Anyone here with a regional recurrence in axilla only?

I do know a local gal...she is not on BCO. She is awaiting test results to determine her course of treatment, but I believe chemo is on the list, though she does not know for sure.

Hi, Sparrow,

In December 2014, I had a lumpectecomy and in 2015, I had 19 treatments of radiation. I then tried to take tamoxifen. The night sweats came so frequently and kept me up for so long that I couldn't get into REM sleep. I tried acupuncture, black cohosh, ind increased the dose of Effexor all the way up to depression levels. No joy. I couldn't use 2 of the AI's because of the cardiac situation and was very concerned about the remaining one I tried raloxifene (another SERM), but it gave me such horrible leg cramps that I couldn't take it. So I quit hormonal meds and crossed my fingers. Three years almost to the day after my initial diagnosis, in Ococober 2017, I went for my annual diagnostic mammogram. When the Tech said the radiologist wanted some additional views and an ultrasound, I just knew.

Bottom line was that it turned out to be a recurrence in a node in the axilla, which was removed in a lumpectomy. Fortunately, that area had not been radiated the first time, so I was able to have radiation, five weeks this time. The radiation really knocked me out this time. I had a lot of fatigue. This time I am on tamoxifen, which I am determined to stay on, no matter what. I cannot take any of the AI’s due to my cardIac profile. I am taking the tamoxifen at a lower dose, which helps a lot. Also the interval of several years since taking it the last timehelps as well.

Hope the above info lets you know you aren't alone.

Ravel

Stage I; Grade 2; ER+ 95%; PR+ 100%; HER-; KI-67 15% ;1 cm

Lumpectomy, 19 treatments radiation, 4-5 months tamoxifen

Recurrence after 3 yrs 1 week; node in L axilla; profile same except KI67 30%; lumpectomy; 5 weeks radiation; tamoxifen 5-10 years TBD

I was diagnosed with lobular breast cancer 7 years ago, stage 1, node negative, had a lumpectomy and radiation. Just diagnosed with a recurrence in a lymph node in the axilla. Will be speaking with my treatment team next week, also following this post to see what treatment others similarly situated have had.

Rae, If you recurred while on Tamoxifen, did they give a reason for not switching to an AI? Just wondering since my doc immediately said that I could not be on Tamoxifen anymore since it did not work for me.

Thanks for this info. I met with my surgeon to go over test results and discuss next steps. Looks like my CT scans are clean so just waiting on bone scan. Will be meeting with my oncologist next week, awaiting axillary dissection surgery on the 24th january. Hoping for a clean bone scan.

Bone and CT scans are clear. Underwent axillary dissection January 24, with 1 out of 21 nodes positive. Will be receiving chemo, but no radiation, followed by hormonal therapy. The recurrence was discovered by accident, I had a chest CT to diagnose pneumonia and an incidental finding was a slightly enlarged lymph node in the axilla that a very sharp radiologist noted and recommended for follow up. My surgeon thought it would have been a year or more before the node grew big enough to be discovered on physical exam. Since it was in an area outside the mammography field it was never picked up on routine mammo. Freaks me out that it was sitting there while I was thinking that everything was fine because my mammograms were clean.

I will be starting chemo in March, not looking forward to it but definitely looking forward to putting this chapter behind me and moving on with my life. Having a much harder time dealing with the recurrence than i did with the original diagnosis in 2011. i will never feel “safe” again. I guess that’s something all of us here are dealing with.

My thanks to the women on these boards, you have made the past few months less scary and more hopeful. Much appreciated

Definitely a harder mental game round #2. I found the lymph node on the opposite side myself 2.5cm. Never showed on a mammo finally found 6mm IDC on MRI. HER2+ this time so good thing I did before it was too late.

You should definitely reach out to social work at your cancer centre or someone. Hard to do this alone and I found friends and relatives found it harder to give support this time.

Good luck Toni