Can local recurrence to chest wall look like spider veins?

cati0314

Hi Everyone,

 

I have some spider veins that appeared on my upper chest, same side as the cancer.  I have looked online and am not sure if this can be a recurrence to my chest wall.  Does anyone know anything about chest wall recurrence?  What it could look like?  I do use dumbells on my chest to do ab work and do stress the area with dumbbells when I do pec flys, etc.  This is the radiated side.  I have appnt with onco next week but am scared and looking for reassurance.

 

Thank you sisters,

Sharon

button2

When I thought I felt a lump

When I thought I felt a lump on my mastectomy side, I went in and got an ultrasound. The results were ready the same day and you don't get any radiation from ultrasounds. I didn't want to wait a month before my next oncologist appointment. It came up clear and I didn't have to worry the whole month. But you already have an appointment relatively soon. Why don't you call them up and describe your skin and ask them if it will be ok to wait until next week? I'm trying to relax more about things I can't change. I hope it turns out to be nothing ..good luck to you!

GlowMore

button2 said:

When I thought I felt a lump

When I thought I felt a lump on my mastectomy side, I went in and got an ultrasound. The results were ready the same day and you don't get any radiation from ultrasounds. I didn't want to wait a month before my next oncologist appointment. It came up clear and I didn't have to worry the whole month. But you already have an appointment relatively soon. Why don't you call them up and describe your skin and ask them if it will be ok to wait until next week? I'm trying to relax more about things I can't change. I hope it turns out to be nothing ..good luck to you!

Prayers for Good Results*

What good advice from button.....I hope that it is really nothing to worry about but can't blame you for being anxious.  I didn't have  a Mastectomy but only a Lumpectomy & back then they did the completle Lymphectomy.  But know about the anxiety when there are any changes.  I'm glad you are seeing the Oncologist next week so you can get your questions answered.....because being in the Pink Waiting Room can get pretty scary.   They want me to wait until December to recheck my tumor marker test....this is a new Onc and my old one I had for 12 years before he retired on me this year NEVER waited...he just had me come right back in and redo the bloodtest.  So...this waiting is not fun.

Prayers...(like the Serenity Prayer)  and sending encouragement...love....hugs and know that we all understand EXACTLY what you are feeling.   Keep us posted.  xxoo  Glo

Double Whammy

GlowMore said:

Prayers for Good Results*

What good advice from button.....I hope that it is really nothing to worry about but can't blame you for being anxious.  I didn't have  a Mastectomy but only a Lumpectomy & back then they did the completle Lymphectomy.  But know about the anxiety when there are any changes.  I'm glad you are seeing the Oncologist next week so you can get your questions answered.....because being in the Pink Waiting Room can get pretty scary.   They want me to wait until December to recheck my tumor marker test....this is a new Onc and my old one I had for 12 years before he retired on me this year NEVER waited...he just had me come right back in and redo the bloodtest.  So...this waiting is not fun.

Prayers...(like the Serenity Prayer)  and sending encouragement...love....hugs and know that we all understand EXACTLY what you are feeling.   Keep us posted.  xxoo  Glo

I have some and I worried

Mine are chalked up to radiation changes - whatever that means.  I had rads in 2010 and this showed up maybe 2 1/2 years later.  I don't know if it's  just something that can happen down the road after radiation or not, but mine is not breast cancer recurrence.   I wan't concerned about that really but was concerned that it might be something nasty from the radiation (like cancer).   No one seems worried.   I had a lumpectomy and my spider veins are primarily above the areolar, not where my tumor was.  I watched it for a while and it seemed to progress so I freaked.  Nothing has changed in well over a year.   Glad your getting it checked and hope it puts your mind at ease.  I'd rather bother them and have it be nothing than have it be something I dismissed.  Any changes do need to be looked at.

Suzanne

cati0314

Spider Veins or cancer?

Thanks all for your support.  My onco appnt is Tuesday and its already Friday so I'm OK with the timing.  I'm hopeful its nothing, almost feels identical on the other side.  Kind of like just under the clavacle bone.  I'm just one of those people that has not gotten my head on track since my diagnosis almost 5 yrs ago.  I was shocked to learn that while I was being watched by a breast specialist for a benign calcification within 2 yrs a 6.2cm monster grew at that very spot.  Had clear mammogram and sonnegram and 6 months later a large cancer.   I was not my own advocate up to that time.  Needless to say I fired the "specialist" that promised to keep a close eye on me and went to MD Andersen in Orlando.  Neoadjuvent chemo, bilateral. radiation. stage 2b idc, grade 3. T3, N0, M0. PR+. BRCA1 positive. Later a radical profilactive hysterectomy.  I've changed a great deal but the fear remains.. 

 

Sharon

Pixie Dust

Its ok to be scared

Sharon, Its ok to be scared. Anybody that has or is on this website that has ever had cancer has been scared and even probably been standing on their head before and during their DX. I know I was. I had last chemo in May and I am on arimidex. I am high risk of mine returning and this cancer is on my mind at all times. I do like what Suzanne said that she had the same and it was nothing. That really sounds good, describing with what you also have. Suzanne said hers turned out to be nothing and hopefully yours will be the same. Good that you are seeing your ONC about this. I have good feelings that yours is going to be the same as Suzannes. Keep us updated.  Hugs, Pixie Dust 

cati0314

Spider Veins or cancer?

Thank you Pixie Dust.  God Bless you all.

 

Sharon

desertgirl947

I have had a lot of

I have had a lot of capillaries/veins/whatever showing up on the left side, where I had my more serious problems.  I attributed this to my going to PT and doing exercises and having the therapist doing whatever she needed to do to try to loosen up my arm/shoulder. 

I did have a small mass appear on my left side, just below my scar line.  Since I had my onc appointment soon after I had noticed this, I made sure he knew about it.  He sent me for an ultrasound.  The radiologist was not ready to give me clearance on that.  So, he recommended a CT scan or MRI.  If need be, a biopsy.  My onc opted to just go ahead with the biopsy.  No one thought for sure there was a major problem, but all were being cautious.

I did get a good report.  I also know that this is probably how it will be anytime something like this occurs, which is fine with me.

I just got that OK on 9/9/14.

GlowMore

desertgirl947 said:

I have had a lot of

I have had a lot of capillaries/veins/whatever showing up on the left side, where I had my more serious problems.  I attributed this to my going to PT and doing exercises and having the therapist doing whatever she needed to do to try to loosen up my arm/shoulder. 

I did have a small mass appear on my left side, just below my scar line.  Since I had my onc appointment soon after I had noticed this, I made sure he knew about it.  He sent me for an ultrasound.  The radiologist was not ready to give me clearance on that.  So, he recommended a CT scan or MRI.  If need be, a biopsy.  My onc opted to just go ahead with the biopsy.  No one thought for sure there was a major problem, but all were being cautious.

I did get a good report.  I also know that this is probably how it will be anytime something like this occurs, which is fine with me.

I just got that OK on 9/9/14.

Just Remembered

What desertgirl said reminded me of years ago a mass showed up above my scar line on left breast and scared me...but it turned out to just be Scar Tissue.........    hope all goes well tomorrow for you cati    xxoo  g

cati0314

Its not recurrence!

Thank you all who answered and gave me hope.  I just got back from the my new onco and he said it indeed was from the radiation that I had 4 years ago.  He is a renowned oncologist and I am thrilled that this is not what I feared.  He said I was doing wonderfully after checking my blood work and said he'd see me in 6 months.  

 

Yeah!!!!!

I am so relieved,

Sharon

button2

That's great news

I knew it would be ok Sharon! My weird chest changes were also caused by radiation. It's amazing how it can happen so long after rads, isn't it? I hope other people read this and don't worry unneccessarily about their own changes (always checking in with the dr of course). Great that you don't have to worry for six months - yeah!!!

Best, Anna

Pixie Dust

cati0314 said:

Its not recurrence!

Thank you all who answered and gave me hope.  I just got back from the my new onco and he said it indeed was from the radiation that I had 4 years ago.  He is a renowned oncologist and I am thrilled that this is not what I feared.  He said I was doing wonderfully after checking my blood work and said he'd see me in 6 months.  

 

Yeah!!!!!

I am so relieved,

Sharon

SO HAPPY FOR YOU !!!!!!!

Sharon, it is so good to get on here and here good news about someone. I am so happy for you. I know that you were scared which this is normal, now you can breathe much easier now. This has also made my day happier too. All of us Pink Sisters are in this together and care and love one another. I am tickled PINK.   (((((HUGS)))))  Pixie Dust

cati0314

Thanks Anna!

Thanks Anna!  I really appreciate your sharing.  Others need to know that this can and does happen years after rads.  Not to give false hope but to give hope for the unforseen reality of survival for some of us.  The treatments for this disease can forever change the nature of your body and what you can expect as "normal"....

 

Best,

Sharon

cati0314

Pixie Dust said:

SO HAPPY FOR YOU !!!!!!!

Sharon, it is so good to get on here and here good news about someone. I am so happy for you. I know that you were scared which this is normal, now you can breathe much easier now. This has also made my day happier too. All of us Pink Sisters are in this together and care and love one another. I am tickled PINK.   (((((HUGS)))))  Pixie Dust

Changes from rads

Thanks Pixie Dust!  We truly are sisters and the more success stories that are shared the less frightened we are when we are in the pink waiting room!

 

Best,

Sharon

GlowMore

cati0314 said:

Thanks Anna!

Thanks Anna!  I really appreciate your sharing.  Others need to know that this can and does happen years after rads.  Not to give false hope but to give hope for the unforseen reality of survival for some of us.  The treatments for this disease can forever change the nature of your body and what you can expect as "normal"....

 

Best,

Sharon

6 months....

Good for you.........Went to read your story but you haven't filled in your Home Page....  hope all continues to be ok for you....I thought I would have a whole year but they called me back last week and said ...NOPE  ...  CA 27-29 Tumor Markers are up  46/47   which isn't really that bad (30 and lower is normal)...but got to go back in 3 months...if I want to wait that long.   The Oncologist's PA says that he thinks I just fluctuate on that test because this happened once before about 3 years ago.  I'm thinkng about it...like you...what the heck is 'normal' anymore anyway??

Jackie j

Spider veins

Did you ever get any answers? I have just noticed spider veins along my scar. I have not been able to get in to have it checked yet. Oh! I have now figured the page out and read the posts.

cati0314

Jackie j said:

Spider veins

Did you ever get any answers? I have just noticed spider veins along my scar. I have not been able to get in to have it checked yet. Oh! I have now figured the page out and read the posts.

Spider veins

Hi, glad you read the posts.  As I said my spider veins were caused by the radiation.  My onco said it was common.  Make sure you check with your onco as soon as you are able.  Best, Sharon

Jackie j

cati0314 said:

Spider veins

Hi, glad you read the posts.  As I said my spider veins were caused by the radiation.  My onco said it was common.  Make sure you check with your onco as soon as you are able.  Best, Sharon

Thank you Sharon. I feel so

Thank you Sharon. I feel so much better after reading here. I have bee waiting for the cancer center to return my call.