How do you know if it's a recurrence or a new primary?

Hi Emily,

My oncologist referred to my 2nd BC as a new primary. Still stage 1. Last year had it again on my original DCIS side. Had bi-lat mastectomy with immediate diep reconstruction. No lymph nodes and less than 1cm. So what am i? What stage am i? The answer wasnt completely clear but he said women with BC are living longer now and that staging is more geared toward first diagnoses. Im a recurrent stage 1 is what he told me. My oncotype score us low. I take arimidex.

I feel for you. The 2nd diagnosis is a blow, but hang in there. Im one year out and feeling oretty great. Hope .you are doing ok. What is your plan

A radiation oncologist with who I had a consult after the surgery (lumpectomy after double mastectomy) for recurrence said there is no way to tell if its a new primary cancer or a recurrence, or a left over DCIS that went invasive. What puzzled me though is her saying that "if its a recurrence, then it is considered an aggressive kind. But if its a new primary, then its a grey area, hard to tell, but still considered very early stage". I didn't really understand the logic, but got reassurance that cancer (its typology, origins and etc) is a great mystery, and there is so much the conventional medicines doesn't know. I don't think the allopathic doctors will ever solve the mystery of cancer, unless they look at a much larger picture, including psychospiritual, epigenetic, metaphysical and other aspects of human life.

NTK2, of course, I don't mind sharing:

I had dmx 4 years ago for multifocal DCIS. I've noticed a tiny (size of a rice grain) hard spot this April when I was rubbing around implants for a "scar tissue" massage. I thought it was a scar, and kept rubbing it pretty hard for 5-7 days wanting it to flatten out. I wish I've never done it. It started growing fast. I guess I've triggered it inflaming the tissue around it. I had it checked 3 months later, and biopsied 2 months later. Turned out being invasive stage 1, plus DCIS on margins extracted with lumpectomy.

Again, docs don't know if its a left over DCIS that's turned invasive in 4 years, or a brand new spot of its own IDC. If former, they consider it a "very aggressive" kind, if latter - not too too scary stage 1. Go figure.

But the worrisome part is they say it was already affecting the muscle, i.e. going deep. I wonder how come a thing that I haven't had a few months ago could have gone so aggressively growing so fast. One factor to mention - the last few years in my life were were stressful, e.g. hostility of a divorce, financial challenges, loss of a parent, other. I believe those had to do a lot with the recurrence. I highly recommend the book "Genie in your genes" to everyone concerned about their health, cellular expression and degenerative diseases like cancer.

Hello friends, I have found a small pea size lump almost the same location as first time. It will be 4 years in September. I had the sneaky ILC that I found but mammogram didn’t. I know my body so well. I had BMX with immediate TEs and then gummy anatomical implants. No chemo or rads. I am on Femara. I have notified my MO and waiting for her reply. Do you go to your BS, MO, PS? Who is in charge?? LOL! My CA15-3 went up the last visit. It is beliw 30 at 26.1

Any wisdom is appreciated.

Robin

I call them all and go to whoever can fit me in first. Any of them can order imaging. Hoping it is benign