Recurrence after BMX latissimus flap reconstruction

Lisa-Nana to 5
Lisa-Nana to 5 Member Posts: 16
edited August 2016 in Breast Cancer #1

 

Lisa-Nana to 5's picture

I thought I'd all but eliminated my recurrence chances! NOT!!! 

Mon, 08/22/2016 - 4:10pm — Lisa-Nana to 5

 




I may be a little long winded so I'll apologize in advance. In April 2008 I was diagnosed with DCIS In my right breast. I felt gut punched. I was only 44 and I was in the final month of wedding planning for my youngest daughter. I had lost my mom to breast cancer when she was only 38, so my thought was "cut 'em off doc!" And that's just what we did. Tested negative for both BRACA genes. Bilateral mastectomy with expander failure resulted in latissimus dorsi flap reconstruction. Told I didn't need to take Tamoxafin and no annual scans needed since I had no breast tissue left. They said  "Go live your life!" So... I breezed through the next 8 years, becoming the proudest nana you'll ever meet. Cancer not really much of a thought. I mean I was told I had less than a 2% chance of having deal with it again. Well..... I found a lump on the outside area near armpit on my right breast in June. Many sleepless nights and many tests later, I was diagnosed with IDC. I COULD NOT BREATHE! staging has not been done yet, as I can't have surgery yet. The flap is complicating things. My biopsy tissue is out for ONCOTYPE DX to determine chemo or just endocrine meds. It's ER+ PR+ HER2-. Have any of you had a recurrence in a lat flap reconstructed breast? 




Comments

  • iloverunning
    iloverunning Member Posts: 14
    #2
    Sorry to hear of your

    Sorry to hear of your recurrence. I am not in the same position as you but I did have prophylactic mastectomies in 2010 with implants  My surgeon told me that there still is breast tissue And likely spots are axilla area Or right at surface.  I get an mri every 3 years to check integrity of implants and breast exams twice a year. . But I guess what I am saying is unfortunately we are never out of the woods. How are you doing now?  Do you have a surgery date?  Thinking of you and hoping a plan is in place to fight this and win!

  • Barb A
    Barb A Member Posts: 123
    #3

    Hi Lisa, I'm sorry you are going through this again. I know how you feel thinking you wouldn't have to worry about it again, and then there it is! Devastating. I had DCIS in 2000 (age 37) and had the right breast removed, with Tram Flap reconstruction. I took Tamoxifen for 5 years. In 2007, I found a lump in the reconstructed breast. I had a lumpectomy and it was IDC. I had not been told in 2000 that there was also IDC, and the thought here is that a cell with IDC was left behind and eventually formed the lump. It was very aggressive, put at a grade 3 as I again had clear margins and no lymph node involvement. I had chemo and then radiation, followed by 5 years on Arimidex (had hysterectomy at age 39). So far, so good!

    It's hard to say if yours is a recurrance or a new cancer. With my situation, I cringe when women who have had mastectomies say they don't worry about getting breast cancer again. We're proof that it can happen. I hope your tests come back showing clear margins and provide you with a clear path on your next steps. I use my experience to let others know to continue being diligent with SBE's even after mastectomy AND that one can get through recurrances. Keep us posted and know that we're all here with you.

    Barb A

  • Lisa-Nana to 5
    Lisa-Nana to 5 Member Posts: 16
    edited August 2016 #4
    Thanks ladies for the replies

    Thanks ladies for the replies. The jury is still out on chemo but we should have an answer by my MO appt next Wednesday. I was thinking the same thing about the possibility of there having been some IDC last time but my surgeon assured me it was all DCIS., 3 different locations in right and hyperplasia in left So I still feel like I made a good decision back then. It just sucks to be going through this again. I will say that this time has been much harder as far as the worry goes. I have mixed emotions about chemo. Part of me hopes I don't need it and part of me feels like I'll be doing something  more aggressive to fight this thing. Barb, did you have an implant also or just the flap? I have implants and the surgeon is afraid he might not be able to get it all with the muscles being in an unnatural place where the tumor is. Mine is a less aggressive as it is grade 1. 

  • linpsu
    linpsu Member Posts: 747
    #5

    Lisa, my story is somewhat similar to yours, but I had an implant w/out the flap.  Two years later, i had a recurrence right under my mastectomy scar.  It was stage 3C and very aggressive, but chemo, further surgery, and radiation put me into remission.  I am triple negative.  Here I am, 6 years later, enjoying my 4 grandkids that I thought I'd never get to see.  It makes me cringe also when i hear women say that having a mastectomy means they don't ever have to worry again about BC.  I'm sure it's rare, but it does happen.

    Linda

  • Barb A
    Barb A Member Posts: 123
    edited August 2016 #6
    Lisa-Nana to 5 said:

    Thanks ladies for the replies

    Thanks ladies for the replies. The jury is still out on chemo but we should have an answer by my MO appt next Wednesday. I was thinking the same thing about the possibility of there having been some IDC last time but my surgeon assured me it was all DCIS., 3 different locations in right and hyperplasia in left So I still feel like I made a good decision back then. It just sucks to be going through this again. I will say that this time has been much harder as far as the worry goes. I have mixed emotions about chemo. Part of me hopes I don't need it and part of me feels like I'll be doing something  more aggressive to fight this thing. Barb, did you have an implant also or just the flap? I have implants and the surgeon is afraid he might not be able to get it all with the muscles being in an unnatural place where the tumor is. Mine is a less aggressive as it is grade 1. 

    No implant

    Hi Lisa, no I didn't have an implant. The "mound" is my own stomach tissue. Because it's my own tissue and I had IDC, it's more likely why I had the recurrance. I didn't know I had IDC and DCIS until a couple of years ago when I switched oncologists. I hadn't received a copy of my lab results the first time around. My new onc told me there was also IDC. I don't know why it wasn't revealed to me the first time. My DCIS was spread over half my breast, so I couldn't have a lumpectomy, it had to be a mastectomy. I just wanted it gone. I was very nieve and trusted my oncologist and plastic surgeon. In hindsight, I would have done a lot more research and also researched long term effects of the Tram Flap and treatments. It sounds like you are on top of that research. You can only do what you feel is best for you now and long term. I know that doesn't lessen the worry, but the research will build your confidence in your decision.

    I had an easy time with chemo, not a lot of sickness and I worked the whole time. Radiation went well until the end when I burned some the last week. Everyone is different though. For me, I wish I had chemo the first time around, but I didn't know what I didn't know, and it's a mute point for me now. I'm glad I had the chemo and rad the second time, but I still worry about recurrance. As time goes on, that worry isn't as intense, but I still freak out a bit if something feels different or just not right. I just try to learn from all this and help others through it as best I can.

Discussion Boards