"Mastitis" for 10 wks. - u/s scheduled for tomorrow

abatellik,

You certainly gave me a lot to think about even though my "story" is much different.  I was diagnosed and treated for IDC three years ago.  One year ago, July 2010 out of nowhere I got a case of mastitis.   Oh did I mention I am 66 years old and haven't breast fed in over 30 years.   Back to the story, I was treated with two weeks of antibiotics and responded very well.  Six months later in January 2011 I again woke up with an identical sympton case of mastitis.  Got antibiotics again, cleared again.   Well here we are six months later once again, and I have mastitis and am on antibiotics.   Drs. say not cancer since I responded to the meds.  I believed that until reading your post.  They think my lymphatic system and breast tissue were compromised from the radiation.

Logic tells me that if it were IBC and it symptoms first appeared a year ago, I would have gotten worse by now.   But it has once again stirred up some fear and reminded me that life will never be the same as pre BC.

I see my onc in a couple of weeks, so I will see what he has to add.....................Caren

Thegoodfight, if it happens again you might ask to see if the infection can be sampled and checked. After lymph node surgery we're all vulnerable to LE and cellulitis and this might be what's happening to you.

All the best.

Leah

Yes you should get a second opinion. My friend was diagnosed

With inflammatory breast cAncer April 2011. I knew the symptoms because

My mom had it 14 years ago. My friends breast was pinkish very

Tender and was about a size bigger. She well had burning sensation

But not really any orange peel look to the skin except a little

Pitted my the nipple. Do what ever you can to do biopsy. My Friends

Diagonised mammogram it showed nothing and an ultrasound which

Showed a little thickening. My friends surgeon did a biopsy right in office

Hopefully it won't be ibc .where do you live? You can send me a private

Post to answer that.

Okay, here's my update.   As I wrote before I have had three bouts of "mastitis" or "lymphangitis" in the last year, every 6 mos.  Now I have gotten another bout just a month out and only two weeks after taking two weeks of antibiotics.  Each of the three previous bouts did clear with an antibiotic and then nothing again for 6 months.  This time the symptoms were not exactly the same and it did not completely clear with an antibiotic, although they did improve.

So tomorrow I am having an incisional biopsy.  We are skipping mammos, mris, needle biopsy, etc. and going in there to see what is going on.  Surgeon still says he doesn't think cancer, but can't be sure.  What he is really planning on doing is getting enough tissue and skin for pathology and to grow cultures to hopefully find out what kind of bacteria is causing the infection, hoping it is an infection.   I did have a mrsa test a month ago and that was neg.   Every doctor involved, 2 med oncs, my rad onc, surgeon and pc all have said it wouldn't get better with antibiotics if it was cancer.   But they are all stumped what is causing it.

Now I am a little scared, no a lot scared that it is IBC, which I have been asking about since the beginning.  I have read too many posts that say IBC is often times misdiagnosed as mastitis.  Hopefully tomorrow it will be definitive, and if it is IBC I just hope we have not wasted too much time.  Ugh, this cancer thing really sucks.  Just when you are really getting on with your life, it says, hi.............remember me?

I will let you know what we find............................Caren

Financial assistance for cancer patients:

https://cissecure.nci.nih.gov/factsheet/FactSheetSearch8_3.aspx

They're are several places listed.  I haven't tried any of them *yet*; but it's nice to know that they are places out there.  Although, I don't know what all you have to go through to get approved.

(((hugs)))

I hope this helps.