firm lump by sternum 1 year post mastectomy

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Summer2016
Summer2016 Member Posts: 135
edited November 2018 in Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy

Hi. This may not be the place to ask my question, if not please redirect. I have noticed a firm lump, perhaps bigger than a marble and not perfectly round, next to my sternum on same side where I had cancer. The skin on top of lump moves however I don't feel the lump move. 

This lump is Not on my scar line rather much above it. Am thinking it is scar tissue or fat pad?? Anyone else have this? And no-reconstruction am living flat. Thanks

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  • CaliKelly
    CaliKelly Member Posts: 474
    edited November 2018

    Summer, that sounds similar to something I feel. Mine is more pea sized, hard, not moveable, just below my collarbone, cancer side. Had it xrayed, no mention made of it in report. Is yours hard? My doctor seemed unconcerned. I'm getting ultrasound next week for some other lumps( probably fat necrosis, I'm familiar with that) so I'm going to have them include this lump . Mine is like a bone spur feeling. Maybe from radiation? Ill see my onco after ultrasound

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  • star2017
    star2017 Member Posts: 827
    edited November 2018

    it could be fat necrosis which is not usually a concern. My bs warned me so I wouldn’t freak out. Good to get it checked.



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  • Summer2016
    Summer2016 Member Posts: 135
    edited November 2018

    Hi ladies~~ thanks for the reply. Most I can tell it feels like when you have a knot in your muscle. It's firm, non-palpable feels strongly attached but not bony......….hmmm I'm not good at explaining this lol.

    I'm thinking fat too (fat pad or fat necrosis). I was in MO office this week for 3 month check up however I was discussing the lump on my spine thoracic and cervical area. It has developed months after chemo and is about 3 inches x 3 inches. I look like a camel now. Told MO must be from the weight gain of months of steroids. He felt it and thinks it is a lipoma fatty b9 tumor because it is palpable. Said we would watch it to see if it grows more. Well when I read about lipomas they typically run in families and yes you guessed it No One in my Family has those! Further read that lipomas continue to grow sometimes. 

    Anyway, I had not felt the one on my chest at that time so of course here I sit wondering about it. But it too may just be from all the Fat I have gotten from this whole darn mess! 

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  • edwards750
    edwards750 Member Posts: 3,761
    edited November 2018

    Summer - I had a lipoma on my neck that had been there for years. My doctor said most people just leave them alone and they are usually harmless but it bugged me so I finally had a dermatologist remove it. She said it could come back. If it does then I am going to leave it alone. Thing is when people see something on your neck they gotta point it out so then you become self conscious.

    Diane

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  • Summer2016
    Summer2016 Member Posts: 135
    edited November 2018

    Thanks Diane. I'm starting to think I am perhaps one large lipoma at this point! Just weird that no one in my family has this but of course I am also the only one in family with breast cancer. Am pretty sure one on back near neck is lipoma but will probably have biopsy before removal just to be sure. If it where to be a sarcoma rather than lipoma they have to be very careful when removing.

    The one on my chest feels very different....

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