ILC and ovarian cysts???

Peggy--I did develop large ovarian cysts while on tamoxifen, although my gyn says tamox didn't cause them. I think the vast majority of them turn out to be benign--fortunately mine were benign, but they ruptured and I ended up with a TAH/BSO and immediate surgical menopause.

Anne

Functional cysts are present as noraml ovulation.  They are normal.

If you are on an AI, you should be post meno and not creating cysts.  These are for post menopausal women.

Tamoxifen is a fertility drug and causes ovulation to increase, so I would suspect cysts would be common.

Did they do an ultrasound? solid? or fluid filled??

I had a dermoid removed in my 30's, non-cancerous.

Dear SuzieQ, if you have invasive cancer, it is no longer DCIS.

The shaking and bitter taste goes away once you know what you are dealing with and have a treatment plan.   Then your brain has time to adjust and accept this new normal.  There will always be days of panic, worry and disbelief, but it gets a tiny bit easier.

Best to you!!

Hi

I have just had u/s for twingy pain on right side. U/s report said possible dermoid cyst. Have never had any cysts before but was diagnosed with ILC 2.8 cm; Er+Pr+, Stage 11. Will be having bilat. mx on Aug. 6. I did read that ILC can spread to ovaries.

My doc. does not seem concerned, said to have another scan in three months, but I am post-menopausal so think I will insist on a gyno. referral. Guess I can try to fit that in between bi-lat mx; recovery, chemo. - I am so sick of this already - the stress is overwhelming. 

I will research iodine - I have had very dense breast tissue forever.  

OMG... 

I had multiple bilateral dermoid ovarian cysts (about 6lbs total) removed during emergency surgery the day after my 17th birthday, in 1979.

I was Dx with initial stage 4 lobular this past Aug, 2009, age 47.  Very aggressive and it HURT!  Rapid growth, grade 3, Ki-67 level very high, ER+ (70%), PR- (0%) and HER-, axillary nodes positive at the highest level (T3?), mets to the liver, and now mets to abdominal lymph nodes.

I've long suspected a causal link between environmental estrogen exposure (combined with genetic factors,) and the dermoid ovarian tumors... and every other gyn problem I have had, including the bc.

I grew up right next to farm fields, my family live there still.  Read years ago that many chemicals used on farm fields are estrogenic in nature, and that when present in combination their effects increase exponentially.  As a child and teenager I played in the rainwater runoff from the fields, breathed and lived with the blowing dirt and dust from the farmers working the fields, swam in a lake fed by streams and rivers that receive runoff from farm fields... the same lake used for the public water supply.

What I've just read makes me more certain.

Info on tamoxifin raising estrogen levels dramatically, and also, causing atypical/complex ovarian cysts- dermoids are a "complex" cyst:

Topic: atypical ovarian cysts after bc treatment

http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/105/topic/732226?page=1

This is old, but I bet there are newer articles:

Tamoxifen treatment in premenopausal breast cancer patients may be associated with ovarian overstimulation, cystic formations and fibroid overgrowth. I. Cohen, D. J. Rosen, M. Altaras, Y. Beyth, J. Shapira, and D. YigaelBr J Cancer. 1994 March; 69(3): 620-621. PMCID: PMC1968870

 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1968870/?page=1

I also had surgery for pedunculated uterine fibroids on the exterior of my uterus (pedunculated = growing on stalks) in 2004 (not a hysterectomy.)  Before surgery, even using ultrasound, the Dr. could not tell what they were (ovarian cancer was a possibility discussed.)

My dad's sister died in her early 50's of advanced ovarian cancer, and glioblastoma- the brain cancer was found first but she had massive abdominal enlargement due to the ovarian cancer when she died a few months later.  Her daughter repeatedly requested a full body scan, but insurance and/or Dr would not order one, so I have no idea if my aunt had breast cancer, too.

Had enough of my ovaries left after surgery for the dermoid cysts to have irregular and painful periods until 2005 when I went through "natural" menopause at age 43 (confirmed by test.)  Had one last surprise period, pms and all, almost exactly one year after the "last" one (after the test indicated I had gone through menopause.)  My onc again confirmed I had gone through menopause.

Also had much larger breasts than any other woman in my family by the time I was 16-17 (dense and fibrous.)  My left breast (where the tumor was), was larger than my right for as long as I can remember, which I recently learned is a risk factor.

As for now, initial Tx after Mx was femara which appeared to have kept the liver mets stable.

Am on xeloda now due to the node progression, which first showed up in Dec 2009 (onc first thought it was progression, but after some consultations thought it was normal lymph node activity asthe liver mets appeared stable.)  CT 2 months later in Feb 2010 confirmed progression.

Having odd SE from the xeloda (one week on, one week off,) that seem to consistently start after 1-2 days, and hit hardest on the third day - hfs after the initial 2 doses (dr decreased dosage) and then pinpoint rash on day 3.  Dr stopped the med for the rest of the first cycle then resumed at half the original dose for the second cycle, upped a little for the 3rd.  Hit with very bad fatigue on the third day on cycles 2 and 3 (just finished 3.)  Oh, add in short but weird constipation on cycle 3.  None of the common SE- nausea, vomiting, diarrhea...

Can anyone else relate to any of this?  Anything sound familiar?