First and Second Breast Cancer Diagnosed 3 Months Apart?

Beth ~ Did your Mother have an MRI prior to her lumpectomy?  If not, I'm thinking something may have been missed, but it's really hard to tell for sure.  I'm also curious about what type of bc she has and her hormone stats.  Unfortunately, there are a couple of types that are quite aggressive (IBC and Triple Negative BC), and that could be another possible explanation.  

But I'm not entirely comfortable with her surgeon not having what sounds like a definitive diagnosis and what sounds to me like just hoping the chemo will take care of the problem, if there is a problem.  That seems a bit odd to me.  Is your Mother's surgeon a breast surgeon?  I may be overreacting, but I think if I was in your Mother's situation, I would want a second opinion from a breast surgeon.  I also don't like not getting straight answers from her oncologist.  It sounds to me like they don't know what's going on, which isn't at all reassuring.

And as far as a poorer survival rate for women who have a lumpectomy followed by a mastectomy -- goodness, I hope that's not true, since I and many other women on these boards have had to do just that.  Like many women here, I feel like I've read enough breast cancer research articles to have a masters in it by now, and I don't think I've ever come across that information, so I'd be interested to know where you found it.  It just doesn't sound credible to me, at least not based on simply having a lumpectomy and then going on to a mastectomy because the bc turned out to be more extensive than originally believed.  It almost seems like the reverse would be true based on having the more aggressive surgery.    

So sorry your Mum is dealing with this, but I know she must be very grateful for your help, and I'm glad you've found us tonight and hope we can help you figure some of this out.   Deanna

Beth ~  I've never heard of needing to be restitched 5 times either.  That's unbelievable!  I would definitely document everything that's happened to date -- just so you have it in your files.  Malpractice suits are very hard to prove, but complaints to a governing medical board (don't know where you are, but if in the US, it's by state), are appropriate and could save someone else the pain and disappointment -- although I'd probably leave that for a future project and just put all of you and your Mum's energy and effort into getting her well right now.

You know, I think one of the most important things we can have is a medical team we feel confidant in, so I would strongly encourage you to find doctors she really likes and who communicate better.  It might be a little more effort right now, but in the long run, I think it's that important.  What you've described about your Mum's surgeon and staff is just wrong and makes me very angry just reading it.     Deanna

Beth,

I'm sorry your mother is going through this. As someone who was not diagnosed in a timely way, I would recommend not waiting to get that 2nd opinion. Her surgeon sounds incompetent at best, and if he suspects that culture is cancer, where is the pathology report? Ask for a copy of it. If he hasn't sent it to pathology, then there is something wrong with him. Get more information and advocate for your mother! She may not feel well enough while on chemo to do it for herself. Get her original pathology report (from the lumpectomy) with the diagnosis and particulars of HER cancer--is it hormone positive? HER2 positive? These are things she and you (as her advocate) should know.

Her doctors should be fully disclosing to her and to anyone else who is advocating for her EVERYTHING they know about her diagnosis, treatment, etc. Do not let them give you vague answers.

When I got vague answers and didn't pursue it further, the cancer grew in me for another year. It wasn't until I finally went to a major cancer center that I was properly diagnosed, and they did all the tests--PET/CT, MRI, etc. before my surgery. I was fortunate that it had not gone to my nodes or metastasized. If there is a cancer ctr. near you, get an appt. with a breast surgeon as soon as possible. You don't have to wait until she finishes chemo to get a 2nd opinion.

Best wishes to your mom and you.

Hi Beth, I'm glad to read that you're making an appt. at the cancer ctr. near you. Are you in Canada or somewhere outside the US? I'm glad you have the path. report--can't believe they "just threw it in with her brochures." Yikes. Call and ask for the 2nd path. report, too, as well as the bone scan report. You'll want all of this to take with you for the 2nd opinion, but you should have all the reports anyway for your own records.

It really does take some research to begin to understand what it all means, but don't get freaked out by reading too much online. I hope you can get your mother in with an excellent oncologist who will be very thorough in explaining everything and answering all of her/your questions. 

Keep us posted on how it goes. Good luck! 

Hi Beth...I'm sorry your mother had to be put through all of that crap because of a poor excuse for a doctor.. and I am glad she doesn't have cancer.

I was diagnosed in Oct '08 of breast cancer...IDC..Stage III Grade 3 and had a lumpectomy..no lymph node involement. I went through chemo, finished it in April '09 and started radiation and finished it in August '09. Went for my 3 month checkup mammogram in October '09 and it was clean.. saw the film myself.

In January '10 I found another lump in the same breast, different location. It was very small.. only a .5, Grade 3, Stage 1. In 3 months time.. I had cancer again!! If it weren't for me being diligent about self breast exams, who knows how long it would have been before I found it again?? The breast surgeon and panel of doctors were just blown away that there was nothing there and in just 3 months time.. another lump.

I had a mastectomy because my cancer is genetic, triple negative receptors and it was the best option. 9 lymph nodes were removed and the biopsy was clean...no more cancer. 

You can best believe I will be checking for the rest of my life. My mother died from breast cancer in '72 when I was only 17 and I will not go down the same way she did.!!

Best of luck to each of you going through this dreadful disease  HUGS