TNB and Fungating Tumor

veryDisappointed
veryDisappointed Member Posts: 5
edited April 2015 in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Hello everyone,

I am brand new to this forum. My mother was diagnosed with TNC in July 2014. She has been doing chemo and a clinical trial drug called Ipatasertib for the past 3 months.

I wanted to ask a question that I feel is very important to me.

I believe my mother now has a fungating tumor. It started off as a pimple-like bump/cyst looking-thing that formed at the incision site of the biopsy, and over the past half year it has developed into what it is now. I am wondering if anyone else here has ever had a fungating tumor and where it was in relation to any biopsy or surgery incisions.

I will really appreciate any responses. Thank you so much.

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Comments

  • Meadow
    Meadow Member Posts: 2,007
    edited April 2015

    VeryDisappointed, I am sosorry about your mom's health concerns. I have not had the tumor you describe, sorry I cannot be of a help. Hopefully some one who has some info for you will respond soon. I am glad you found us! Hugs to you and your mom.

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  • veryDisappointed
    veryDisappointed Member Posts: 5
    edited April 2015

    Hi Meadow,

    Thank you for responding and for the hug. I love you.

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  • Meadow
    Meadow Member Posts: 2,007
    edited April 2015

    Very, I love you too! Hoping each day brings healing for your mom and comfort for you

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

    Hi Very-

    First, we want to welcome you to our community here at BCO. We are so sorry for what brings you here, but we're glad you've found us, and hope you find the support and information you're looking for.

    Have you or your mom spoken to her doctors about your concerns? Fungating tumors are rare, and would have symptoms that would be nearly impossible for a doctor or nurse to miss (swelling, foul-smeliing discharge, bleeding, etc). If you haven't brought your concerns to the attention of her doctors, it's important that you do. Not only can these sort of wounds lead to dangerous infections and be painful to manage, but if it is a fungating tumor, treatment needs to begin as soon as possible.

    Hopefully our reply here bumps this thread up where more of our members can see it, and perhaps someone with real experience with fungating tumors will respond. Please let us know if there is anything we can do, and keep us posted. You and your mom are in our thoughts!

    The Mods

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  • eileenpg
    eileenpg Member Posts: 467
    edited April 2015


    Verydisappointed; Hugs from me. I want only the best for you and your Mom. Sorry I cannot be of any other help except in my prayers for you.

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  • JAN69
    JAN69 Member Posts: 947
    edited April 2015

    VeryD, I, too, have had no experience in fungating tumors, but I want to send you strength to continue to help your mother with whatever her situation. I'm sure you and your mom are both scared. She is lucky to have you for support. Please keep in touch. There are many of us here who care. Jan

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  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,847
    edited April 2015

    Hello veryDissapointed,

    I thought I should let you know of my experience, which I hope might help.

    Back in 2005 I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer and was in shock. I was advised that I needed chemotherapy to shrink the tumour, surgery for a mastectomy and radiotherapy. I chose not to have the treatment straight away and sought advice from a private doctor and a breast cancer consultant homoepathic doctor. Both told me they could help as an adjunct, but that I needed to have the orhodox treatment. A few months had gone by before I made up my mind to go for the standard treatment. In the meantime my breast had become very swollen and the tumour had broken through the skin and started what I was told was a fungating process, which resulted in some lymph liquid and a bit of bleeding. This was there during my chemotherapy treatment. I then had a mastectomy in which obviously all disappeared and I had a no evidence of disease excellent pathology report. I had radiotherapy and all was fine. On June 20th 2015 I shall be celebrating ten years since diagnosis.

    What I learned from this was not to delay treatment. I had homoepathic treatment from the consultant I had seen with every stage of my standard treatment and the only side effect I had from my cancer journey was fatigue.

    I was told that tumours breaking through the skin, fungating, leaking and becoming smelly was not seen often these days but was seen in the past when women were not monitored as they are today and were unaware they had breast cancer.

    I do hope this will help. If I were you I would get this sorted out for your mother through her medical team.

    Please let me know how you get on.

    Wishing you and your mother all the best.

    Sylvia

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  • veryDisappointed
    veryDisappointed Member Posts: 5
    edited April 2015

    Hi all! Thank you for the warm welcome and for all the kind wishes and prayers.

    It has been discussed with the doctors. They want to increase the chemo strength by 4 times and then do surgery. She's been doing chemotherapy since December. We delayed treatment a bit after the biopsy because it was pretty traumatizing, and she was pretty scared to go back. However, the symptoms, which appeared after the biopsy weren't going away, so we finally decided to go back. The symptoms were nothing compared to what they are now though, even after months of chemotherapy.


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  • veryDisappointed
    veryDisappointed Member Posts: 5
    edited April 2015

    Hi Sylvia,

    Thank you for sharing your story and I'm happy that all went and is going well for you.

    I hope that it's okay to ask, but I was wondering if the tumor was still there after chemotherapy or if it was removed during the masectomy?

    Thank you.

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  • Beachbum1023
    Beachbum1023 Member Posts: 1,417
    edited April 2015

    Very Disappointed, I am so sorry that you have so many concerns about your Mother's tumor. I also have triple negative BC. I was scared when I received the results from all of the tests to confirm my cancer. But I weighed the pros and cons, and I decided to follow the treatment plan. I have finished chemo, surgery, and rads. And I am doing well. Sometimes we have to just believe in ourselves, and our ability to get through stressful times in our lives. Of course we don't want to do that, but we are strong, informed, and positive about our futures. Educating ourselves to see the other side of this journey, will guide us on our path. Just remember that you are never alone here, we will help you and your Mother. And we all walk this path together, from the beginning to the end. And all of those before us, will be waiting with open arms to cheer us over the finish line! Take Care, I am sending you a bottomless basket of hugs, please use as needed! ( ) Cheryl

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  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,847
    edited April 2015

    Hello veryDisappointed,

    During chemotherapy my large tumour did shrink a bit but it was still there when I finished chemotherapy and the part that had gone through the skin was still there. Everything was, of course, removed with the mastectomy of my right breast. I finished chemotherapy at the end of April 2006 after six months treatment and I had the surgery on May 17th 2006. After the surgery I remember my appointment with my oncologist and breast cancer surgeon, who were smiling as they told me I had an excellent pathology report and no visible evidence of disease. It was some weeks later that I had three weeks of radiotherapy with boosters and that was the end of my treatment.

    After that, I had physical check ups every three months, alternating between the oncologist and the breast cancer surgeon. This later went to every six months. About two years ago I was discharged from the breast cancer consultant and continued with yearly check ups with the oncologist. She wanted to keep with her for ten years because she said I had got off to a rough start. It will be ten years on June 20th and if all goes well I am due to be discharged on May 1st this year from my oncologist. I am keeping my fingers crossed as I never take anything for granted and I never shall. That is how it is with this disease.

    Wishing you and your mother all the very best.

    Sylvia

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  • veryDisappointed
    veryDisappointed Member Posts: 5
    edited April 2015

    Hi Sylvia,

    Sorry it took me a bit to respond. I really appreciate that you took the time to answer my questions and for being so kind. I love you!

    Congratulations on reaching your 10 year mark! I wish you continued good health and happiness!

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  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,847
    edited April 2015

    Hello veryDissapointed

    I do hope all goes well for you and your mother.

    If you feel you need more support, you are quite welcome to post on my thread, Calling all triple negative breast cancer patients in the UK and/or Calling all TNs, which is a very big thread with lots of supportive women, mainly Americans. On my thread there are people from all different countries, although I started it for UK women.

    Sending you very best wishes.

    Sylvia xxxx

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