Cancer recurrence or scar tissue/fat necrosis??

Jennjdance

Ugh. I'm back. I'm 39 years old. In 2010 I had stage 2A triple negative breast cancer, double mastectomy, tram flap surgery, and chemo. Four years later, I got a new primary on the other breast. Also stage 2A triple negative. This time chemo and radiation. It's been 2.5 years.

So 7 years ago right after my mastectomy I developed a fat necrosis in the breast where the cancer was originally. We kept watch on it and it seemed to disappear. But a few weeks ago I felt it again in the exact same spot. Since I hadn't felt it in a while I went to see my dr. Now unfortunately my regular oncologist just moved so this is a dr I've never seen before (a breast surgeon). I was discouraged because he had no knowledge of what the original lump felt like compared to this one. But he was nice. He said that it felt like scar tissue or necrosis to him and that it might have been the original lump and since my weight has fluctuated a lot in the last few years that it's harder to feel when there's more fat and easier to feel with less fat- I recently lost 17 lbs. He told me to relax, he felt it was very low risk, but he wanted me to get an ultrasound just to be sure.

Today I went for the US. The tech told me at first that it looked like scar tissue to her. Then the dr came in. He said that the mass exhibited characteristics of both scar tissue or fat necrosis as well as cancer. He noted that there was shadowing but scar tissue can have that too. He told me he wanted me to get a biopsy.

Then my dr (the breast surgeon) called me after getting the results. He agreed we needed to biopsy. I pinned him down for an answer this time- does it look like cancer or not?? The last two times I was diagnosed, the drs seemed to know right away that it was. He told me that he's still leaning towards not cancer, but the mass has characteristics that could be either. Like- there's shadowing. It's irregular shaped. (Drs told me both characteristics of cancer or necrosis/scar tissue) Then he said that on ultrasounds, cancer usually shows up really dark. But this is showing up very bright, much brighter than the tissue. So I'm hoping that's a good sign, though I'm wondering if that's bc the tissue in my breast isn't breast tissue. I have no clue.

The breast surgeon told me that it's so unlikely to develop a new cancer after a double mastectomy, but even more unlikely to develop one after that. Is this true? Has anyone been through this? Can one develop scavtissue or fat necrosis after 7 years??? Does any of this sound familiar to anyone? Please help!

Jennjdance

oh one thing I firgot to mention....the radiologist looked up my past ultrasounds. The last one I had on this breast was 3 years ago and there was a cyst there but no mass. Now there's no cyst, but a mass. So it couldn't be the original fat necrosis.

Kayla250

although I haven't had your history, I had one lumpectomy, one diagnosis, 3 years ago, I am currently awaiting results on a biopsy. My mass sounds very similar to yours. However, I didn't know about scar tissue and fat necrosis characteristics until I found this site. I have seen images of both and watched my biopsy and couldn't tell a thing. I get my results on Thursday.

I hope others can answer you better. And, of course, hope we are bothbenign.

marie5890

Jenn, here is a link to the "concerned about recurrence or mets" forum, since you have already been Dx-ed with BC. I expect you will get more replies there from women who have your concerns and know where you are at...

Wishing you nothing but the best and hoping that it's either scar tissue or fat necrosis. Good luck!!

MinusTwo

Marie - she has already started several threads, one of which is "recurrence".

Jennidance - sorry you are having to go through this waiting again. Hope it's only scar tissue. It would be useful if you pick one thread, consolidate & do all your posting there so that others who want to answer can follow along with the story.

Jennjdance

thanks. Just trying to get as many opinions as I can to keep me sane.

marie5890

Jenn,

It's understandable that you are extremely worried, to say the very least.

The reality is this. Even with a Dmx, it is possible for a recurrence. Im not sure why the BS would tell you otherwise?

And you know as well as anyone here, only a biopsy will give you the ultimate answer, one way or the other. We know you are looking for hope. Of course you are. Does scar tissue or fat necrosis show up after 7 years? I don't know. That does seem to be a great deal of time lapse, IMO, but I am not a doctor with expertise in this area.

Hoping that your biopsy comes back B9.

BC is so brutal.

Jenn is my understanding right here? You were Dx-ed back in 2010, and then again in 2014?

I see you are TripNeg, as well. Were both TripNeg?

Jennjdance

hi! Yes diagnosed in 2010 and 2014, both triple neg, stage 2A. In 2010 I had a BMX. The surgeon didn't say it wasn't possible. He said it's a low risk to have a recurrence after a double mastectomy. Then he said even lower risk to be diagnosed after a new primary after a double mastectomy. I would think it would be the opposite. If it came back once, (or formed a new primary as mine did), it can certainly happen again.

marie5890

Do you have a date for biopsy yet?

Jennjdance

Not yet. They said hopefully Thursday but they didn't call me yet to schedule.

Jennjdance

Just heard from the dr! NOT CANCER!!! Fat necrosis!!! I literally had convinced myself it was cancer again, even though all signs pointed towards necrosis. Thanks for all of your support!

MTwoman

Yay Jennjdance!! Great news

MinusTwo

Great news.

Leslipvb

I had a bilateral mastectomy with trans flap reconstruction 8 years ago. I've had a lot of issues with fat necrosis (scar tissue) and had it removed 4 years ago. My oncologist thought the latest lumps were suspicious and ordered a breast MRI which fortunately came back clean. Now to get these latest lumps removed! Hope this helps!

Meow13

Well it happened to me biopsy confirmed fat necrosis in 2016, 4 years after DIEP.