Recurrence after bilateral mastectomy in non-cancerous side?

Options
chasingzoe
chasingzoe Member Posts: 28
edited June 2014 in Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned

Hi everyone! I am 2 years post skin sparing mastectomy and treatment. I had reconstruction with LD flap and implants on radiated side and implant placed on right. I recently had a dog ear removed on my right side at about a 3 o'clock position. I have since found a lump...slightly larger than a pea in the same breast on the armpit side at about a 10 o'clock position. I made an appointment to see my breast surgeon who ordered an ultrasound. I watched as the tech located what I was feeling and proceeded to take pictures and measure it. Very scared flashback!! It reminded me of my swollen sentinel node that was cancerous at the time of my initial diagnosis. It was grayish white in color and round. After my dr read the scans she asked me to return in 4 weeks for another u.s. She wanted to give me a chance to finish healing after my dog ear procedure. I asked about a biopsy and she said she will go that route if it gets larger or doesn't go away.



I have had the feeling that something isn't right for quite some time. I have had ridiculous lower back pain, chest bone pain, extreme fatigue, and an overall not well feeling. I can't shake the worrisome feeling I have had. Should I wait for another 3 1/2 weeks or should I demand a biopsy?



· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • LAstar
    LAstar Member Posts: 1,574
    edited September 2013

    Are you seeing an oncologist? Why not go ahead and biopsy while you are already healing? If only to give you peace of mind.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • chasingzoe
    chasingzoe Member Posts: 28
    edited September 2013

    My breat surgeon (not plastic surgeon) and my oncologist work together. My oncologist told me to see her because she will do the biopsy and the surgery if it is cancer.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Nichola
    Nichola Member Posts: 402
    edited September 2013

    Hi Chasingzoe

    I would just like to say how much I empathise you with having to wait.  The anxiety of not knowing and waiting for pathology results is often worse than dealing with a confirmed DX for me!.

    Having been through a couple of recurrences, I will say that if they were really worried a biopsy would have been done there and then either by the radiologist or breast surgeon.  I also empathise about the paranoia and feeling loads of aches and pains... I've had many scans where I was more shocked that they didn't find cancer than i would have been, if they did!   I think the reason they are waiting is that after surgery, I've had loads of surgery - 8 ops) scary, hard nodules do come up that turned out to be either blocked hair follicles or scar tissue. Some have gone, some are still there. 

    My motto is that it's not cancer until it's proved to be!  I would try and follow their advice and concentrate on the fact that if they are not worried, it is probably nothing... remember there's something like only a 1% chance of recurrence after mastectomy.

    I hope this helps

    N x

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • chasingzoe
    chasingzoe Member Posts: 28
    edited September 2013

    Nichola did you have pain with chest wall recurrence?

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Nichola
    Nichola Member Posts: 402
    edited September 2013

    Hi Chasingzoe

    No, there is rarely pain associated with breast tumours, unless they matastesise...

    N x

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories