How do you know?

nicmarie75
nicmarie75 Member Posts: 57 Member
in Breast Cancer #1
I have never personally had cancer, I participate in Relay for Life every year, I have several family members that have had Cancer, my grandma surpassed her 5 yr mark after a lung cancer DX in 2004, my other grandmother had BC back in the the late 70's she is now 80. Her BC was caught VERY early and she had a Mastectomy on the one side and that was it. No Chemo or radiation etc. My grandfather passed away from a head/neck cancer. My mom died at 42yrs old from Kidney cancer.....I FEAR cancer. I read all these stories of BC in women in their 30's but mammogram isn't done until 40. I had my annual visit at 34yrs old in 09' she did my breast exam and prior to starting she said to start Mammograms at 40, then halfway through she said I should start at 35 and by the end of my exam she said well, why don't you go soon and I did. My report was clean from my mammogram....Should I be doing yearly mammograms? I try to do self exams and I can't seem to tell what I am doing, it feels lumpy all over if you ask my unprofessional opinion. Then I read about IBC and that scares the crap out of me, there are no lumps with IBC right? I hate living in fear that I am going to get Cancer someday, I posted something similiar in the Kidney cancer forum but thought I would post here since my grandma (fathers side) had BC...so far she was the only one in my immediate family. Though my grandpa (moms side, the one who had head/neck cancer) had several sisters and one that I know of had many children and lots of her family died from Cancer in general. Sorry if I am rambling....

Comments

  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #2
    IBC is different
    You're right - IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer) does not present itself as a lump like one usually thinks of with BC. It bands or nests without clear margins. That's why chemo is done before surgery (sometimes after also) so that it will shrink into a 'lump; and get margins so it can be gotten out. It is often misdiagnosed initially. It is very aggressive and rapid in developement. Some of what to look for are redness, heat, pain, orange peel skin, inverted nipple, enlargement and nodes enlarged. Remember that we're each unique but for me, I found a lymph node enlarged under my arm that had 'come up' basically overnight. I saw my PA in a week and by then I had developed orange peel skin and inverted nipple. Had new mammo, sono, and biopsy that afternoon and had the path. the next morning. In the 17 days from DX to starting chemo my breast had doubled in size. The chemo worked and it shrunk to a lump and had clean margins when I had mast. 2 weeks after last A/C. Then in 3 weeks I started 12 weekly Taxol followed by rads. I was DX'd in Aug 09 and as far as I know doing great now - have more aches and pains and a couple of other issues but they are all handleable and for a 65 y/o that's not bad.

    IBC only represents between 1% and 5% of all BCs so it's not all that common. There are several of us IBCers here.

    There is no way of knowing rather or not the Monster will attack you. There have been no cancers of anykind on either side of my family for at least 4 gnerations - til me that is. There are some gene tests that can be done but others will have to tell you about them - were not recommended for me so I haven't read up on them.

    Susan
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #3
    Rague said:

    IBC is different
    You're right - IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer) does not present itself as a lump like one usually thinks of with BC. It bands or nests without clear margins. That's why chemo is done before surgery (sometimes after also) so that it will shrink into a 'lump; and get margins so it can be gotten out. It is often misdiagnosed initially. It is very aggressive and rapid in developement. Some of what to look for are redness, heat, pain, orange peel skin, inverted nipple, enlargement and nodes enlarged. Remember that we're each unique but for me, I found a lymph node enlarged under my arm that had 'come up' basically overnight. I saw my PA in a week and by then I had developed orange peel skin and inverted nipple. Had new mammo, sono, and biopsy that afternoon and had the path. the next morning. In the 17 days from DX to starting chemo my breast had doubled in size. The chemo worked and it shrunk to a lump and had clean margins when I had mast. 2 weeks after last A/C. Then in 3 weeks I started 12 weekly Taxol followed by rads. I was DX'd in Aug 09 and as far as I know doing great now - have more aches and pains and a couple of other issues but they are all handleable and for a 65 y/o that's not bad.

    IBC only represents between 1% and 5% of all BCs so it's not all that common. There are several of us IBCers here.

    There is no way of knowing rather or not the Monster will attack you. There have been no cancers of anykind on either side of my family for at least 4 gnerations - til me that is. There are some gene tests that can be done but others will have to tell you about them - were not recommended for me so I haven't read up on them.

    Susan

    Have the yearly...
    Mammogram.....better safe than sorry...and be ever so diligent on monthly sel exams.....

    i had no family history of bc.....
    My best to you...
    Hugs,Nancy
  • poplolly
    poplolly Member Posts: 346
    #4
    My personal opinion is that
    My personal opinion is that I would have a yearly mammogram. I'm 60 now and I started annual mammograms in my 30's. I think it's important for you to be vigilent when cancer is in your family. As far as self-exam--do that, but what you'll be able to catch with that is something that's fairly large if you have no other symptoms. I'm like you; I was always so lumpy I couldn't tell if I had a problem or not. That was until I found a lump in my right breast. Be in tune to your body; if you feel something is wrong take the time to go to your physician. By doing all the above you should be able to feel pretty certain that you are ok.

    hugs,

    Judy
  • missingtexas
    missingtexas Member Posts: 146
    #5
    In regards to having lumpy
    In regards to having lumpy breasts...I always recommend to young women that if they don't understand what they are looking for, ask your doctor to go over it with you...DEMAND your doctor to go over it with you. I never did self exams but I accidentally (although I don't believe anything is an accident) found the lump (lymph node) under my arm. When I initially went to the doctor to have it looked at, he asked if I did self exams and I said no and that I was never sure what I was looking for. I will always remember what he said to me, "It seems pretty obvious now, huh?" And it was! If you get to know your breasts and all of their lumps and bumps, you'll notice changes and that's what it's about. I too have a ton of cancer in my family...and my mom's sister died of BC and they told me 40, 40, 40. If I had one earlier, it may not have been so advanced!
  • laughs_a_lot
    laughs_a_lot Member Posts: 1,368 Member
    #6
    I was always told
    I was always told to do them several days after your menstrual period. I suspect that there are hormonal changes that occur in you breast throughout the month and some may seem like a lump. I think that is why they have you check right after your period so you don;t run into the fluctuations.
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #7
    MAJW said:

    Have the yearly...
    Mammogram.....better safe than sorry...and be ever so diligent on monthly sel exams.....

    i had no family history of bc.....
    My best to you...
    Hugs,Nancy

    I agree to have a yearly
    I agree to have a yearly mammo. Most of us have no family history but still got bc.


    Good luck,

    Jan
  • mamolady
    mamolady Member Posts: 796 Member
    #8
    If you aren't sure about the
    If you aren't sure about the self exam, ask your OB/Gyn. They should at least have literature. Or if there is a health education department at your clinic, they should have some thing too. Mostly, you want to look for changes. Lumps are quite obvious once you have them. I am "lumpy" anyway and the mass I found was completely different. It is hard to explain, but you would know if you found it.
    Annual clinical exams are important also so even if your health plan says 3 years for the PAP, you should have an annual clinical breast exam.
    Mammograms are also important. I started at 30 every other year then every year after 40. My sister was diagnosed at 30. Now they recommend 10 years prior to youngest diagnosis or 40, which ever is younger.
    Know your body, sounds like BC isn't the only beast in your family. If you have a concern, talk to your doctor.

    Cancer is a crazy beast, be proactive in your screening but do not let it control your life.
    "Worrying does not empty tomorrow of it's troubles, it empties today of its strength" Mary Engelbreit.

    Cindy

    Cindy

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