Recurrence of Breast cancer

AnewBeginning

Hi everyone,

In Feb. 2011 I was dx with DCIS with a micro invasion. I had lumpectomy with RFA and have gone for Mammos and US's every 6 months since. In March of 2012 I had MRI which showed a lesion in the same area of the scar. BI-RADS Cat. 5 Highly suggestive of malignancy.. My B/S recommended US which suggested a benign nodule such as a fibroadenoma. Followed by MRI on the same day and again "HIGHLY SUGGESTIVE OF MALIGNANCY" so he sent me for a Needle core biopsy which was found to be BENIGN. Continued to do US 's and and MRI 's. in Oct. 2012 and again "probably benign". In May of 2013 I had another MRI BI-RADS 4 suspicious abnormality so again I had another needle core biopsy which ruled out carcinoma. Next US in November 2013 again.. NO carcinoma. In June of 2014 another US...Probably Benign Finding. On the same day Mammo..Probably Benign Finding. After all these screenings in December of 2014 had another US.. increased in size ..SUSPICIOUS FINDINGS. Radiologist said my choice to excise or watch........why would watching even be an option at this point? So my BS and I decided on a lumpectomy and I had it done in January....INVASIVE DUCTAL CARCINOMA ! I put all my faith and trust into my doctors but know now to be my own advocate. I was scheduled for a masectomy in March. In February when I saw my BS he felt a swollen lymph node under my arm and had that biopsied. It proved BENIGN. At that point I was still hopeful that the cancer was contained in the breast. March 10th I had masectomy with 2 sentinel nodes positive and 2 out of 19 lymph nodes positive 1 of which tested benign in February. I am now stage 3a Her2/neu pos. Est/Prog neg.and dont know how I will come out of this. I am very scared and angry. I'm hoping this will help others get and read each report before it is too late.

What good are biopsies?

How did this cancer get so advanced so fast?

JJOntario

I just wanted to say I hear your frustration, worry and anger. After all of those tests it's like you want to hold someone accountable ....I just don't get it. With me...I had a "clean" mammo and US prior to doing Breast augmentation just 10 months before being dx'd. I'm still angry...

bevin

Dear anewbeginning, I am so sorry you are faced with this and can not imagine the anguish you must feel. I'm so glad though you were persistent and had your lump removed. Hoping the treatment is soft on you and tough as nails on your cancer.

AnewBeginning

JJ are you saying you had the caner when you had the Mammo and U/S? Im trying to let go of the anger, I just want to get thru this.

AnewBeginning

Hi Bevin

Thank u for your well wishes, but I think the tx is going to be agressive. I am so scared!

farmerlucy

(( Anew )) That is a nightmare. I'd have trouble getting past it too. One foot in front of the other.

AnewBeginning

@Farmerlucy I'm try but I keep stumbling.

rleepac

I'm so sorry about your recurrence and everything that you'll be going through. I do hope they will be doing PET/CT scan to determine if there is any metastasis.

I haven't had a recurrence but my initial BC was found by ME with a palpable lump in my armpit. Referred immediately for mammo and ultrasound and neither one of those picked it up. The ultrasound did say the lymph node in my armpit was normal size but didn't have the normal morphology (internal structures) that it should have so it was 'slightly suspicious'.

They recommended a needle biopsy but I opted for an excisional biopsy and I'm so glad I did. They found the palpable node had a micro-metastasis (1 mm) and it was sitting right next to a 2.1 cm IDC tumor. I strongly feel that in my case, if they had done the needle biopsy on the palpable node, they would have missed it. I mean really - a 1 mm micro-met! However, nobody felt the 2.1 cm mass and they wouldn't have stuck a needle in that.

After the biopsy showed IDC, they ordered MRI and found residual cancer (which matched the path report showing dirty margins) and another 'suspicious' lesion in a different location of same breast.

I'm planning a BMX but the tumor board thought neoadjuvant chemo was the best path to take so I don't even know if the other suspicious lesion is cancer or not. If the chemo does it's job, I may never know but as long as the cancer is gone, I'm ok with that.

AnewBeginning

rleepac

You sound like your doing very well. I wish I had opted for removal like you did since the radiologist report from an outside facility stated "HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS FOR MALIGNANCY" in 2012. My doctor chose to just do the biopsy which came back benign. They chose to do mast first and I should be starting chemo and targeted therapy in a few weeks. My biggest fear is that I will not make it through the chemo. They will be starting me with Adriamycin and Cytoxan every 2 weeks 4x. Then it will be taxol, herceptin and perjeta every 3 weeks 13 doses then Herceptin and Perjeta for 39 weeks. I can deal with the s/e but some are very scary. Can you tell me your experience with your treatments? Thanks for responding.

Oh, my PET was clean.

God Bless us all

KBeee

ANew beginnig , side effects are different for everyone, so a day at a time during chemo. I started AC chemo ealier this week and so far have felt good and been able to Easter shop, walk several miles each day, and live my life. You can do this

WinningSoFar

I too had a suspicious PET scan, benign biopsy, then another suspicious PET scan showing growth. So I did chemo (again) and guess what, suspicious lymph node all clear, so it was definitely cancer. It's maddening, but it happens. I try to just look forward and not back because it just makes me unhappy, and really, what difference would it have made anyway.

ElaineTherese

Anew,

While it is frustrating that your earlier biopsies didn't catch your cancer, if your cells were in that intermediary stage (abnormal but not IDC yet), that isn't surprising. That's when biopsies are most likely to fail. Biopsies are best at discovering normal cells and cancerous cells; they' re most often wrong when cells are in that "grey area." There was a New York Times article recently; some of its sources suggested getting second opinions on murky biopsy results.

AnewBeginning

Kbeee

I do realize s/e are different for everyone but I look forward to hearing so many do well. Best to you!

Winning

Im sorry to hear of your recurrence. I know I cant go back but it will take time for me to absorb this. I was

cancer free and so diligent with my exams and 4 biopsies. Who would ever think 4 can be wrong. I am

trying my best to prepare myself for whats to come.

Elaine

I understand what you are saying about the grey zone but the first suspicios malignancy was back in 2012. That was 3 years ago with an outside lab. How could it be a grey zone for 3 years then all of a sudden it traveled to the lymph nodes. This is what I cant understand. I know it is what it is now and I have to go on but I am scared of whats to come.

slv58

Hi Ladies, I've been lurking on this thread but realize that I belong here. I had a LX June 2013- achieved PCR with very good margins. I put cancer behind me and felt pretty confident that I had beat this. I was plagued by ongoing SE from chemo- very achy sore muscles/ bones and started seeing a rheumatologist for prednisone injections.

My right hip was the worst and still is so I decided to run it by my mo.i also thought I started feeling a new lump that was a bit different than the other lumps I was left with post rads. I got a complete metastatic work up with mammo and us for new lump- biopsy immediately and confirmed local recurrence. Thankfully everything else is clear. I had MX with immediate diep a month ago and am awaiting an apt with mo on the 15th. When I met with her prior to MX, she told me that she didn't think I could do chemo again because I had high dose and had a lot of SE. I'm terrified not to have chemo. What is to stop this from cropping up again especially being TN? My surgeon did get good margins with MX and one sentinel and one mammary node were both clear- but I had same good results the first time! Sorry, I'm just realizing that without chemo I'm terrified.

Shari