Anyone had BC with skin involvement?

Sarah_78

Hi everyone,

I have my tumour stuck with the skin, about 11 o'clock, inner upper quad. I am nervous about how the surgery will be like for this, I am guessing no other option than mastectomy? My mammogram and ultrasound mentions breast edema too, which is weird because I can't see it, but I guess they see better. I used to always have my left breast skin different than my right, hope they aren't comparing and seeing it wrong.

I was wondering if anyone here had skin involvement and how the surgery was like.

Thank you for any help, have a wonderful Thanksgiving for those who celebrate it.

LW422

Sarah--those questions are better left to your surgeon or plastic surgeon. I had IBC, which has skin involvement and the standard of care is mastectomy. I'm sure for other cancers it depends on how much skin is involved; the surgeon will want clear margins. Good luck to you.

Sarah_78

Hi LW422, thank you for answering.

My surgery will be in January and I will talk to a few surgeons, just getting nervous about it all and thought I'd ask to see if someone else can chime in with similar situation.

You write IDC/IBC, wonder mine could also have an IBC too after all. They haven't taken sample from near the skin involvement but from another spot.

Goldcity

I had an inverted nipple with significant skin involvement. My BS initially said mastectomy, but after chemo, radiation, and a few months of letrozole my tumors had shrunk enough that she offered a lumpectomy if I wanted one. I opted for the mastectomy (which she said was a good choice because it's easier to get the lymph nodes with a mastectomy if you need any removed). Your BS will offer what best for you. On a side note, she did a beautiful job and I'm very pleased.

LW422

Sarah--IBC is a clinical diagnosis; there is no pathology to indicate IBC. I had two skin-punch biopsies and both were negative for carcinoma. My diagnosis was based on skin thickening (seen on MRI) and a slightly swollen breast. I also had a small light pink "bruise" on the skin of the cancerous side.

The location of your tumor may not be an issue; most experienced breast surgeons can perform a lumpectomy on any area of the breast. If the skin involvement is minimal it won't be a problem.

It's totally normal to be nervous about the surgery and I hope a discussion with your surgeon will calm your fears. My best to you. Take care.

Sarah_78

It is mostly me being very anxious about mastectomy, node dissection and long term side effects of both.

This is my second cancer so I knew more or less what to expect with chemo, it isn't easy but doable. Now an operations seems like something which will change my quality of life a lot after it is finished for months/years to come. Of course staying cancer free is the price we hope to win, but anxiety around the treatments are real too.

Hearing from LW and Goldcity was very valuable for me, thanks for taking your time to answer.

My tumor is weird, it is defined as a bigger lesion with a smaller node inside. I wonder IBC's definition of "being like layers" applies here. I have it stuck to the skin of my breast but other than that I don't see redness or so, but CT and ultrasound reports about skin edema. I will ask this to my oncologist and surgeons I'll see during next month. I guess it isn't matter much if they define it as IBC, after all the treatment is about the same for same pathology/stage IDC and IBC I suppose.

LW422

Sarah--honestly I was terrified when I got the "IBC News", but after 11 months of treatment and PCR with chemo I finally relaxed. I HATE that I had to have chemo, a mastectomy, ALND, and radiation. All of them made me miserable (and are still making me miserable); there was no "easy part." I'm lop-sided, lost my hair, have nerve pain, "iron bra" tightness,... you name it. But I'm alive so there's that. We just do what we gotta do and hope/pray for the best... and no matter what they label it, it's still cancer.

I'm one of those who doesn't want to know "the odds"; I just want my oncologist to be supportive and help me beat this thing. I know that IBC has a high recurrence rate, but someone has to be in that "lucky" percentile and maybe it's me.

You have a great attitude and though I hate that you find yourself here again, I feel that you'll do fine. I'll keep tabs on you so let me know how it's going.