Could BC recur just 1 year after the treatment?

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hlya
hlya Member Posts: 484
Could BC recur just 1 year after the treatment?

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  • hlya
    hlya Member Posts: 484
    edited October 2010

    My friend was dx IDC in her right breast last year, she has ER+, PR- HER2+,  and she went through R breast mastectomy,  Chemo, Rad, Herceptin, Tamoxifen.  Her left breast was considered as B9 after the mamogram,  her doctor also did regular checkup during the year.

    But today she told me seems the radiologist found something in her left breast.  Did anybody get the similar situation?   How could it recur so fast after going through all of these treatments?

  • riley702
    riley702 Member Posts: 1,600
    edited October 2010

    Unfortunately, yes. There is a lady who posts in several threads I follow who recurred almost as soon as she finished treatment. It's incredibly rare, however. It may be too soon to assume it's not something benign. So try to keep your hopes up until you know for sure what your friend is dealing with. Please keep us updated on her, and I'll keep you both in my thoughts. <3

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 17,186
    edited October 2010

    It may not be a recurrance. I had IDC in my left breast and DCIS in my right. The would have never found a small DCIS tumor if it weren't for the MRI… and even then they weren't sure what it was. That's why I decided on the BMX.

    So if it is BC this might have been there all the time but was so small it was undetected.

  • hlya
    hlya Member Posts: 484
    edited October 2010

    Thank you!

    Riley:   I will keep you updated.  I am trying to let her calm down and be patient to wait for the final result from the doctor.  She can't think straight and even can't make phone calls to the doctor.  But the doctor's secretary said it will take 2-3 weeks to get the result, Geez how could she wait for that long?

    Lago:  It might be.  I am just wondering how come all of those treatments didn't work for her? 

  • CoolBreeze
    CoolBreeze Member Posts: 4,668
    edited October 2010

    At my first mammogram after my mastectomy I was called back because they found something.

    It turned out to be nothing at all.  They are just extra careful with us now and anything that looks even remotely suspicious, they double check.  Mine was just two cysts on top of each other that gave an asymetrical appearance on mammogram.

    Good luck to your friend.  It takes a few years, I think, to finally stop being afraid all the time that it will return.

  • hlya
    hlya Member Posts: 484
    edited October 2010

    Thank you CoolBreeze,

     I told your story to her which makes her feel much better and calm down.  The doctor will talk to us next Monday.

    Thanks you amazing ladies!

  • CoolBreeze
    CoolBreeze Member Posts: 4,668
    edited October 2010

    I'm glad I helped.

    I went into my mammogram with complete confidence, and was shocked to be called back for more imaging.  My surgeon called me and said, "let them biopsy you."   They told me they found an "assymetrical density" and I knew what that meant.  I couldn't feel anything - I played with my remaining boob every hour on the hour trying to figure out what was in there.  Because I'd had cancer, I thought I'd know for sure if I felt it again.

    Turns out I was right.  It was a rough week though.  Fortunately, they told me right there in the imaging center what it was and I never even needed a biopsy.  My tech had had breast cancer so she understood and so the radiologist came in and explained it was nothing.

    Also, if your friend is on tamoxifen, she should know that causes breast changes, so a LOT of us get called back for more imaging.  Tamoxifen can make dense breasts less dense and it looks a lot different from our last mammograms, so we get called back.

    I hope your friend has a similar experience.

  • riley702
    riley702 Member Posts: 1,600
    edited October 2010

    I didn't know that about the Tamoxifen. Thanks for that. I'm having my remaining breast taken off sometime in February just so I won't have to worry as much, but will have a mammo as part of the pre-op workup.

  • hlya
    hlya Member Posts: 484
    edited October 2010

    CoolBreeze : Thanks!  I shared the info. you told me with her and at least she can sleep well over this weekend.  I can't guarantee anything to her but she should not worry too much at this stage. Otherwise the 2 days would be too long to kill.  - I fully understand her feeling!

     riley702: If removing the breast can make you feel much better , that will be a right choice! 

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 17,186
    edited October 2010
    hlya There is no guarantee that any of the treatments will work. One thing I would check on with the oncologist is the use of Tamoxifen for someone who is HER2+. I have read that many women that are HER2+ and PR+ don't respond to Tamoxifen. There are alternatives like suppressing the ovaries or removing them so she can go on an aromatase inhibitor.
  • hlya
    hlya Member Posts: 484
    edited October 2010

    Lago: I never heard that Tamoxifen won't benefit to PR+,  on the other hand,  based on the Oncotype test, Tamoxifen will benefit more to PR+ than PR-.   If you read the report you will know.

    Do you mean HER2+ & PR+ together?

  • hlya
    hlya Member Posts: 484
    edited October 2010

    Hi, Riley:

    It will take 2-3 weeks to get the mamogram result,  I will talk to her doctor in 2 weeks on behalf her.  Will let you know when I get any firmed response.

  • hopeful34
    hopeful34 Member Posts: 1,569
    edited October 2010

    I don't know if this will help or not, but when I had my mammo, they told me it would be at least a week for the results, and because it was BC they ended up telling me the day I had the mammo that I would need to come in for a biopsy in a couple days.  Even with the biopsy they told me it would be at least 7-10 days for the results, and they called within two days, so with any kind of luck, if it would be anything, they will call her sooner than 2 weeks.  That seems a little long to make someone wait.  Also, while I was waiting they gave me Ativan (generic name Lorezapam) to help me calm down.  It helped me to sleep at night.  So, you may want to tell your friend to call her doctor and tell them she needs something to help her nerves.  I hate to say no news is good news, but I have worked for a surgeon for five and half years and if something comes back "bad or suspicious"  the radiologist calls us and we in turn call the patient, so hopefully that is the case for her as well and everything will be okay.  I will keep her in my prayers.  Take Care. Allison

  • JanetinVirginia
    JanetinVirginia Member Posts: 1,516
    edited October 2010

    Yes, 2 weeks seems a VERY long time to get mammo results!  They are usually read the same day or next (at least where I go) and results can be faxed or called in to the ordering doctor.  Make some noise and get those results - call the radiology unit or the doc!  No need to endure the pain of waiting on top of everything else.

  • hlya
    hlya Member Posts: 484
    edited October 2010

    Hi, Girls!

    Thanks for all of your kindness!

    She did talk to the radiologist but the radiologist refused to tell her anything - it's their rule.  

    My friend booked a trip to see her family in another country 5 days after the mamogram, she didn't expect any bad result from the test.  I called her ONC''s office but they told me it's impossible to get a result before she leaves,  so she decided to go without cancelling her trip, and I will help her to get the report in 2 weeks.

    Thank you again.

  • hlya
    hlya Member Posts: 484
    edited October 2010

    Hi, riley702 and all:

    I got my friend's mammogram result today which is normal! What a relief!  She hasn't got my message yet,  you guys know it earlier than her.  haha.

    She did another test in a hospital in the country she is currently travelling, the doctor said  the hyperplasia is obvious in her breast, guess that's why the radiologist suspected.

    Thank you for all of your support!  Your previous comments did help her to get through these tough 3 weeks. 

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