Is this a recurrence?

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myesan22
myesan22 Member Posts: 40
edited June 2014 in Second or Third Breast Cancer

I finished chemotherapy four weeks ago yesterday. Went to have a mammogram today and they found additional calcifications that are highly suspicious and I have to have a biopsy. Has this happened to anyone else? Doesn't chemotherapy kill an unseen cancer cells before they become a problem? I just need a little encouragement today. I was supposed to start radiation in a couple of weeks and was so looking forward to putting this behind me. If anyone has gone through something similar I would love to hear your story.

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  • pickle
    pickle Member Posts: 1,409
    edited December 2010

    Sorry to hear that you are faced with another biopsy. I had the same thing happen to me and everything turned out fine. I finished chemo last June and had a mammo 2 months later. They found a suspicious cluster of microcalcifications in my "good breast" so they did a stereotactic biopsy. I remember feeling scared and just dumbfounded that I had to get a biopsy again. Thankfully , it was benign. Keep in mind that most biopsies are benign. Your medical team is probably being extra diligent with follow up and that's a good thing.

    Good luck

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  • myesan22
    myesan22 Member Posts: 40
    edited December 2010

    Thank you for your response. I am praying that it is negative. The calcifications are actually in the same breast so I hope its negative. I am very happy that yours turned out fine. Thanks for the encouragement.

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  • minxie
    minxie Member Posts: 484
    edited December 2010

    I had the same thing happen - and it turned out to be DCIS, much so my surprise. I was stunned that I could have it after chemo. But the way it was explained, DCIS cells are not spreding cancer cells, which are what chemo targets. So chemo does not affect DCIS.

    But most often the clacifications turn out to be nothing, I was just unlucky. Hope everything turns out fine!

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  • myesan22
    myesan22 Member Posts: 40
    edited December 2010

    Thanks for replying back Minxie. I'm ver worried because my original cancer was calcifications...I just want to be done and I really, really don't know how this could be happening...Thanks for the good wishes and I hope you are doing well.

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  • Titan
    Titan Member Posts: 2,956
    edited December 2010

    Myesan..the same thing happened to me..only in my good breast! And it was after chemo but b-4 rads..I started rads and had a biopsy at the same time..that sucked!  Anyway...the calcs. were b-9 and I'm sure yours will be also!

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  • myesan22
    myesan22 Member Posts: 40
    edited December 2010

    Thanks for the encouragement Titan! I'm keeping hope that this will be benign and I can move on. Have a wonderful Christmas!

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  • Annie62
    Annie62 Member Posts: 1,081
    edited December 2010

    I had calcs one year after my treatment. They were b-9. They were necrotic (dead) tissue from treatment. My original dx was found because of microcalcs also.

    Good luck!

    Annie

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  • mymountain
    mymountain Member Posts: 184
    edited December 2010

    My situation was when I went to have my pre radiation mammogram after having an excisional bx and then a partial mastectomy with clean margins,there was a  suspicious area that seemed to suddenly appear in the cancerous breast.  Also learned of an area on the "good"  breast that had to be biopsied(that one was b9).  Long story short I ended up with a mast as another excisional bx would have left me with 1/3 of a breast.  I'm still confounded that things can just show up after they've supposedly removed the tumor.

    I think once you have a bc dx, everything is highly suspicious, but hope yours turns out to be b9!

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  • mrsnjband
    mrsnjband Member Posts: 1,409
    edited August 2013

    So sorry you have to go through this.  I had a scare last summer & I was terrified, but it turned out B-9.  Sending good thoughts & prayers. NJ

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  • myesan22
    myesan22 Member Posts: 40
    edited December 2010

    Ladies, thanks for all the well wishes. I have my bx on Thursday and am praying for a b9 outcome.Whatever happens, I know I can survive based on all the positive feedback I get from this site! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and have a terrific New Year.

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  • myesan22
    myesan22 Member Posts: 40
    edited December 2010

    Mymountain:

    I saw my oncologist today and let him know my bx is tomorrow. I asked him if it turns out positive if I will have to do chemo again and he said no. I thought that odd and was wondering if you had to have chemotherapy after your mastectomy?

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  • Titan
    Titan Member Posts: 2,956
    edited December 2010

    myesan..my onc told me that if the calcs were cancerous that I would just have rads.

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  • OliveO
    OliveO Member Posts: 15
    edited May 2011

    I think that this is, as I am discovering, quite normal.  I had unilateral masc 6/09. 3 of 22 nodes positive. 6 tmts of Taxatere & Cytoxan and 26 rads.  I went for a PET scan in February 2011 just for peace of mind, 1 node lighting up.  Aspirated and found positive. Went in on 3/19 for surgery to remove it.  It was so small they could not find it.  CAT scan done & still there.  Went in on Friday 5/13/11 (after wire inserted) and it was removed.  Waiting for pathology results, but surgeon happy she removed the node.  There was no indication from the tumor markers that I had the positive node.  I thought that with the chemo & radiation that the cells would be destroyed.  I was wrong.

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  • J9W
    J9W Member Posts: 395
    edited May 2011

    Olive,  that rots, I sorry to read this. I too thougth chemo & rads would take care of it. (((((HUGS)))))

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  • TEK2009
    TEK2009 Member Posts: 62
    edited May 2011

    Olive O we seem to have a similar timescale and TN, mine has just come back this time in skin and in lymph nodes in neck. Like you I had thought the chemo and rads would kill it, obviously not. Makes me wonder whether going through chemo again is worthwhile. Will see on Friday. Meantime hope your outcome is better than mine.

    Thoughts are with you it is scary.

    T

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  • MaryNY
    MaryNY Member Posts: 1,584
    edited August 2011

    I'm worried about a recurrence too. Had a lumpectomy two years ago. Today I had a mammo and ultrasound. I thought I would be in and out in about an hour, but it was two and half hours. Technician called me back twice for more mammo images, so I knew something was looking suspicious. After the ultrasound, the doctor came in to talk to me. She said I had calcifications close to the lumpectomy site and because of my history they want to investigate it further. She said in someone without my history it would be a "wait and see."

    So I'm scheduled for a stereostactic biopsy tomorrow. My previous biopsies were two needle core biopsies and two MRI-guided biopsies. Can someone tell me what to expect with the stereostatic biopsy? Will it be similar to an MRI-guided biopsy?

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  • Rinduty
    Rinduty Member Posts: 11
    edited November 2011

    I am knew to this I have been reading these since my 1st dx in April 23rd 2010. I have had masectomy on right side with chemo A/C and Taxol and radiation. finished with all that not quite a year ago... Had an MRI done to check other side before surgery for prophylatctic masectomy and reconstruction on left side and they found an enhancement in my axxilary lymph node on good side! What is that?? I am having U/S tomorrw.. I am so scared! Any thoughts on this??

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  • MaryNY
    MaryNY Member Posts: 1,584
    edited November 2011

    Hi Rinduty: We have to keep reminding ourselves that our doctors are now going to be hypervigilant because of our previous diagnoses. How did it go today?

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