idc lower inner survival

Sunshine1982

hello ladies

i have a question on lower inner tumors. i read that the survival is pretty poor, due to breastcancer in the internal mammary nodes. which are routinely not investigated. I might have a tumor in my lower inner rigt breast, so really concerned for survival.

Do they investigate the internal mammary nodes? (near the breastbone). and is the lower survival only when no chemo is given?

anyone any experience with lower inner tumors and survival?

thanks!!

MelissaDallas

Why are you posting this in IDC forum instead of Not Diagnosed if you “might” have something? Is there something new from your previous posts? Do you have new imaging reports with an order for a new biopsy? Almost all your posts have been suppositions of worst case scenario that were not the case. Why are you assuming that anything would be IDC as opposed to another type of cancer? What medical imaging or report prompted your post?

Beesie

Sunshine, to Melissa's question, have you been diagnosed with breast cancer, a lower inner quadrant tumor? .

The last time you posted, about 9 months ago, your concern was about whether the Radiologist (who declared your imaging to be fine, I believe) could distinguish between a scar left by an excisional biopsy, vs. cancer. djmammo assured you that a Radiologist either could make this distinction, or would arrange for the necessary next steps.

What has changed about your situation? You are posting in the IDC Forum, so does this mean that you have now unfortunately been diagnosed with breast cancer?

For anyone here to answer your question out of context, without understanding your diagnosis, including size of tumor, hormone status, HER2 status, grade, etc., is bound to result in inaccurate, misleading, and perhaps unnecessarily worrisome responses.

Annabelle2

I will start by echoing Melissa & Beesie. If you have not been diagnosed with BC, your post belongs in the "Not Diagnosed, But Worried" thread, not here.

I had an actual lower inner tumor. My enlarged internal mammary node was discovered at the time of my (routine) MRI after my diagnosis and as part of my treatment planning. I'm almost certain location had nothing to do with it.

That little bugger changed my staging, and added radiation to my treatment plan. In the 2 1/2 years I've been dealing with an actual BC diagnosis and subsequent treatment, nobody ever said my chance of survival was different based on where my tumor was located. My chance of survival is based on my PCR to chemo, lumpectomy, 6 1/2 weeks of radiation to my entire upper left half, bi-lateral-salingo-oopherectomy (sp?) and the Exemestane I will likely take for the rest of my life // coupled with // the fact that I have been diagnosed with stage 3c BC at the age of 39.

They gave me a number of percentages throughout the last 2 1/2 years, and while it's been a LONG HARD road, I'm here now and starting to enjoy life again, and that's all that matters.

Respectfully and with a big hug coming your way: if your doctor has done scans AND biopsies and hasn't found cancer, and you get checked for lumps by a doctor every 3 months, I hope you can find a way to live life to its fullest every moment of every day until you have an actual diagnosis. Which of course I hope never happens!

Sunshine1982

hello everybody

Thank you so much for the replies. I posted in the wrong forum. Apologies for that. For the last years i have been dealing with so many breast issues. Lumps, fibroadenoma, excision for a hard lump which was fibrosis, every month my breasts swell up like mellons and sometimes only one does. So much activity and lumpiness. Last January i found a small 3 mm thing which the docter said is nothing. Right now it is still the same size so she is probably right. Last 2 months my left breast was huge due to the fibrocystic stuff. This is calmed down for now it seems. And then yesterdag i found another hard grainy piece about 2 x 2 mm. So very small. My way of dealing with this is: alright if it is idc than you can do this. They will see it on an ultrasound and everything will be fine. So started googling and then i found articles about lower inner cancer and that being more deadly due to hidden metastasis in the internal mammary nodes which are not biopsied usually. So my image of: you can do this, don't worry was gone. Now i think: omg what if this IS something bad. And it is lower inner and they don't biopsy or check the internal nodes. Than i will die. So my sincere apologies to all of you strong women if i offended you in any way. That was not my intention. I just wanted information on inner lower tumors and of the " internal nodes not checked and will kill you" story makes any sense. Maybe they do check the nodes so in case there is any metastasis in there they will see it.

Kind regards to all of you.

Annabelle2

Honey, they can't biopsy an internal mammary node - it's in/on/behind your chest wall (can't remember the exact term they told me). They would see it on an MRI, and treat you accordingly. Even IF you were diagnosed with BC (IDC or otherwise), and had internal mammary node involvement, it's not an automatic death sentence. Each case, each situation, and each person is different. And it's very scary/troubling for those of us who are dealing with these things to hear horror stories from google or god knows where without any scientific evidence to back up such claims.

If you have dense breast tissue, and/or a family history of BC, I strongly encourage you to speak with your doctor about your ongoing fears, and push to get an MRI yearly in addition to your mammogram. Ultrasound doesn't always catch things either. Mammogram and MRI are your best bets with dense breast tissue.

Then, I encourage you to stop worrying. Worrying won't change the outcome, whether you have BC or not. Just try to embrace the life you have.

Best of luck!

wrenn

Given that you have been looking for cancer for 4 years and have not found it I think it's time to look into getting help with health anxiety. Anxiety can do you harm and maybe the doctors you have seen over the years have mentioned this to you. Coming to a cancer forum is not helping you. You don't have cancer. You have a fixation on cancer and asking for a referral to someone who can help you with that will improve your life.

Peace

MinusTwo

I agree with Wrenn - you do need to get some help with your anxiety and cancer fixation. Seems to me that in the past we also all told you to stop feeling your breasts. LEAVE THEM ALONE. And you do now from prior posts - stay away from Dr. Google.

exbrnxgrl

Survival? If you have not been dx’ed with bc, I think you’re putting the cart well before the horse. It seems to me that you need to take a deep breath and step back. Certainly we should all be aware and proactive about our health but at a certain point the anxiety over a disease that you likely don’t have is far more detrimental to your overall well being. Perhaps seeing a counselor/therapist about this might be helpful.