Stage III, Mastecomy 9/20,can't start chemo til wound heals

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lizziebelle521
lizziebelle521 Member Posts: 6
edited June 2014 in Stage III Breast Cancer

Hi All~  I was diagnoised 9/15/11 with Invasive DCIS T-3, stage 3, biopsy on 9/13 took out 7.2cm hoping to get clear margins did not.  Hi radicial modified mastecomy on 9/20/11 had to go very deep never got clear margins on mastecomy.  Wound was not healing well, so went back in for wound debridment on 10/4 and wound is now wide open, being packed twice a day.  I am at the 3 week point and still not much progress in healing.  My oncologist won't start chemo nor can I have radiation until the wound heals.  That could take two to three more months.  I am very concerned about the cancer spreading until that point.  I have had scans etc and everything and all scans are clear.  Just nervous.  Anyone had a similiar experience?

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  • bevdurrant
    bevdurrant Member Posts: 68
    edited October 2011

    Hi Lizzie  I did my chemo then had BMX got infection, wound opened up twice i now have a wound vac on to heal ready for radiation, its a pain carrying it about but it is healing the wound well, they say it heals 75% quicker than traditional methods, please ask your surgon about it it will speed up the process.  if you want any other info just let me know, take care Bev

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  • lizziebelle521
    lizziebelle521 Member Posts: 6
    edited October 2011

    Thanks Bev!  Now just got a call from the wound care clinic and the wound vac company won't send me a wound vac because the pathology report states they did not get clear margins and the wound vac can accelerate the cancer to grow.  So sounds like I will just have to wait til this thing heals on its own.  Either way its a catch 22....i need treatment to prevent any further growth now, but can't without the wound healed.  Seems like been hitting alot of road blocks lately!  One day at a time.

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  • bevdurrant
    bevdurrant Member Posts: 68
    edited October 2011

    Hi Lizzie, really! i never new that how did you find that out??? I know its all a real pain i will find out Monday if i can have my radiation with this thing on, they can do a skin graft but that wont stand up to radiation, so me and you my friend are in a similar situation!! we should stay in touch and help eachother through.  what did they say to you about the delay on chemo??, i had my chemo before surgery as when i did my lumpectomy they didnt have clear margins.  anyway stay in touch with life, take care Bev PS, if theres anything i can help with let me know B:)

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  • reesie
    reesie Member Posts: 2,078
    edited October 2011

    Oh that explains why the portable vac rep asked me about getting all my cancer when they were processing the app. I didn't get one after all but I was wondering why.



    Good luck you guys (I actually had a vac over my graft).

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  • chrishat
    chrishat Member Posts: 89
    edited October 2011

    are you ER +? i wonder, if you have to wait a couple of months for the next stage of treatment, if they would let you start your hormone therapy, at least temporarily, til you start chemo?

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  • Joviangeldeb
    Joviangeldeb Member Posts: 213
    edited October 2011

    Hi. I had a similar experience after my mastectomy.  The surgery site kept getting infected and I ended up having to stay in the hospital for 6 days because one of the antiobotics they gave me through an IV in the ER, gave me an allergic reaction with my whole body, joints and muscles became very painful. I had developed a seroma a few weeks after I was discharged and still had an infection, so I had to have the Seroma drained in the ER.  My chemo was delayed by about a month and a half, but I finally was able to get it and now I'm 3 years out from chemo and no evidence of disease.

    The last infection I had with the incision was after I'd completed chemo, so I went back to the surgeon and when he drained it, the entire abscess sack came out by accident but he was very pleased and said this was the best thing that could have happened.   I've not had any more trouble after that.

    I pray your infection clears up so your able to start your chemo. 

    Take care,

    deb

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  • lizziebelle521
    lizziebelle521 Member Posts: 6
    edited November 2011

    Hi Bev, the wound clinic told me KCI the wound vac company would not authorize one because of path report.  Just wondering if you were able to start radiation.  Wishing you all the best.  Stay in touch.

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  • dlb823
    dlb823 Member Posts: 9,430
    edited November 2011

    lizzie, I can address the wait time. I had a bit of necrosis that created an open wound about the size of a quarter, and I was very worried about having to delay the start of chemo.  But my onc told me and I later found studies that concluded no difference in outcome for women who start chemo up to 12 weeks from their last surgery:

    http://oncology-hematology.jwatch.org/cgi/content/full/2006/1106/1

    ttp://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v93/n6/full/6602734a.html

    Obviously, you'd like to get onto chemo as soon as you can, but I hope these studies will relieve some of your concern.     Deanna 

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited November 2011

    lizziebelle521 - I had a delay between BMX and start of chemo of fourteen weeks due to 4 additional unforseen surgeries.  Longer than optimal but my MO was not overly concerned.

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