If BMX, then recurrence would be where?

Some ladies have had recurrence at the incision site, drain site or lymph nodes. I'm almost 2 years out and I still wonder.....

Winterstorm, what my surgeon told me is that after a mastectomy it's usually pretty easy to catch a local recurrence, for those of us who either have no reconstruction or who have reconstruction under the muscle.  If there's a recurrence, it's against the chest wall or against the skin - and all you have is skin covering your chest wall so there is nowhere for the recurrence to hide. With a breast, there is lots of breast tissue where the recurrence can hide, often making it difficult to find.  Without breast tissue, a tiny mass becomes noticeable quickly.

From what I've seen in my time on this board, this often seems to be true.  Certainly there are women who've had local recurrences that haven't been caught until they's developed to mets, but I've seen so many more women with local recurrences that get caught early (or certainly, before mets develops).  The key is to be diligent in checking your breast area for any new lumps or changes.

Beesie is right, after MX, any local recurrence is right against the skin, and is easy to find because it is not hiding in the breast tissue.  Most of the lumps and bumps etc. will turn out to be fat, or insect bites, or scar tissue.  I've had a couple of areas that were worrisome, they were biopsied with a fine needle, and turned out to be fat necrosis.  There is always the possibility that a tiny bit of breast tissue remains even in a BMX, but if something is lurking, it tends to be found very easily very early. 

With pure DCIS, there is no chance of distant recurrence or mets.  If there is any invasive component, then there is some small chance, but Winterstorm, with your small, low grade tumor, your chances of living a long life and never dealing with breast cancer again are fantastic. 

Right now, you don't trust your body because it betrayed you and got cancer.  You dealt with that cancer, and time will help you heal and start to trust your body again.  It takes time, give yourself that time. 

Here's a question for all of you worriers with reconstruction.  I have a small lump (3mm) right under the skin in same place as original cancer.  The ultrasound looks like a cyst, but surgeon can't be sure and couldn't get it with a needle biopsy....she was afraid that she'd nick the implant.  

Here's the catch....it didn't show up as ANYTHING on the MRI yesterday!!!  But we can all feel it.

Please tell me about your biopsy experiences with implants?  Do I find another surgeon and do an open biopsy, or do I believe the MRI that there's nothing there?  By the way, my original BC was ILC, which has a higher rate of false negatives with MRI.   Just great.....

Please help. 

Beckward, you might like to post on exchange city.  Many very knowlegeable and wonderfully helpful ladies vis a vis recon issues there.  Perhaps someone has an answer to your question there?

I would think that a chat with your oncologist would be in order here as to how to proceed if at all.

and I'm taking that negative MRI as good news.  They find almost everything even microscopically.  Yes, a biopsy would be definitive, but could your PS work with your BS and get an ultrasound guided biopsy so that they won't nick the implant?

Come on over to exchange city.........

love

annie

p.s. winterstorm, you have just had a trip to hell.  You are now safe and sound and back.  It is like a (well, isn't like, it IS) post traumatic stress disorder.  We all go thru it.  You've been scared, operated on, treated and now you are supposed to just say "thanks, guys" and be calm again.  It really doesn't happen that fast!!  Be very, very kind and patient with you for at least a good year or two.  This IS a big deal and you need TLC. 

Go buy yourself a big old bunch of flowers, pat you on the back and I'll give you a huge cyber hug ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((xoxo))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) because, girlfriend, you made it!!!!!!!!!!  Welcome to being a Valkyrie Warrior Goddess!!!

Annie,

When I talked to the BS about the ultrasound-guided biopsy...get this......she said that when she puts lidocaine under the skin for anesthesia, it will create a liquid pocket that will interfere with the ultrasound image.  Never heard of that before!!!  I told her to go ahead and not use anesthesia and she wouldn't do it.....wanted me to take responsibility for the implant!!!!   Thank you for listening and caring.  I will check out the exchange posts.

I had an Oncotype of 5, so didn't do chemo or rads.  No tamox. either, for other drug interaction reasons.   So this recurrence scare is huge for me, as I'm flying without a net.