IBC Breast looking "angry" after 1st Taxol Infusion

MommaCamps

Hi Friends,

New here - Mom of 3 diagnosed with IBC around the holidays last year- Stage IV with mets to my spine. Finished 4 dose dense AC three weeks ago and started Taxol last week. While on AC my sick booby got a little angry looking but stayed in checked and even looked a little better. Unfortunately, I just had my Taxol infusion and this week my boob is more red with darker red spots forming, it looks and feels bigger to me, and it's painful. It also feels painful in the chest wall, armpit area and the middle of my back.

Could the taxol not be working and it's already spreading in a week? I'm not sure I should call the Dr. or if the Dr. Will do anything as it's only been a week. It's been a year of being brushed off by Dr.'s so I'm feeling crazy. So worried when everything online says it can spread in weeks. The resident who always comes in during the chemo appts said they wouldn't be checking the progress again. That next would be surgery then radiation and mammograms every few years to keep an out (even though I'll need double mastectomy due to BRCA2) and I'm stage 4 or oligometastatic with a spot on my spine.

So frustrated and confused. Do I call the nurses line cause it feels and looks bad or do I wait another week for my next taxol infusion?

Thanks! Any advice appreciated!

LW422

MommaCamps--I experienced the "angry breast" with each chemo infusion. My cancerous breast became red and looked a little scary on chemo day, but the redness faded within a couple of days. This happened with both Taxol and AC for me. I didn't have any pain or heat in the breast, just a temporary change in appearance. You may need to check with your doctor about the pain you're having.

MommaCamps

LW422 - Thank you for responding! I am going to call the Dr. first thing in the morning. This breast pain feels like it did before my diagnosis. During the AC part of chemo the color and texture changed or "flared up" but I didn't feel it. If feel this and because I can feel it, I can't stop thinking about it. I truly feel like the AC was working but the taxol is not. Hopefully, they'll listen and check on it.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond, I really appreciate it!

LW422

You're quite welcome. I know this stuff can all be so scary and I hate that you have to go through it. Please don't ever hesitate to call your doctor or the nurses when you have a concern. They should not make you feel that your concerns are an imposition and should certainly not brush you off.

I'm so sorry that you're having pain and discomfort on top of anxiety; it just sucks. I hope you get a helpful response from the doctor tomorrow. Let me know how it goes, and take care.

sbelizabeth

MommaCamps, I'm sorry you're here, but welcome to the IBC threads. And I'm sorry you're dealing with this concerning development during chemo. Hopefully you've spoken with your doctor by now. I just wanted to let you know you have friends here and it's a safe place for questions and support.

LW422

Mommacamps--just wanted to check on you and see how treatment is going. Check in when you can.

MommaCamps

LW422 thanks so much for checking in! Apologies for not responding sooner, chemo #6 with Zometa added kicked my butt.

I did call my dr. as suggested and went in to be seen. My main oncologist wasn't in but the resident, nurse and the Dr. who was subbing in checked on me and my breast and thought it was nothing to worry about. They said it was unlikely that the cancer was still progressing while on the dose dense chemo and that I needed to trust the process and keep going. The Dr. who was subbing in could see that I was upset and asked me and the resident if they had prescribed anything for anxiety- When I responded that no one had, he looked a bit shocked and wrote me a script to help calm my nerves. I really appreciated that. I went home still unsure but tried to stay calm and use the pain and anxiety meds they'd given me.

After this last cycle, it's looking better. The redness doesn't really go away but the swelling, skin thickness, large pores and wrinkly nipple look better so I'm feeling more relaxed.

Thanks so much for the responses! It helps so much to know I'm not alone.

LW422

MommaCamps--I'm so glad you were able to get checked and are feeling better about it. I totally understand the medication for pain and anxiety; I needed those, too. This stuff is tough to deal with and there's no shame in getting some help when we need it. Sorry your last chemo was hard; how many more treatments do you have?

I'm sure you know that IBC is rare, so there aren't a whole lot of us here on the forum. If you'd like, check the IBC Lounge thread where many "IBCers" keep up with one another. https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/81/topics... When I was first diagnosed, I read that thread from beginning to end... it helped me to know that others have walked this scary path and are doing well. There are so many kind people on this forum that are willing to help us along.

Take care of yourself and hang in there. The treatment is hard but it's doable. Hugs to you.