work from.

AlaskaAngel

lopsided_blogger

Thanks for your reply, AlaskaAngel. I've found that issues haven't slowed down yet. Seems like it's always something--or nothing as the case may be--but only time and tests will tell. Fun, fun, fun!

Anyway, I did have radiation to my cancer side after I had a mastectomy. This pain is now in my remaining, non-cancer breast. I've had a mammo for the year as well as a MRI, because mammos don't work on me--dense breast tissue. Those showed nothing, but this pain came up after those tests.

So I'm thinking maybe an ultrasound and if that shows nothing, maybe a PET? I've heard that's better at showing IBC. Also I've had PETs in the past, and on one a hilar lymph node on the right lit up, and in my uneducated thinking, I'm guessing this pain could be in the area of a hilar lymph node so maybe need to check that out...