Should I biopsy a lump

Kimmysu

Hi guys,

I am about two and a half years out from my double mastectomy. I had IBC and invasive ductal, so the docs took all they could of my skin and all my lymph nodes on the infected side. Then I had radiation.

I did not do reconstruction immediately. And since I have a very active lifestyle, I opted to try the BRAVA technique with fat grafting as my choice for reconstruction. I've had several fat grafts, and am getting ready for my sixth, I think. Maybe Fifth.

Anyhoo. I don't exactly have breasts, but I am no longer concave and I have normal looking cleavage in my clothes, etc. The skin is healing and has turned soft, and my doc is hoping in another year I will have the stretchiness to put in a small implant. That is the plan.

So why am I writing.

Yesterday I had my check up with my oncologist. We found a lump on my chest, under the scar area. I had an immediate ultrasound. The dr there and I decided not to biopsy, as the lump and several more she saw (all pretty much attached to the scar line) all appear cystic. She believes the cysts are fat necrosis from my fat grafts and nothing to worry about. Yay!

Except, my family is not convinced and now they have me wondering. Of course, there is the fact that my first dr told me I did not have IBC when I asked her to check, then later did the punch biopsy and found out she was wrong. So...there is always room for inaccurate judgement, however well intentioned.

Should I ask for a biopsy? Has anyone heard of IBC mets that appeared like this--under the scar line where the breast tissue used to be?

The thing is, and I think some of you will understand this where people who've never had cancer and cancer treatment would not, I don't think I can do the treatments again. Can't do it. So if it turns out to be cancer, do I even need to know? I am feeling so good. Finally lost my steroid weight. Finally have healthy hair. Feeling very fit except for some new dizzy spells that have been coming on. (Brain mets ruled out. :-))

Advice? And please, I'd like to know if anyone has heard of mets that occur on the chest wall under the scar.

Thank you all!

Kimmy

WinningSoFar

I had something similar show up. On a PET/CT scan a hot spot showed up thought to be the internal mammary lymph chain on the mastectomy side. They ultrasounded it and it didn't look too unusual. Then they biopsied it, and nothing showed up. Latest thought is that it is scar tissue from mastectomy.

That is not to say you should not have it biopsied. I just wanted to say that sometimes it really isn't anything too awful.