anyone find cancer in other breast while in tx

Rach4201

Hi All,

I was dx with DCIS wit microinvasion of ILC in 2005.  Lumpectomy with Rads (right size)

Nov. had mammo, long story short, same breast same exact spot IDC. Asked for Bilat masect. but because I also have Hep C and stage 3 cirrhosis, dr did not want that much stress  Feb 4th had Right Masec with Lat Dorsi (Back flap)

turned out to be 9 CM 3 of 3 lymph nodes positive and removed.  They took out a lot of tissue that path report said appeared to have been a lymph node at one time but replaced with cancer.

So, next step had fill Mon. Everything fine.Both Nurse and Dr thought left breast looked swollen...

Tues went to see Onc and Rad Dr's both thought left was very swollen.  Plan was to have PET scan then start Chemo

them maybe Rads after. Weds got call from Rad Dr.  They discussed my case at meeting and want  me to go back to breast surgeon to have her ck out left breast.

This all has me freakd out.  my questions...anyone else with similar story?  at 4 wks out should I still be sore?

Any input would be so appreciated.  I am 54, had hysterectomy in 2006.  cancer this time was 30% est recep. 15% progest.

I took arimidex for 5 yrs after 1st cancer. please excuse mistakes.  I raise my 3 yr old granddaughter and she likes to help

P

Please excuse mistakes

Solen

HUGS! to you.  I have had breast cancer in both breast, but 13 years apart!  I also have the BRCA2 gene, so that is a large part why. (well, maybe TOTAL reason why!) Once you have cancer, doctors are usually pretty quick to jump on anything they see, so try not to read to much into it until they have the facts.  I know that is easier said than done.

I wish you the best of luck, and hope this bumps your post and you get some answers from someone with similar experience!

Rach4201

Solan

Thank you so much for your reply.  Im usually a pretty tough cookie but this has thrown me for a loop.

I think I am becoming depressed, and like I said I raise a 3 yr old so that just can't happen.

I feel like once I get the PET scan done on Tues I will know for sure what we are dealing with.  The main thin I hate about cancer is I am a gotta have a plan person and cancer takes that from me. 

Again thank you for your response and I hope your journey with cancer is fiished and it never rears its ugly little head again!

Lisa

dragomirova

Not sure if this is the right forum for me, but I am back again for now while awaiting biopsy in 2 weeks in the left breast after lumpectomy and radiation in the right less than a year ago.  Wasn't expecting this, thought I was done...  Anyone out there had a recurrence in the other breast less than a year after first diagnosis?

Best to all of you!

suzygirl

Well, I wasn't exactly in treatment -- I had not yet had my first mastectomy last fall after an excisional biopsy found IDC and extensive DCIS in my left breast, but after an MRI of the "other breast" found three suspicious "enhancements," I had three more MRI and ultrasound guided core biopsies -- and still only LCIS and ADH were found. But the radiologists kept stressing I had "very active breast tissue and at very high risk of cancer already or in the future in the right breast." When all was said and done, I had a double mastectomy and when the pathologists got a look, there was indeed IDC in the second breast, too. That means I had "synchronous (at the same time) bilateral invasive breast cancer," which is pretty rare (2-4 percent). I was told they were two independent primary tumors. Fortunately they were were both stage 1a, both hormone receptor positive and HER negative, and I needed no radiation or chemotherapy. Am currently taking anastrozole. My surgeon said if the second tumor had not been discovered now, it would have been found in a year or two and then I would have thought it was a "recurrence," although it had been there all along. I've read that may be true for up to 10 percent of women. All in all, I was very glad to go through this once -- although, of course, a true recurrence is always possible for the rest of our lives.

dragomirova

Well I got the biopsy result today- it's a second primary cancer in the other breast- I didn't even make it to one year cancer free...here I go again for another action packed summer...

cider8

I have yet to last one year from active treatment.  It sucks.  Two summers of chemo, though not back to back summers.  I had a lot more help the second chemo and my girls are a littler older (and used to it!).  Hopefully after this go around you'll make it longer.  Both of us!

dragomirova

Thanks cider8, hope you're recovering well from your last round.  What really bothers me is what's next after getting through another summer of treatment.  First time around, I was determined to make it.  Now I am wondering what's the point and what's in store next year.  Just being crabby I guess

TC

cider8

It's been quite frustrating to go through it again.  Having to lower all the expectations again is very disheartening.  Once you accept it you can adjust the attitude accordingly.  That time to grieve is important.  The crabby will morph and fall away and you will do what you have to do.  

I was definitely a touch hornery for chemo.  I knew the routine and just wanted to get in, get out.  I went to most of my chemos alone because I could do it myself and I just wanted to be left alone for it.  I never let my parents come to chemo the first time.  I guess I wanted to protect them.  The second time around I let them visit me,  for their sakes.  I understood that whatever they imagined was worse than the reality.  The reality was it was so boring!

Hang in there.

bluepearl

I had my second exactly two years after my first. Sucks. I made different decisions and went to a large medical center for treatment but given stats, I sure didn't think I'd re-visit this again!!!

dragomirova

Hi Bluepearl,

Mind if I ask what you did differently the second time around?  My surgical consult is on Monday, but I pretty much already know she will recommend lumpectomy plus radiation again.  Maybe if I get the same thing done again, they'll match again now