did anyone have IBC appear during chemo...?

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gen
gen Member Posts: 9

for another form of BC? 

My mom just finished up chemo for ILC (1cm tumor, 4 - quadrant multicentric, 2/3 nodes +, stage II-III).  Since early in chemo her breast became warm, then red, then swollen.  She (we) didn't realize that wasn't a normal side effect of chemo and didn't think to mention it to the onco.  After she finished chemo and they ran the next set of scans/tests, the MRI showed swelling of the breast.  That's when the onco looked at it and said it might be IBC.  So now we are waiting a core needle biopsy results to see if her cancer actually progressed during chemo.  I'm very worried and wondering if anyone else has heard of this happening before.

 The onco said he'd never seen it before, but didn't say whether he had heard of it happening but just hadn't seen it himself. 

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  • FloridaLady
    FloridaLady Member Posts: 2,155
    edited July 2008

    My IBC did spread to skin during chemo.  I did chemo first than surgery, than rads.  It spread during chemo (ACT) we rushed to surgery and on week later to rads.  It had only showed up with a small area on my breast bone.  My bc continued to grow while in rads...Week after rads I was back in chemo.

    What is her receptor?  Triple Neg or Her2?

    Flalady

  • Lauralynne
    Lauralynne Member Posts: 123
    edited July 2008

    I found a lump and was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma in February 06.  I had 4 cycles of  Adriamycin/Cytoxen and had 2 cycles of Taxotere when my breast was noted to be discolored, dark blue, purple, red, inflammed and warm.  Doctor made clinical diagnosis of Inflammatory Breast Cancer in June 06.  He had seen it before (radiation oncologist) I was immediately sent for radiation therapy to help alleviate the swelling and shrink the breast.  I did Xeloda oral chemo along with radiation.  The radiation reduced the breast to normal size and after healing from radiation, I went on to have bilateral mastectomies in September 06.   I am a triple negative.

    I hope the biopsy turns out to be negative.  If it is inflammatory breast cancer, there is support here on the boards and lots of good information from women who know all about this rare form of cancer.  Let's hope for a negative biopsy.  Please let us know.  

    Lauralynne 

  • gen
    gen Member Posts: 9
    edited July 2008

    Thanks for the replies.  I guess it feels better to know others this happened to, but I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis.

    Mom is Her2. She did ACT too.

     She is still scheduled for mastectomy on Tuesday, but she called today and was excited that the redness seems to have decreased.  She's now 4 weeks out from her last chemo treatment.  We're still hoping it's connected to her lymphodema and I think this is a good sign.  But we're still very worried.

    Good luck to you both and I'll post more when we find out. 

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