Have some serious concerns and appreciate help

lisalock

Hi all,

I was diagnosed in 2001 at the age of 34 with idc/dcis of the right breast.  Had lumpectomy, reexcision, and mastectomy followed by reconstruction with expander.  I had 6 months of CMF chemo and everything has been ok until now.

I've had chest pain on and off for about 2 years...enough to go to the emergency room a couple of times and such...I've chalked it up to costochondritis but it has gotten so bad as of late I am on STD from work.  I've had a CT and now an MRI and the mri was the magic!  Found a lesion behind the top of my sternum  about the size of a golfball.  ugh, I am totally freaking out obviously.  My sister and her boyfriend are docs and they don't have good feelings about the diagnostic findings as is the onc friend they have. 

I just don't know what to do at this time...I went to my breast surgeon today and he kind of blew me off so I will be calling a thoracic surgeon due to the location of this lesion.  Any help and suppoort are much welcomed.  Thanks, Lisa

cubsfan

Hi Lisa, '

I am sorry you are going through this.  I know it is difficult.  I am glad you have a good support system with medical knowledge.  I am wondering if you have had any tumor markers done or CEA levels done?  I know these might not be accurate but if you had a baseline and the TM are rising it could be indicative.  Are you on tamoxifen or AI?  

It is good you are being proactive and going to a thoracic surgeon.

I know you are freaking out but it can be a benign tumor unrelated to your history of BC.

Please keep us informed and we are here for you.

Nancy 

MJLToday

Lisa, hoping the lesion is totally benign, but I am glad you are pressing for another opinion.  I can't believe your breast surgeon blew you off, s/he should have sent you on to someone else if s/he couldn't help.

Lovelyface

Hi Lisa, if it has been 2 years with this pain, then it seems to indicate to me that the lesion is benign.  If it was BC then I am sure you would not be okay today, 2 years is a long time, I think.  I am in a similar position as you right now.  I finished lumpectomy, chemo and rads in March, 2001.  And now, 8 months later, I have a pain every single day in my cervical spine and neck since September.  My onc. had said something really mean to me, last time I had an arm pain scare and he had to do a petscan, which was clean.  So this time around I felt scared to go to him in case he yelled at me again, so I just waited and waited for the pain to go away.  But it lingers every day.  Now I have to take pain medication daily.  I am so scared in case it is gone into the bones.  Is that possible?  My most recent tumor markers are really really low.  They were never high, even before I did chemo.  Today, my onc. office told me that my insurance denied approving my MRI.  I am shocked at how insurance companies are refusing important tests for cancer patients.  My goodness, I am so stressed out at work, as there is not a minute to concentrate on myself, and then this pain.  Life has become really difficult for all of us.  I wish you much luck, will be looking forward to hearing the good news that your lesion is totally benign.

Lauriesh

You don't say that you have called your onc.'s office.  They should be the one to help you get to the bottom of this, and get a definitive answer of whether this is bone mets.

Laurie

Naniam

Who ordered the CT and MRI?  I agree, call your oncologist and go from there. 

Good luck

Racy

Lovelyface, so your onc did order an MRI? If that's not approved, could you get a bone or CT scan instead? Have you investigated other possible reasons for the pain? What does your primary doc say?

barbe1958

Lisa, you could have a substernal goiter. It is a rather large growth that lurks behind your breastplate so doesn't get picked up on xray. I had one as big and as thick as my surgeons hand!! Once it was removed I had to spend 3 days in the ICU because I started to bleed out! It was never picked up on a regular xray because xrays don't go through bones. The point is, yours is now picked up. A goiter is a benign situation for a growth in the location you are talking about.

Now, 10 years later and with a bc diagnosis under my belt, I have another growth!! This may just be another goiter, or it may be cancer. It was biopsied on Wednesday and I hope to hear this week. I really don't know which way it will go as I've experienced the benign tumour before.

So, your situation could really go either way, but it must be addressed. Mine is in a position on my thyroid that it is affecting my breathing and is growing. Take it out!!

Please get yours checked by the doc who ordered the CT scan and let us know what the result it. You can't get a scan without follow-up.....can you???