Anyone developed a 2nd bc while having tx for their 1st bc?

ilovepugs

I am just about to have surgery for breast cancer in my left breast that was discovered last summer around this time. I asked for a mammo on the opposite breast, as last year there were suspicious calcifications in one quadrant that turned out to be b9 upon biopsy. (I was struggling with the decision to remove just the one, or opt for both and I wanted concrete evidence).

My latest mammo results indicate that these microcalcifications are now seen extensively throughout the entire right breast and the findings are consistent with bilateral breast carcinoma. I'm guessing that this is an in situ breast cancer; however, we won't know until pathology after surgery.

I've got loads of questions that I will be asking my surgeon when I see her this afternoon, but I'm also wondering how many others have had a similar experience?

april485

Hello,

Have not had this experience but wanted to say that I hope everything ends up benign (despite what they think it is) and to bump the question so someone else sees it. Best to you.

ilovepugs

Thanks April.


To update, my surgeon told me she didn't trust the results of the mammo and the clinic where it was done, but that we wouldn't have time before surgery to redo the mammo; or have the mammo read by a different radiologist; or have a biopsy. So, I was presented with three options: unilateral Mx, bilateral Mx, or postpone surgery for further testing. I agreed to go ahead with the BMx to which she advised she'd have to take both nipples and do a sentinel node biopsy on both sides....and then she added, even though I don't believe that there's any cancer on the right.

AmyQ

I did -

Dx with BC in R breast Feb 2013. Opted for BMX because IF I ever had it come back in opposite breast, I did NOT want another surgery, recovery, reconstruction etc. Turns out BC found in L breast when tissue was sent to pathology. Just so happy I made the right decision.

My best wishes to you.

Amy

ilovepugs

Thanks for sharing, AmyQ; I'm glad that you chose the surgery that you did!

KBeee

I think I would make the same decision you did. They can "think" it's ok, but the only way to know definitively is to do a biopsy, and if there are any abnormalities that could put you at additional risk, I'd want them gone. I am surprised they waited so long after chemo to do your surgery.

Warrior_Woman

Pugs - I love the picture. Yes, for me originally a tumor was found in my right breast and after having a BMX it was discovered that I had LCIS in both and DCIS in the one with the tumor. I felt that the BMX was a good decision for me under the circumstances. Even with complications with my reconstruction, I've never once regretted the BMX. I hope this helps.

ilovepugs

Warriorwoman and KBeee, thanks for weighing in.I went ahead with the BMx and although the path report for the right breast and nodes was clear of malignancy the pathologist stated that the high number of clusters of microcalcifications was unusual. It's all so overwhelming before the fact, now that's it's done, I feel fine and confident with my decision.

damazon

I am distraught. Dx'd in 2011 with Stage 3 Lobular in R breast, had mastectomy, 3rd gen chemo, full chest wall rads, no reconstruction and tamoxifen (refused Femara). My oncologist had set up twice yearly exams for the future 5 years with my regular doctor last fall. This summer I decided to undertake recon EXCEPT I found a bump/lump in my remaining breast last week. Waiting on a diagnostic mammo appt since Monday. Worried. Very worried. Anyone have a lump that was not cancer after the first cancer diagnosis? Any advice as to lumpectomy or mastectomy if not b9 (If there is a choice, unlke the first time, with multi-focal, and three large tumours)? Implant recon (skin still good after rads) might look more balanced if I have Mastectomy, if I am not b9. But what if the rad side complicates. No extra fat for Diep and if cancerous will I regret using up the time I have left with reconstructing surgeries. What if it is b9 would I could undertake removing the other breast and then reconstruct both with implants? My oncologist had set up twice yearly exams for the future 5 years with my regular doctor. What to do?

crazystupidbreastcancer

I did. Finished chemo (AC + T) in October 2013. Later that month, I had a post chemo-MRI and then a mammogram to help map out the wire-guided lumpectomy. The radiologist was looking at the results of the mammogram, and noticed linear micro calcifications on a different quadrant on my breast. He was pretty sure it was DCIS. Fast forward 10 days later, I have a stereotactic biopsy, and the results come back as grade 2 DCIS. Apparently, breast MRIs only pick up on high grade DCIS. It sucks to have been diagnosed with a second primary right after chemo, and have my treatment plan change from a lumpectomy to a double mastectomy (the breast MRI kept thinking a benign tumor on the other breast was cancerous -- but it actually wasn't). The shock of a second primary sucked. But I'm glad they found the DCIS then versus 3 or 6 months later.

damazon

That's sad. Sorry to hear you had to deal with another primary so soon after treatment for the first. Still, glad they found the other earlier rather than later. Cancer is so harsh. Thanks for posting.

footprintsangel

I did. I finish high chemo and know the doctor didn't think the

other breast had cancer, So I went to another doctor and found

that I had they thought was fat tissue was cancer. Caught it in time.

no chemo, Arimdex , now checking again. I found the first lump

six months after my mammogram.