recurrence after 3 months from radiation

sunshinegirl · September 2007

I went to my surgeon for a reg follow up. My last radiation treatment was June/07. He checked my incision and felt a lump near it. He was concerned and I asked if it was scar tissue, he said it might be but you can never be too careful. He is scheduling a mammogram in December and I will see him a week later. My lumpectomy was Feb/07 with no node involvement. I just saw my onc 3 weeks ago and he said everything was OK and the lump was there then. Has anyone heard of a recurrence less than 3 months after radiation?

zap · September 2007

Why December? That seems so long away?

sunshinegirl · September 2007

The surgeon wants to make sure the radiation is healed, so I guess the radiologist can see the mammogram better. I hoping its just scar tissue. Seems like I had it since I had my surgery.

zap · September 2007

I expect it is what you suspect. Scar tissue. Your doctor wants to err on the side of being conservative. If he/she was terribly worried, an mri would be ordered NOW. I know that when I went through all this I hung onto every word. He/she is saying we need to be vigilant but not terribly concerned. I understand your worry, yet I know your doctor knows cancer better than you or me. Waiting for December means this is not an obvious case of recurrence.

Breathe deep.

Susan

Anonymous · September 2007

Hi,

I went for my follow up mammo in Aug. after ending rads in Jan. It was negative, BIRADS 3. I felt a nodule just about 2o'clock above my scar near the axilla. Surgeon felt it too and said its definitely a granularity that he want MRI for (dense breasts, they never found first lump on mammo either). I am waiting for go ahead to have MRI since I have severe allergies to IV contrast (even tho small risk for gadolinium compared to CT iodine). Anyways, I still feel it, its sept and I'm kinda nervous, but scheduling the MRI anyways. I pray yours is scar or fat or anything b9.. God Bless. Smile

prayrv · September 2007

Peachy,

I'm glad you're getting the follow up MRI. Hope all goes well. Just make sure that if anything comes up positive that they double check for false positives. That was my only fear when they did my MRI, but my breast just lit up the whole screen, but I digress. Take care and let us know.

Trish

erika-canada · September 2007

Hi Peachy:

Just wanted to say for ct's they also have non-ionic contrast injections.

Erika

Anonymous · September 2007

Newday,

I had a lump at the incision site of my SNB after rads....My oncologist wanted it biopsied so off again I went to surgeon...it was too deep in the arm pit so had to have it surgically removed...all path came back negative and they felt it was a stitch that didnt dissolve from the snb.....

I agree with the statement above that Dec. seems like a long time to wait..my onco waited two weeks after rads to be sure it wasnt a strange reaction to that before doing the biopsy.

I will keep you in my thoughts as I know you will be on pins and needles until someone gives you some answers.

Hugs

Jule

fd411 · September 2007

I developed a lump in my armpit near my scar line during radiation. I had a mammogram soon after and the lump showed up as a seroma. So no worries there.

However, 4 months after I finished rads, I was diagnosed with mets to the lungs. But I had node involvement from the beginning (Stage IIIA) and a very aggressive cancer besides.

If you're super worried about this lump maybe you can get a mammogram sooner.

sunshinegirl · September 2007

I thank you all for your suggestions and comments. I did talk to my surgeon again and told him I would like a core biopsy. He said that would be ok and he will have a ultra sound done also. He also said that nothing is 100% but there should be nothing to worry about. Hopefully it is just scar tissue.

lapsang · September 2007

I think you will have the ultrasound first, and if it shows nothing, then I believe there can't be a core biopsy since there is "nothing" to biopsy. I also have a lump near the incision of my lumpectomy. A subsequent MRI and ultrasound showed nothing. I will add here that my last radiation treatment was 1 1/2 years ago, but I am still checked out by my oncologist and surgeon.

sunshinegirl · October 2007

I had a ultrasound and core biopsy this morning. The ultrasound tech found a dark mass on the ultrasound which was were my initial tumor was. She showed the radiologist was he thought and he said it is probably scar tissue, but he would do a biopsy just to make sure. The mass was about 4cm in size. Just seems weird if was cancer why would it be that big since its been only 6 months since my 2nd lumpectomy. I am stage 1 with no vascular invasion also. Its also only 3 months since my last radiation. I hoping its just scar tissue.

TenderIsOurMight · October 2007

Yes, it's probably just scar tissue. Some people get fibrosis or firm scar tissue from radiation, where as others do not. Do you have any family history of Lupus, or what are called collagen vascular disorders? Family genes like that are the kind of setting where scar tissue after radiation may form.

It is very unlikely that after surgery and radiation, with pathology finding a low stage without vascular invasion that out of the blue an aggressive tumor would develop and to 4 cm at that. I'd think you'd have some skin effect and palpable nodes, etc. in that very rare scenario. Yes, rare events do occur, but rarely.

So, as protocol dictates, a core biopsy was properly done which is good to put this to rest. Also, the radiologist would most likely mention if the ultrasound suggested known features other than what was determined present. So this also suggests B9.

I think you can rest more easy now. I know how nerve wracking this is, and I'll be checking back and keeping you in my thoughts in the interim.

All the best to you,

Tender

kchance · October 2007

Don't wait.

I had a nodule (~0.5 cm) after ACx4 and Taxol/herceptinX4 *before* I had the chance to get radiation.

Nobody (surgeon, radiation guy, oncologist) thought it would be cancer, but I insisted on bx. Yes, it was cancer.

Go with your gut.

I have now had a wide re-excision (after bi-mastectomy) and radiation therapy. Am scared Sh*less.

Has anyone had a local recurrence this early? Was the chemo in vain?

Any response appreciated.

KC

kchance · October 2007

Embarassed Please respond. Has anyone read "Cancer Made Me a Shallower Person" by Miriam Engelberg? I could really relate.

I haven't had much of a response to my other posts on this thing, so anything is appreciated.

TenderIsOurMight · October 2007

Dear KC,

Oh, I am so sorry about your recurrence!

I read through your posts, you had multifocal disease with extension. Does your doctor think the skin foci are recurrence or persistence due to the extensiveness initially? It's more academic a question, than anything else, yet it might put your mind at ease some. Were the tumor markers the same and the pathologY?

Chemotherapy regrettably does not "clean up" and eradicate all cancer cells as we much as we wish. Some think the chemo doesn't get to the site because the blood vessels leading to the tumor are sealed off from surgery. But now that you've had the excision, which is the main cure, the radiation should do a good job at sterilizing the tumor site. You're having axillary SVC, etc LN etc too, right? Got to watch out for lymphedema. Please read on the LE site here.

I know this is beyond normal scary for you: but maybe it was leftover stray tumor, chemo didn't get there, and now between the Herceptin and the Aromatase Inhibitor and the radiation it got taken care of . The PET scan being negative is great news; it lights up the tumor's glucose and the fact it was negative in the chest wall and body is great. Don't know about your MRI question; maybe latter given the negative PET?

Haven't read "Cancer Made Me a Shallower Person". Very good title; makes us think more me-oriented to safe our life? You can do this KC. You're asking the right questions, being proactive in your care, as

is NewDay with her different circumstances.

I'l take a look at the book from my home town library. Sounds like one I should read.

Post back and often. We're here for you.

Thinking of you and NewDay.

Tender

kchance · October 2007

Tender,

Thanks for the encouragement.

As with all recurrences, they believe it was something left behind.

But the nodule growing, after just finishing chemo was discouraging. Yes, my onc tells me me about the possibility that the vascularity was not so good due to the surgery... who knows?

I have been on herceptin every 3 weeks, but my last echo says my EF decreased from 55% to 45%, and now I have mitral regurgitation which was not there before. I have decided to hold off on the herceptin for now until I can have a another echo and EF is > 50%. Again, who knows how much of this damage is reversible.?

TenderIsOurMight · October 2007

Newday,

Just a note to check back on you, knowing you're in the waiting period. It's a tortuous disease, this breast cancer, but I'm hoping your problem is radiation reaction, and your results are B9!

Don't sit alone during these long days, should you care not too. Having people to pass the time with is oh, so helpful sometimes.

Tender

sunshinegirl · October 2007

Thanks, for thinking of me. I had a horrible weekend just thinking about it. You think just what every word the radiologist and us tech said. I know ultra sound tech was trying to help me feel better, but what she said was maybe its a new cancer because I had negative nodes. She also said least you will have a good weekend because we won't know till next week the results. I ask if it was scar tissue, she said she couldn't tell because it was a dark mass. I still can't believe I could have cancer come back that soon with stage 1 only a little over 3 months since treatment. All I can do is hope for the best.

TenderIsOurMight · October 2007

Newday,

It's going to be o.k, I think! You're original tumor was not overly aggressive, and a 4 cm recurrence within 3 months of treatment is like extraordinarily unusual. Ionizing radiation is real good at destroying cancer cells.

It's Monday almost 4 p.m..Any way you could push yourself to call your doctor and ask him to call the pathologist for the preliminary yet today? Good doctors, which I still hold out that our system has many (I know, I know) really want to know when you're suffering.

So, why don't you ring them up now. . .There, there' a little push in that direction.

Tender

avasmom · October 2007

newday-

I have a lump in my armpit post surgery (post snb). It actually grew larger after several months and then stayed the size it is now. Mine turned out to be scar tissue. Keep positive thoughts and let us know what the core biopsy results are.

sunshinegirl · October 2007

Hi everyone,

I just received good news from the doctor. My biopsy report is negative, just scar tissue. I have been a wreck for the past week. The waiting game got to be worst. Thanks for everybody's concern and input.

TenderIsOurMight · October 2007

Oh, I am SO very happy for you NewDay!

I checked every day a couple of times, thinking perhaps you might not post back, and then the day that you do, I somehow had hit the "collapse" button, and so the threads didn't show. So I hit "expand" and voila, there you were.

Uh, I am just dancing a little jig! So, so pleased and can only imagine how happy YOU are.

Don't know what else to say,

Tender

avasmom · October 2007

New Day-

I am so happy for you! Great news!!

Yvonne · October 2007

I had radiation after chemo and now my boob is like a football, very swollen and hard and painful.

I went to the surgeon today who said an ultrasound and mammogram on thurs, he says there is a 'mass ' in there.

Waiting is so hard.

I refused the mri because I had a very bad reaction to contrast and am scared of the g..... stuff.

TenderIsOurMight · October 2007

Yvonne,

You must be very stressed, waiting is what we all hate. I noticed you're new. Perhaps you might consider sharing if you had surgery and so forth....

Just wanted to welcome you here to the breastcancer.org discussion board. It's a place of support and venting, as we all know too well the strain that accompanies breast disease.

Sorry your having to go through this, and will keep you close in my thoughts for Thursday and beyond.

All the best to you,

Tender

maryedwardine · April 2008

I read the comic book, "Cancer Made Me A Shallower Person". It made me laugh and cry but definitely worth reading. I highly recommend it to anyone going thru the cancer healing journey.

maryedwardine · April 2008

On May 1, 2007, I was diagnosed with Stage IIA breast cancer on my left breast, had a lumpectomy, chemo and finished radiation on Jan 11th. My last oncology appt was Mar 7th. Yesterday, I had my pap/pelvic exam which included a thorough breast exam. The doc found a lump under my left armpit. I've also had cellulitis since Sep 2007 and then had surgery on Dec 29th to remove a lingering abscess connected to that. The drainage from that is still going. I'm going in today to meet with my surgeon so he can check out the cellulitis/drainage as well as the lump.

I'm concerned about the lump.

Mary

TenderIsOurMight · April 2008

Hi Mary,

Thanks for sharing your history. I have yet to read this book, but have heard many good comments.

Regarding the lump, is it on the same side as the cellulitis and chronic abscess? If so, it's plausable that this is the source of the lump under your armpit. Lymph nodes react to infection, and the lump may be a LN. Of course, have to get it checked.

Hoping it all turns out B9. Welcome, btw.

Best to you today,

Tender

recurrence after 3 months from radiation

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