Scared, Just found lump in 2nd breast

Anonymous

Scared, Just found lump in 2nd breast

LovesCats

I have been through the AC, then TH, then radiation along with herceptin every three weeks which I am supposed to have through September of this year. All my doctors keep saying I'm doing great and I honestly woke up Friday feeling better than I have since diagnosis. The chemo fog seems to be lifting, my hair is about 1.5 inches long and I have eyebrows and eyelashes again!

My last appt with the breast surgeon was Dec. 23rd and she said everything felt great and we wouldn't schedule a follow up mammo until June. Then my world came crashing down late last night when I felt a hard pea sized lump in the opposite breast next to my nipple. Of course this happens on a weekend and I can't reach my breast surgeon and won't get an appointment until Tuesday. I'm terrified and I'm sitting in bed in my pajamas, can't eat or sleep.

My hope is that this is some kind of fat necrosis from the breast lift they did to match the boobs during the cancer surgery. Has anyone else had a recurrence in the other breast? They talk a lot about liver, bones, lungs and brain, but this is hard to find info on. I'm so scared and depressed right now.

Crn

I have not had a recurrence, but understand the fear. My hope is that the lump is something benign and you will remain cancer free forever.

debiann

Necrosis is pretty common after surgery, but they may want an ultrasound to make sure. I had to have a few lumps checked out and they were all necrosis. Try no to worry. Good luck to you.

LovesCats

Thank you debiann, that helps, I am hoping that is the case. I'm just wondering why my breast surgeon wouldn't have mentioned the lump in December so I wouldn't worry about it if I felt it. I guess I have to wait until Tuesday to find out if she thinks I need testing. The hard, pea sized lump never seems to be good news, but that's why I'm asking here instead of relying only on Google.

LisaAlissa

I don't know enough to have an opinion. But even if it turns out to be a BC, it's quite possibly a completely new BC (instead of a recurrence of the previous BC). If it's a new primary, then it will have it's own characteristics, etc.

So, in a sense, you're back to the same screening regime you were involved in the first time around. And you have good odds that it will turn out to be a benign "something" (what I'm hoping for you!) (75% of people who have a diagnostic screening workup are told it isn't something that needs to be biopsied. And of the 25% who are sent on to biopsy, 80% (of the 25%) are given benign results.

Hang in there (and best wishes!)

LisaAlissa

LovesCats

I'm posting a reply just in case someone else has this happen and is searching the forums for something similar. After a diagnostic mammogram, two ultrasounds and an MRI, both my breast surgeon and my oncologist read all the results and concluded no cancer, just a cyst or fibroadenoma. I m sick with relief, this lump was hard, pea sized and immobile, all the bad characteristics. I am just scheduled for the regular follow-up mammogram I would have had anyway in 6 months. What a relief!