Breast dent

kdholt

I am a 12 year stage 1 breast cancer survivor. My original cancer was at 12 o'clock on left breast. I had radiation with boost. No chemo. Yesterday at about the 7 o'clock I noticed a dent. It's there whether I my arms are up or at the sides. I feel no lumps but skin above it feels thicker- maybe a thick band? Anyway, I have no other symptoms- no redness, rash, etc. I also have Lymphedema that has on occasion effected this breast. And due to radiation I have a lot of Fibrous breast tissue and this breast has always been perky compared to right breast. Lately though I noticed This breast is not as perky as it used to be and is starting to sag. (I’m going thru menopause so lots of breast changes)Anyway, I'm trying not to panic but I'm really worried I have cancer again in this breast. I have an appt with my breast oncologist on Wednesday but I keep going in and out of panic mode. Has anyone had a similar situation that can speak to this and calm me down. Is a breast indentation always cancer? What else could this be? Oh and I had a normal mammogram in February. Thanks for your feedback.

kdholt

I can’t believe I’m the only person who has experienced this. Is there anyone out there that can speak to this and maybe help me calm down a little?

Beesie

I'm sorry no one responded yesterday. I saw your post but didn't know what to say. Lots of women come to this site with concerns about breast dents or dimples. Looking on-line, it appears that the only possible causes are fat necrosis or breast cancer. Yet as I posted to someone a couple of days ago, the vast majority of women who come here with dents or dimples end up not having breast cancer - and not having fat necrosis either. So sometimes I think it's just normal changes in the breast.

Your situation is different in that you've had breast cancer, had radiation and have lymphedema. Could this dent be caused by an after effect of that? I would think so. However given your history of breast cancer, with the dent and the feeling of something thicker skin, could this be breast cancer? Possibly. So I can't offer you much that is different than what you are already thinking. Hopefully there is a benign cause but cancer is possible too.

The best thing to do, as you are doing, is to see your doctor. With luck your MO will take a look and immediately reassure you that this is very unlikely to be cancer and much more likely to be a change related to everything that's your breast has been subjected to.

Good luck on Wednesday, and let us know how it goes.

kdholt

Beesie thanks for your response. I really am hoping this dent is a result of breast changes from all I’ve already been through. The anxiety about it all is the worst. My brain immediately goes to worst case scenarios. Wednesday can’t get here soon enough

MinusTwo

I answered on the other thread where you posed the same question. Good luc,

SUPer52

Kdholt,

I'm sorry you are worried. I am here not because I have any wisdom to share but because I have the same worry. I am just 15 months out of finishing radiation and still have very mild breast swelling that has been much better since having a seroma drained several times. Anyway, I noticed a small dent in the bc breast the other day and assumed it was from my bra and didn't give it a second thought. I actually kind of forgot about it, but today I happened to catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror as I was undressing and now the dent is more noticeable. I can feel the indentation, but I do not feel a lump underneath it. It is not along my lumpectomy scar, which runs almost along my chest wall under my armpit but rather the outside middle area around 8 o'clock, a good distance away from my initial cancer. I just had my mammogram two weeks ago and it was all clear. It showed my resolving seroma, scar tissue consistent with my surgeries, and some skin thickening underneath my breast that was described as being most likely from radiation. While I do take comfort in the fact that nothing suspicious was found, I am feeling worried about this. Of course the dent had to show up AFTER my mammogram and appointment with my surgeon. Thankfully I have my follow up with the radiation oncologist this Friday, so at least I can ask him to look at it.

When I was diagnosed, I had one area of pure DCIS, but I had another area of IDC and DCIS. However, my pathology report stated that the invasive ductal carcinoma also contained lobular features. It was stage 1, grade 2. I know lobular can present as a dent and that it can be difficult to detect on a mammogram, hence my concern. Since I completed treatments last year, I have been relatively worry-free minus one call back after an MRI that was later found on ultrasound to be a normal lymph node.

I am hoping you get some answers Wednesday and that they are the answers you want to hear. I am also hoping that my dent is just a result of the changes in my breast from surgery, radiation, a resolving seroma, and swelling. For me, Friday can't come fast enough. Ugh.

Hang in there, and good luck with your appointment! Hoping for good news for both of us!