After mastectomy cancer can be spread?

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spacebmt
spacebmt Member Posts: 15
edited June 2014 in Stage I Breast Cancer

My mother had Wide local excision with right mastectomy Infiltrating duct carcinoma NOS(
Grade II BRS Modified) measuring 1.4X1.3X1 cm wit tumor metastasis to one of
seven axillaries lymph node with tumor size 1.4 cm size,Nipple areola, Deep margin , Free of tumor. Six cycles of chemo and tamoxifen taking. No radiation taken before or after surgery.

Due to the suspicion of malignancy, she was planned for wide local
excision followed by frozen section. Wide local excision and frozen was done
and was reported as infiltrating ductal carcinoma and posterior margin was
involved. So modified radical mastectomy was done.

After completing the last follow up with doctor two weeks later she started
having cough with scanty expectation breathlessness and left sided chest
pain it last for another two weeks. She went to a doctor and he did some
clinical testing like CT scan and chest examination and confirmed the
metastasis spread to lung and small lesion in the liver. Lung almost right
full and left 3 forth was affected. She went her regular doctor oncologist
and they did some pulmonary medical support for 10 days during their
investigation later she was given Inj.Docetoxel one dos. Later discharged
from the hospital and after within ten days she passed away.

The surgery done two and half years back.last one year she used to have tamoxifen.

please advise is this treatement  was ok for her. what could be the reason  that she could not prolong her life.After the metastasis to lung and liver she had 15 days left to treat.The oncologist were not sure how much area was invoolved in the lung cancer cells because they were suspecting the TB, and confirmed the spread bur said can start treatment only after TB test.

Was this treatement given in the begining for  Ductal carcinoma is currect. Any mistake done during the follow up. During folllow up no chest extra and CT done in last one and half year . But altra and mammo done.

Please advice yours opinion.

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Comments

  • idaho
    idaho Member Posts: 1,187
    edited March 2010

    Sorry to say that yes cancer can spread even after a mastectomy because there is still breast tissue left.   Wishing you peace and health.  Tami

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited March 2010

    Dearest, I am so sorry about your Mom. These are medical questions that you may need to get an expert to advise you on (like a medical attorny or onc nurse). I can tell you that I am being given chemo as an 'adjunctive therapy' prior to radiation. The reason for me is that BC (as explained by two ONCs) and depending on pathology report of the tumor, can easily come back, primarily in the lungs or in the bones. I don't mean to scare anyone, but if one BC cell has escaped the tumor site, chances are that it will come back. I am told, according to my path report, that the type of BC that I have, returns in the lung and/or bones. Again, I am so sorry and I cannot tell you what was done right or wrong in her treatment. I am beginning to believe it is all a crapshoot and one does the best one can in making treatment choices. There is no true 'cure' for BC. Sending prayers your way, SV

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  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited March 2010

    If I'm understanding correctly, at the time of the initial diagnosis, your mother had a positive node.  This means that some cancer cells had already moved outside of her breast before she had the mastectomy.  Any cells in the nodes creates a risk of distant metastisis.  Having the mastectomy wouldn't have done anything to change or reduce this risk - the cancer cells had already gone past the breast.  Your mother was given chemo and Tamoxifen to try to kill off these cancer cells that had already moved into her body but unfortunately these treatments are not 100% effective.  Chemo and/or Tamoxifen do stop metastisis from developing in many women, but not in all women.  Your mother was one who did not benefit from these treatments.  If she had had other tests - a CT scan or PET scan, for example - her metastisis might have been discovered sooner but since your mother was already getting chemo, I don't know that the treatment would have been any different.  I'm so sorry about the situation that she faces but unfortunately sometimes even the best treatments don't work.

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  • havehope
    havehope Member Posts: 503
    edited March 2010

    Mastectomy is done to prevent recurrence in the same breast.Chemo is done to kill any cancer that might have left the breast. So unfortunately the answer is yes.  

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  • spacebmt
    spacebmt Member Posts: 15
    edited March 2010

    Thanks all of you who posted here valuable points.I think my mother's case recurrence not happened in the breast.The cancer cells might have travelled or rest near by area at the time of mastectomy.Do you think radiation was needed for this patient.Chemo is already given but as per oncologist it is not responded. Please advice at the time of surgery the cancer cells are already gone to the other part of the body. In that case why chemo cannot kill cancer cells. I appreciate your opinion. Thaks

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  • ElaineD
    ElaineD Member Posts: 2,265
    edited March 2010

    Some people just don't respond to treatment. This is why cancer kills so many of us.If chemo was 100% effective for 100% of patients, we would be talking "cure". But this simply doesn't happen. All it takes is for 1 stray cell to escape chemo-and it will cause problems at some stage. I had 12 years between my first and recurrent cancer, with no sign of any problems in that time. So the conclusion was that a very small, indetectable number of cells escaped the chemo, and eventually started regrowing. Chem does not equal a cure-each patient is different, and while some may thrive, others will die very quickly and unexpectedly.Sadly it sounds as if your Mum's cancer was very aggressive-and despite treatment she simply didn't respond.

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  • spacebmt
    spacebmt Member Posts: 15
    edited April 2010


    Thanaks for all who have mede their valuable comments on this issue.

    I would like to point out that after diagnosed BC and in case lymph nodes are involved oncologist might suggest chemo. But my question is that once chemo started is there any testing available for whether these treatemens are effective or chemo is responding.I heard that certain case chemo not all responding. Sometime docters are telling chemo does not respond when metastasis rule out. Please advice.

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  • flash
    flash Member Posts: 1,685
    edited April 2010

    I'm not sure if I understand what you are wondering about.  If I've guessed right, you are asking if there's more tests that should be done, that would tell if chemo is working??  It really depends on the particular person.  In general, there is no difference in scanning and testing on a regular basis versus waiting for a change in symptoms.  both groups live about the same amount of time. chemo works or it doesn't. It's still a crap shoot why sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't.  the oncologist is probably using the changes in symptoms such as ease of breathing, depth of breath, tiredness etc to judge if it is working.  they try not to do too many scans and tests because they also can cause problems due to radiation.  It's a real balancing act.

    Hugs to you.

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