Secondary cancer in the same breast

mrskimber47

Secondary cancer in the same breast

mrskimber47

Just diagnosed with IDC a month ago and having mastectomy this Tuesday. Onc told me initially that I had 2 tumors, both IDC but didn't talk much about the third tumor, so I assumed it would be the same type. Saw my surgical onc in Boston a few days ago and apparently he thinks I have another type in the area around my nipple. They haven't done much for diag on this area because they are removing the entire breast and will biopsy at that time. 

I know many of the members on this board have been diag with multiple cancers, but I can't find any threads discussing this.

I am freaking out because I was just able to process the firs diag and now am faced with another. I am scared about what type it might be and how this will affect staging and treatments. Anyone with any info, PLEASE post! I am freaking out... 

Moderators

Hi Mrskimber --

You may also want to try posting in the Second or Third Breast Cancer forum, where others who have been diagnosed with more than one primary breast cancer can discuss.

Hope this helps!

--The Mods

pupmom

My initial pathology from biopsy showed ILC. After the lumpectomy they found that the largest area was IDC. I also had an area of DCIS. I was told this is not uncommon. Having the different types would not have affected my stage. Finding 2 positive nodes, unfortunately, did. Bumped me up from Stage I to Stage IIA.

Main thing is to just get it all out! Best wishes for your upcoing surgery! 

mrskimber47

thanks Mods and Yorkiemom. 

I know the most important is to get it out, just freaked me out a little. What other types that occur near the nipple are there? I can't find much info and the info I find is for very rare types... 

pupmom

Mrskimber74, all of mine was behind the nipple. I think every type of bc can occur anywhere on the breast. It's an equal opportunity monster.

mrskimber47

Yeah, its probably stupid for me to try and figure it all out, not a doctor, but should consider NOT googling so much!!!! Sometimes the Internet is our enemy.  Too much information and half of it might as well be in Latin for the sense it makes to me. 

BCagain

Is there any hope -- I don't want a mastectomy? 

I had an IDC less than a 1/4 inch in right breast 14 years ago with no spread to lymph nodes and had lumpectomy and radiation. 

Now I had 2 breast ultrasound biopsies (1 before an MRI and 1 after).  Biopsy reports show that left breast has mixed ductal and lobular invasive cancer in outer breast and ILC in the inner breast.  Both are estrogen positive, but mixed is also positive for progesterone and ILC is negative for progesterone.  Reports also show HER2 is equivocal -- mixed futher test shows not amplified but ILC biopsy is still testing on HER2.  Nuclear grade is to be determined on resection for mixed, and grade is 2 for ILC.  However, the proliferation index is 5% for the mixed ductal and lobular and is only 2% for the ILC.  So, these are slow growing tumors.  Is there no way I can have a lumpectomy instead of a mastectomy?  Thank you.

Lou10

mrskimber - I had two tumours, one of which was IDC and the other DCIS. The DCIS was irrelevant to my staging or treatment for the invasive cancer. A friend of mine was just diagnosed again (4 years ago she had DCIS), and she has IDC of mixed type plus DCIS, with the DCIS being in her nipple area. Your additional tumour may not affect your staging or treatment. Sorry you're having to face this ... it sucks big time.

BCagain - So sorry you're facing this again. I was able to have a lumpectomy with two different tumours, but they were in the same quandrant of my breast. The second one was discovered shortly before surgery and the surgeon felt she could get them both and still conserve my breast. Ask your surgeon ... may depend on the size of the tumours and whether removing breast tissue from both sides would leave you with a reasonable outcome??

BCagain

Thanks very much for your reply.  No time is a good time for this.  However, right now, I don't think I can handle mastectomy/reconstruction decisions because of current work/insurance/family issues.  Since  I won't see the surgeon again until 10/24/12, I just keep obsessing over this.  The position of the cancers in the left breast is 11 o'clock and 2 o'clock, so I assume that's different quadrants.  So, I'm thinking I will be advised to have a mastectomy on one or both breasts (even though they found nothing in my right breast).  Am I being unreasonable to think that there just should be another option to have a lumpectomy?  Why couldn't the surgeon just do two different lumpectomies on different dates under local anesthetic?

Lou10

BCagain -- I've never heard of a lumpectomy being done under local anesthetic ...  There may be a possibility of removing both tumours if they're very small and will leave you with enough breast tissue, but I'm just guessing! If you don't have an option, you could have a unilateral mastectomy as there's nothing in the right breast. Also, you don't have to make reconstruction decisions now ... you can have delayed reconstruction (or none). My friend is having a unilateral mastectomy and her surgeon said immediate reconstruction is not for her, perhaps because of additional treatments she's facing (there's cancer in her lymph nodes).

markcleveland

My wife was diagnosed with stage 2, non hormonal, DC. 4 months into chemo, her breast inflamed into a "non diagnosed" IBC. After her treatment with ixebipalone(sp?) and a mastectomy, her cancer went her skin. They put her on 6 weeks of radiation 2x a day along with zeloda. It's been two weeks and another spot just appeared on her skin next to the radiation field. Probably cancer again. It's a long battle. Fight hard.



How are you doing??

wcerda

Hello everyone,

This is my first time in a forum. My mother was diagnosed with ILC and had her mastectomy April 26th and her recovery is going very well. We just got pathology report which came back with her having ILC and IDC and when they re tested lymph nodes the 2nd one came back with cancer. Now she needs to go back and have all her nodes removed. Anyone in this situation???

First Oncology appt not till the 28th. Anyone know what kind of prognosis for these types of situations. Im trying to inform myself as much as possible to help and support her, but there isnt too much info on mixed BC.

I appreciate any info or suggestions.

Michele2013

Wcerda- I have idc/ilc and had the traditional AC/Taxol. 33 rads.



I had a petscan and 4 lymph nodes lit up, so when my port was placed my bs took the 4 out and path report came back as 3 positive for cancer. 2 had extra capsular extension. When I was done with chemo and had my bilateral mastectomy, my bs took the remaining lymph nodes. 1 came back with extra capsular extension. Meaning the chemo did not stop the cancer. So I am wondering if the mixed cancer made it so aggressive.



Gentle hugs

Tomboy

i am not sure chemo helps within the lymph system especially if the pathways had been "interrupted" by prior lymphnode removal.

Michele2013

Thank you, I kind of get what your saying.



Guess I was hoping for a clean path report. Then again, we all are.

wcerda

Hi Michelle,



Thanks for your reply. We FINALLY saw Oncology. She is a stage IIA Er+,Pr+ ,Her-

She will start TAC chemo about 3 weeks after node removal. 6rounds for 4 months



They had her scheduled for MRI to scan the left side and make sure it was clean, if not, they could address it when they take out the nodes. Unfortunately, they couldn't do the MRI because of the expander she has on the right side. No they will have to take out the expander when they take out the nodes. So they can do her MRI after.



She is so scared and nervousness since they told her that the other side could be affected too. Since the beginning, she requested a bilateral mastectomy, but her insurance wouldn't cover because they have to prove its affected. We are now waiting on her surgery date for the lymph node and expander removal. The waiting game begins again



Thanks for all your info. I am trying to be as informed as possible to help her. I have visited a few TAC chemo forums and lymphedema info. Any suggestions for more info would help.



Again, thanks

Wcerda

wirdgirl118

Paget's disease of the nipple is a form of breast cancer. It can be on or in or near the nipple, if I understand correctly.

Dyvgrl

I had originally planned on having a lumpectomy, but because my MRI showed 4 other suspicious sites, I opted for the mastectomy instead of multiple biopsies and hoping / waiting. I wanted it all gone, no messing around. It's a good thing I made that choice. My original Grade 2 tumor turned into a Grade 3 tumor IDC and had another DCIS, and LCIS tumor, Grade 2. My sentinel node was also affected so my surgeon took the entire axillary pack. None of those were affected so I'm very hopeful we've gotten it all. I would not have known any of this had we gone with a lumpectomy. I really have no intention of going through this drama over and over again. Get it all out, do all the treatments you need, and let me get on with my life!