Found a lump 2 years after mastectomy

jmb5
jmb5 Member Posts: 532
edited July 2016 in Second or Third Breast Cancer

I have had DCIS twice, so I had a bilateral mastectomy. The pathologist found Paget's Disease in the "healthy" breast, which was a new cancer. Now it's two years later and I feel a small pea-sized hard lump at the edge of my breast near my arm pit. (The breast that has had DCIS twice.) My breast surgeon scheduled me for an ultrasound next week. Can fat necrosis pop up two years after surgery? I'm thinking that would be much more likely than cancer. DCIS isn't invasive so how on earth could cancer show up near my arm pit after a mastectomy that removed a non invasive cancer? I keep thinking that statistically it's not very likely, but then I remember a DCIS recurrence and Paget's weren't very likely either. This is so frustrating. Anyone have any thoughts

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  • GoofyFoot
    GoofyFoot Member Posts: 25
    edited June 2016

    Hi JMB,

    Yes, fat necrosis can continue to occur due to surgery or radiation for something like 5 years after treatment. I have been obsessing trying to find answers to that since I am awaiting biopsy results (due tomorrow) after a mammogram found new microcalcifications in a cluster in my DCIS breast earlier this month. I am hoping they are due to fat necrosis, and not my DCIS returning 8 months after radiation (the calcs weren't there 5 months ago).

    I agree with you that statistically it is most likely not a cancer. DCIS is non-invasive but is the precursor to invasive cancer. As far as how-on-earth it could be cancer, because we are already more likely to develop breast cancer because of the prior cancers, because every cell of the removed breast is not tested by pathology following mastectomy so it is possible (though not statistically likely) that a non-DCIS cancer was present. I don't know the anatomy of breast ducts to know if the mastectomy removes the very ends of the ducts well before the arm pit area to say that no DCIS could possibly be left behind, beyond the clear margins, but believe me, all of these thoughts have gone through my mind as I wait to see if I will need a mastectomy if mine proves to be a recurrence.

    I wish you good luck and that your lump is a simple cyst requiring no further action (again, the most likely outcome).

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  • jmb5
    jmb5 Member Posts: 532
    edited June 2016

    Goofyfoot, the waiting is the absolute hardest part. I hope you get good news tomorrow. I had a DCIS recurrence 4 years after my original diagnosis. (Found on a mammogram.) I chose a bilateral mastectomy. Could not do nipple sparing because of the radiation I had 4 years prior. I decided to have the healthy nipple removed also so that I would have a matching set. Not sure how other women so it, but that was my thought process. Shockingly, my surgeon told me the pathology report said I had Paget's Disease in that "healthy" nipple. I had no signs or symptoms at all. I keep telling myself there's no way this is cancer, but after all the other diagnoses, well, nothing would surprise me I guess. Please let me know what your results are.

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  • ARCats
    ARCats Member Posts: 137
    edited June 2016

    JMB and GoofyFoot,

    Today you are in my prayers and that the outcome be favorable for both of you.

    Take care

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  • KBeee
    KBeee Member Posts: 5,109
    edited June 2016

    I hope both of you receive benign results. Keep us posted. Waiting is so hard

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  • jmb5
    jmb5 Member Posts: 532
    edited June 2016

    KBeee, I agree. I always thought waiting was the worst part. My ultrasound is Wednesday. I'm thinking I might request a biopsy even if the radiologist doesn't think it's cancer. The lump is right where lymph nodes are so I'm really concerned.

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  • GoofyFoot
    GoofyFoot Member Posts: 25
    edited June 2016

    After 3 weeks of waiting, my surgeon just called and my biopsy was benign! Yay ! I cannot believe it. The biopsy machine broke the night before my biopsy two weeks ago so I had an extra week of waiting and I just could not keep my mind focused/distracted anymore and I was not sleeping well.

    I will work harder next time to not be as stressed.

    JMB, I hope you get the same news.


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  • KBeee
    KBeee Member Posts: 5,109
    edited July 2016

    great news!

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  • jmb5
    jmb5 Member Posts: 532
    edited July 2016

    Good news for me also! The lump is fat necrosis. Can't believe it just randomly popped up 2 years after my mastectomy. The radiologist was concerned during the ultrasound because the lump is in the axillary tail. (I had never even heard of that until now.) the axillary tail conducts the breast to the arm pit and there is still breast tissue there. She did a biopsy and it was clear. I'm so relieved

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  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited July 2016

    I have one 4 years after mastectomy and DIEP. It is right in the middle of left breast, not near skin or chest wall.

    I get my results next week.

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