Recurrent breast cancer for fourth time after TRAM Flap

Hi Cece, I'm so sorry you have been through so much and now a fourth time. Wow! No wonder you are overwhelmed. Have you had chemo, rads, uni-lateral or bi-lateral mastectomy? Other treatments? Have your margins been clear, or do you have lymph node involvement?

I had DCIS in the right breast in 2000. Even though it was considered pre-cancerous (at the time), it was in over 50% of the breast I couldn't do a lumpectomy, so I had a uni-lateral mastectomy with tram flap reconstruction. No chemo or rads, but took Tamoxifen for five years. In 2007, I found a large lump in the reconstructed breast. I had a lumpectomy, chemo, rads and Arimidex for five years. I cringe when others tell me they don't worry about getting cancer again because they had a mastectomy. It can happen, so I remind people to be diligent about their self exams.

I found out through a new Onc in 2013, that I not only had DCIS in 2000, I had IDC. I didn't know enough back then to ask for my pathology reports. Had I seen that, I would have questioned the no chemo or rads decision. My second cancer was IDC. I was told it probably developed due to a missed or dropped cancer cell from my mastectomy. I used to think that if only I had chemo or rads, I wouldn't have gotten it again. I've come to realize that one never knows the answers to that, and have to trust original decisions. I also learned to ask a lot more questions, review all my reports, etc.  

I don't know a lot about triple negative, so hopefully someone else can chime in. My cancers were PR positive. No one else in my family has had breast cancer, but other various cancers.

I'm sending you hugs and prayers.

Barb A

Have you had genetic testing? When I got cancer first time, I had chemo and a tram flap. Second time around (20 years later), I got it in the other breast. I had genetic testing and it turned out I'm BRCA2 positive. No one else in my family tested positive. My Oncologist thinks maybe my Dad and his mother were, but both have passed away, so don't know for sure. No history of breast cancer on either side. 

So sorry you are having to go through this. It is such a shock when you find out it's back. Hoping you have no metastasis or lymph node involvement. I'm ER/PR/HER2 positive so had chemo, mastectomy (no reconstruction this time), radiation to sacrum(small metastasis there) and radiation to chest wall. Now on aromatase inhibitor and herceptin indefinitely. Doping well and living life as fully as possible. Don't beat yourself up about past decisions. You can't change that, and you really don't know if it would have had any effect on your current situation. 

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What exactly is a TRAM Flap?