Breast cancer metastases to pancreas and/or peritoneal cavity?

JaneNJ

Hi all,

I was recently dx'd with MBC with a tumor on my pancreas plus some positive lymph nodes nearby within the peritoneal cavity. From what I have been told and researched, breast metastases to the pancreas is uncommon. Wondering if anyone else has this metastases?

Thanks,

Jane

GlobalGal

Dear Jane,

I do not have metastases to the pancreas and/or peritoneal cavity, which I understand are uncommon and rare.

My breast cancer metasteses were found in my neck's 3 central lymph nodes following a complete thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid cancer--my ENT surgeon had never seen a case like mine in his many years of practice. In addition to two synchronous cancers, my breast cancer turned out to be occult (despite numerous tests, including PET scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, biopsies, and mammograms, they never found the primary breast tumor).

Being uncommon and rare is a lonely place to be. I just wanted to say hello, wish you well, and hope that someone else with more knowledge/experience can chime in.

GlobalGal

ShetlandPony

Jane, an important question is, are those lymph nodes enlarged nodes that could be related to the cancer in the pancreas, or is there cancer in the peritoneum itself? Also, with your recurrence diagnosis in May 2021, was there a biopsy to distinguish whether it is IDC or ILC? ILC is the one that tends to have unusual mets sites. Globalgal, with an occult tumor one's mind goes to ILC as well.

These are threads for stage iv lobular:

ILC (Lobular) "Unusual" Mets Sites

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/8/topics/876844?page=1&post_creation=true#post_5683167

"Lobular Sucks!"

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/8/topics/874731?page=1

This thread has some links about peritoneal metastasis. (Again, it is not clear if you have that, Jane.)

JaneNJ

Thanks Shetland Pony. The largest "concerning" lymph node (near the celiac axis) was biopsied when the pancreas was biopsied, and is indeed breast cancer. The lesion on the pancreas is also confirmed as breast cancer. There are some smaller less concerning enlarged lymph nodes that have not been biopsied. We will continue to monitor them with scans. My doctor has said that my peritoneum is somewhat inflamed but so far we do not think that is a separate cancer. But of course will continue to monitor. I think my next PET scan is Sept. I double checked with my doc ad my breast cancer was indeed IDC.

GlobalGal - thanks for saying hi. Yes uncommon and rare is a weird place to be for sure.

Wishing you both well and hope to chat more!

Jane