Long Term Steroid Replacement Therapy Risk Factor
Comments
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Hello, I am 46 years old and this week found a large lump "mass" in my right breast. I have an appointment for a mammogram next week and will see where things go from there. I have been very sick for four years. I suffer from adrenal insuffeciency and am taking life time steroid replacement therapy. I was treated for a virus with high dosages of steroids four years ago that spread to my eyes and destroyed part of the retinas in both eyes. I am legally blind in both eyes. My adrenal glands shut down and will not work anylonger no matter what is done to wake them up. As most of you know, steroids have many side effects. If it is on the list of side effects, I have it or suffer from it or will get it. I was wondering if long term steroid use is thought to cause breast cancer or any breast disease? I can't find anything on this topic. My health care is managed by a team of five wonderful physicians. Both my pain care physician and internest have felt the lump and agree that I need to have a mammogram and see a surgeon right away. The lump is about 2.5 inches long and 1/2 inches wide and feels atleast 1/2 inches deep. Both doctors agree that it does not feel like a cyst, which I have had before but went away. Before all of my medical problems I was a very healthy person. I went to my ob/gym every year and had a couple of suspicious mammograms over the years that all turned out fine. One biopsy done by the radiologist that was benign in the right breast also but a different side. I have put off all of my mammograms and ob/gyn visits over the last four years while I concentrated my funds on the emergencies at hand. I have been on social security disability since October of 2005. This is a far cry from my large salary with the local government. I have no insurance. I could not afford the cobra cost. I have paid myself for all of my medical care. I do get medicaid if I have a bill over $900.00. They will pay that bill and any others that month and then it starts over the next month. So I guess you could say I have a $900.00 deductible MONTHLY not yearly. Crazy how things work. I did some research and found the Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection fund to pay for my mammogram. I don't know if they will pay for the surgeon's $200.00+ bill. I will have to wait and see. I have NO funds for any treatment at all. It will have to wait until I have Medicare May 1st of 2008. I have not seen my eye doctor for about 9 months because I just cant afford it. I have to worry about the emergencies. Luckily, most of my 12 prescriptions are paid for by the Physicians Prescription Program. That has saved me about 1,800 per MONTH. I would have died without it. I have fallen between the cracks. I have worked since I was 15 years old, paid all my taxes, own my home, have a son in the navy married with a 2 year old little boy (my grand baby), one in his 5th year of college, one working successfuly in town raising his 3 year old son (my grand baby) on his own and a 16 year old daughter at home, never been arrested, never had a traffic ticket or accident, never did drugs, don't drink and I can't get any help with health insurance. I make too much money on social security disability ( a big $1,125.00 per month). Don't get me started. Sorry I have strayed off subject matter. To get the the guts of my question, does anyone know of a link between steroid therapy and breast cancer and disease. I know that most breast lumps are benign so I am not too worried about this lump. There is no pain but it is getting so large you can see the skin dimpiling. I don't know how I missed it other than I do not give breast exams to myself and I am single so no one else is enjoying them either. I have been on three steroids decadron, prednisone and cortif to treat my medical problems and now to replace the steroid not produced by my adrenal glands. I stopped having periods about a year ago as a result so I may have gone into menopause. Having no adrenal function keeps me from having all of the natural hormones they deliver. Steroids is just one of them. Thanks for your help, sorry if I bored everyone with all the details of my complicated last four years.
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I'm sorry you're going through a very terrible time (to say the least).
Unfortunately, I don't have the answer to your question, but do want to say that I hope your lump is non-malignant and that a really big dose of good luck comes your way and stays around you for a long time.
Many blessings to you,
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You may want to pose your question on a medical forum for breast cancer. Here's one:
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/BreastCancer/Index.htm
Good luck.
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