Does breast cancer spread more quickly in smaller breasts?

Simone, I'm sorry for your diagnosis and I hope you keep coming back to this site for support. It can be a great resource and an excellent support network of people who are going through the same thing.

I don't know if what you're saying is true, cancer spreads either through blood or lymphatic vessels. Theoretically, breast size shouldn't matter. Tumour size, perhaps, but I'll leave it to more knowledgeable members. I'm curious if any research has been done in this area.

I am so sorry about your diagnosis.

I was told of mine by telephone. I appreciate their thoughtfulness in letting me know that way. They knew I was anxious to know and (figuratively) standing by for that news. If I had had to go back to the Surgeon's Office again to learn of my diagnosis, I would necessarily have had to wonder through another weekend.

It is fine not to share your news with people who do not need to know. This website is a safe place to talk about it, though. Everyone on here understands and cares.

We wish the same for you, simoneg. We will be glad to be your support system.

Hi Simone - here is the fórum section for lobular cáncer

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/71

Last November I was diagnosed with BC (IDC) after finding a lump. The lump was 2.1 cm and the doctor who did the sonogram said it was so small a lumpectomy would be all that was needed. But after consulting with a BS; I found that although the tumor was relatively small that since I am very small (4'11 100lbs and 34a bra) that proportionately the tumor was considered large for me. The only way the BS could confidently get good margins was a mastectomy. She also said that even if a lumpectomy was possible there would be virtually no tissue remaining. She did note that the size of the tumor or my physical size did not necessarily mean that it had spread elsewhere. In fact no lymph nodes were found to be involved when I did have surgery. The only other down side to being a small person with a relatively large tumor was that I was not able to have a nipple sparing mastectomy. I realize that your cancer is different and may have different characteristics but don't let your size scare you too greatly. One other note - my medical team also did MRI and Xrays as additional imaging before surgery. Hang in there!

First let me say I'm so sorry for your diagnosis. At age 48 I was told over the phone that I had rectal cancer by the Dr that performed my colonoscopy the previous week. I was at work and was not expecting that diagnosis therefore I completely lost it, had to be driven home. One year later I was told to call on a specific day (by a different doctor) for my biopsy results of my breast. I really preferred knowing the day i was gonna receive my results, at least I was able to prepare myself before the call. I think if either Dr had called and asked me to return to their office for the results then I would have assumed the very worst and been totally freaked out.

simone, I can relate, I'm very small too. I always joked around that if I ever found a lump, I would notice even if it was pea-sized, like, oh look, it's bigger! The joke was on me though, when I did get cancer, because there was no lump. The tumor just somehow "took over" part of the breast tissue rather than growing "in addition to" it, if that makes sense. I had a sort of hard spot that was quite painful, but no one ever seemed to think it might be cancer. Now I'm sure that if it had gone undiagnosed a few more years, it would have become a lump.

Anyway, needless to say, lumpectomy was never mentioned as a possibility. As the surgeon diplomatically put it... "Considering the size of the tumor vs. the size of the breast..." Ha. Meaning that my 1" wide tumor was practically filling up the whole thing. I would have chosen MX anyway if I had a choice. Hoping to avoid radiation.

As far as it spreading, no, there's no relationship to breast size. If it's gonna spread, it's gonna spread. The cells travel through your lymphatic system and whether it goes a little distance or a long distance, seems completely random, and unrelated to the size or location of the tumor.

As for being small, I try to be grateful that I was (36 A+). I wouldn't have found the growth if I had just a bit extra breast tissue surrounding it and would have had to wait till it was a lot bigger.

Claire

I was also very small. A lumpectomy was not really an option and an implant would never have been able to match the other side. I would have needed implants on both sides. They made decision for BMX easy. My implants look great and I now have the cleavage I never had. There are few silver linings to this whole thing, but got me, that was one. Mine had not spread do far, though undid recursion 2 spots.... But I have a family history.

I was told over the phone too

i am a small girl too.  53, 105 lb, 32B.  my DCIS was 14cm.  i still cant believe that.  i had multiple areas of microinvasive cancer as well

Sorry for your diagnosis Wanted to add I hear ya about being on the small side. Normally A, maybe A.5. Thought I'd NEVER get breast cancer. Ha ha ha.

Mine was a bit strange in that it was more of a hardening/swelling and maybe a sort of lump .... but now apparently after only a few months that lump is 10 cm x 7 cm. It's ready to bust outta there, ya know?

The one thing I was MAYBE looking forward to was getting implants. But of course I can't do reconstruction now until at least a year after radiation. Ug. Whatevs. I can pick out whatever size falsies I want I guess. I was going to be limited in implant size ... Always a bright side somewhere.

Hang in there! There is great support here. I was NOT told over the phone. I don't think they would have done that even if I would have wanted them too. I told them to tell me to come in no matter what because I think they only have you come in when it's something bad. So I didn't want to know by deduction either. I think they should always be sure you WANT to be told that way. So that was kinda crappy if you didn't want to hear it like that.