Almost finished chemo, CT showed lesion on liver.

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I am going through TCHP, will be doing my 6th (last) treatment on February 10th. I just had a CT due to having a lot of chest pain (probably anxiety) and it showed a 1.9 hypervascular lesion on liver. The radiologist who read the scan said it is "probably benign" but to follow up with and MRI, which I had done yesterday. The CT also stated that the breast tumor is not seen, which means the chemo worked! The reason I am so worried is because when I had my original PET scan before starting treatments (October 2014) it showed nothing, my entire body was clear, including axillary lymph nodes. There were 2 internal mammary lymph nodes that looked a little enlarged in October but they could not say 100% if they were cancerous or not. This is where is gets tricky: A couple weeks ago I noticed a mole on toe that changed overnight, started hurting, the color changed, and had a weird border. I had it removed at the dermatologist and it came back as melanoma in-situ. So now I am scheduled to get my middle toe partially amputated. Although melanoma is very tricky, and basically the pathology report is saying they are not 100% sure it is melanoma but they think it is (which is a normal thing with melanoma, which is why its so tricky) With this extra stuff going on, my anxiety has gone through the roof. My Dr.s said they are not overly concerned about this lesion on the liver, they think its benign, but I have to sit here until Monday or Tuesday to hear the results. Has this happened to anyone before?

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited February 2015

    Dear JacsChristine, We are so sorry that you are having these worries, especially as you are finishing treatment. Hopefully you will hear from others with similar stories. We are hoping that the anxiety of waiting again for answers will diminish but many will say that the fear of recurrence is a long term side effect of breast cancer, especially when finishing treatment. We are also sorry to hear about your toe and something you just don't need to deal with right now. Here are some links to our site that might be helpful. Most helpful will be the thoughts and stories of others here. This is a wonderful community with lots of shared experiences. Please keep us posted. Let us low what you learn on Monday or Tuesday about the results of your liver lesion. We are hoping for B9 results for you. The Mods

    Breast Cancer Fears

  • jacksnana
    jacksnana Member Posts: 168
    edited February 2015

    It seems to me that the majority of us who have been diagnosed with breast cancer will always have that nagging fear of recurrence. It does seem to get a little better the further out we get, but it's still there. So sorry also about the melanoma. You are certainly having more than your share of some worrisome stuff going on right now. Wanted you to know that I'm thinking of you and sending you healing prayers and good vibes. Hang in, really hoping you get good news this week! Veda

  • keepthefaith
    keepthefaith Member Posts: 2,156
    edited February 2015

    JC, I had a breast MRI done yrs ago for another issue and they incidentally found a liver lesion that ended up being a hemangioma....I know you're worried, but try not to borrow any more worry than you already have. It just steals the joy from today. good luck with your toe...Wishing you the best. If you're not opposed to meds, get Dr to get you something for anxiety, if you feel you need it. Hang in there!

  • pajim
    pajim Member Posts: 2,785
    edited February 2015

    A funny thing about CT scans.  There's a well-known side-effect of them -- what they call incidentalomas.  Research has shown that if you do a CT scan on a healthy person they will find something more than one third of the time.

    When you had your PET, they looked for areas that lit up.  This spot might have been there but unnoticed because it wasn't cancerous.  Or the radiologist didn't think it worth mentioning.

    What I'm getting at is not to borrow trouble.  With the potential melanoma and all, it seems you have enough trouble already.  Considering your breast tumor shrank/disappeared it would be odd for something else to grow.

    Here's raising a glass to the hope it is benign. 

  • AllYouNeedIsLove
    AllYouNeedIsLove Member Posts: 22
    edited February 2015

    I appreciate all these responses so much. I believe it is nothing as well, but the fear of unknown is what scares me so much. Thank you all so much! XO

  • AllYouNeedIsLove
    AllYouNeedIsLove Member Posts: 22
    edited February 2015

    I am happy to share it is a benign finding, called focal nodular hyperplasia! Makes losing most of my toe so insignificant when thinking of what could be worse!

  • jacksnana
    jacksnana Member Posts: 168
    edited February 2015

    Wonderful news! And congrats on finishing chemo! Wishing you all the best with the surgery on your toe.

  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited February 2015

    Thanks for sharing your good news! I think we've all breathed a sigh of relief on your behalf.

    Congratulations, too, on surviving chemo and seeing your tumor disappear. There's nothing like getting visible proof that it was worthwhile!

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