Reccurence Breast Cancer

ozzie2
ozzie2 Member Posts: 17
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Having been dx with BC 10 yrs ago..And having a reconstruction in May this yr after waiting 5 yrs for the job to be finished a total of 7 yrs in all...I have just been told I have a recurrence in my reconstructed breast ,which the bottom half was made from Breast tissue from my right breast, the top half done this yr from Dorsi muscle..I have been told from the FNA (that is all that has been done at the moment more next week) that the BC is the same as before ER and PR positive and HER_2 Neg.the report also said it was Metastatic but all the blood test were all ok...
Question has anyone had this and if so could you have another reconstruction at the same site?
What treatments will I need this time?
Have had 10 booster rads and 25 Norm rads last time and CMF and EC chemo and mas and tamoxifen for 4 yrs and then change to another drug..
I am quite shock to find that it has come back as I never thought it would..I also am in remission(well I hope I am) for NHL had two lots of chemo and a stem cell transplant for that 3yrs ago..
Anyone got any ideas? re treatment etc and reconstruction again??
Thanks

Comments

  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #2
    AW, NUTS! How I HATE this beast! It is such a terrorist!!!

    Just 6 months out from the treatment end for the first bout...so I don't have much experience...had rectal cancer first....going to quote my 5th second opinion....
    "Why would you throw away the hard work the first time by not doing as much fighting this time as before".. (I HATED this, she made the ONLY argument I could NOT dispute!!!).

    I was ACT for my chemo....Adrimycin seems to be a miracle worker, although if you have this, make SURE to keep your water UP.....2 quarts for me a day...6 months later, no sides left....

    Hugs, Kathi
  • cabbott
    cabbott Member Posts: 1,039 Member
    #3
    Yipes! What a shock! I know in my head that it is better to know the monster's there and work to get rid of it than to not know and have it get worse, but having endured some similar shocks, my heart goes out to you. While the tamoxifen was apparently not as effective against your 1st breast cancer, your profile is the sort that they have more drug treatments for. Also, they have been working on making the chemo more targeted and less nasty every year, which doesn't make things okay, but maybe better than 10 years ago at least. Plastic surgery has come a long ways too. They don't like to radiate the same part of the breast more than once, so I don't know what they will do there. Also, do they really have to remove the dorsi muscle if it is already in place? Only the breast tissue can get breast cancer. Can they alter the dorsi muscle to take an implant? It's a question at least worth asking. Also, if the tissue from the other side is the stuff with the problem, you might want to test the other breast for you know what(even if nothing is showing yet on the mammogram.) Good luck and God bless!
  • ozzie2
    ozzie2 Member Posts: 17
    #4
    cabbott said:

    Yipes! What a shock! I know in my head that it is better to know the monster's there and work to get rid of it than to not know and have it get worse, but having endured some similar shocks, my heart goes out to you. While the tamoxifen was apparently not as effective against your 1st breast cancer, your profile is the sort that they have more drug treatments for. Also, they have been working on making the chemo more targeted and less nasty every year, which doesn't make things okay, but maybe better than 10 years ago at least. Plastic surgery has come a long ways too. They don't like to radiate the same part of the breast more than once, so I don't know what they will do there. Also, do they really have to remove the dorsi muscle if it is already in place? Only the breast tissue can get breast cancer. Can they alter the dorsi muscle to take an implant? It's a question at least worth asking. Also, if the tissue from the other side is the stuff with the problem, you might want to test the other breast for you know what(even if nothing is showing yet on the mammogram.) Good luck and God bless!

    Hi Kathi and Cabbott thanks for the replies..
    Cabbott as the tissue is from the right Breast I am sure they will check it out and if found there I think I will have that breast removed as no doubt they will also removed the reconstructed one? this I just have to wait and see,,I have quite a few spots on this breast they look like mozzie bites I kid u not and one about 2cm? but yes if they can cut them out and the breast tissue that would be the way I would love to go if it is only this breast that has the Ca in it...At the moment I am just trying to get my head around it all..I am dreading Wednesday and all the tests etc on that day...I honestly dont know how I will cope this time around..it's not easy as I have had so much chemo and what has it done? I cannot have Herception as I am HER2 NEG now I wonder is this bad or good? seems to me I just cant win..every three ys I have chemo and how long can one keep this up? fighting cancer with drugs that cause cancer..it's a monster too right..
    Also I am in Australia..and some of the treatments you people have ,we dont have here.. Bumma...
    I also have the added worry of now telling my 82 yr old mother that the cancer is back again..she never wanted me to have the reconstruction right from the start..but then I just couldnt cope with a prothesis..
    As for fighting Kathi..one can only take so much...and I now think I have had my share...I might add I am now 56...
    All I do know is I want it out and NOW...
    and to happen at this time of the yr also...Funny how cancer dx's always happen at christmas ah?
    Anyway thanks for the replies and my blessings to you and yours for christmas..
    God Bless..
    Marion
    I do intend to ask if the top half of the reconstructed breast is ok if I can keep the muscle in it and opt for the btm half to have an implant..but will they?? that is the question..no harm in asking ah!
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #5
    ozzie2 said:

    Hi Kathi and Cabbott thanks for the replies..
    Cabbott as the tissue is from the right Breast I am sure they will check it out and if found there I think I will have that breast removed as no doubt they will also removed the reconstructed one? this I just have to wait and see,,I have quite a few spots on this breast they look like mozzie bites I kid u not and one about 2cm? but yes if they can cut them out and the breast tissue that would be the way I would love to go if it is only this breast that has the Ca in it...At the moment I am just trying to get my head around it all..I am dreading Wednesday and all the tests etc on that day...I honestly dont know how I will cope this time around..it's not easy as I have had so much chemo and what has it done? I cannot have Herception as I am HER2 NEG now I wonder is this bad or good? seems to me I just cant win..every three ys I have chemo and how long can one keep this up? fighting cancer with drugs that cause cancer..it's a monster too right..
    Also I am in Australia..and some of the treatments you people have ,we dont have here.. Bumma...
    I also have the added worry of now telling my 82 yr old mother that the cancer is back again..she never wanted me to have the reconstruction right from the start..but then I just couldnt cope with a prothesis..
    As for fighting Kathi..one can only take so much...and I now think I have had my share...I might add I am now 56...
    All I do know is I want it out and NOW...
    and to happen at this time of the yr also...Funny how cancer dx's always happen at christmas ah?
    Anyway thanks for the replies and my blessings to you and yours for christmas..
    God Bless..
    Marion
    I do intend to ask if the top half of the reconstructed breast is ok if I can keep the muscle in it and opt for the btm half to have an implant..but will they?? that is the question..no harm in asking ah!

    Hello, dearheart....yes, I was 49 when I started...December 2004....with colon cancer chemo for Stage III. Then, August 2005, lumpectomy for stage II breast cancer, and then a bowel obstruction that landed me in the hospital 2 weeks later, and then finally October 2005 started chemo for the breast cancer. Finished up June of this year....yeah, I know the fight's tough...but to me anyway, there was no alternative.
    Now, just when I get to celebrate Christmas cancer free...my daughter's dad died unexpectedly in Delaware....and she is the executor, considering she is the oldest.....Merry Christmas, sigh!

    Hugs, kathi
  • wimpy
    wimpy Member Posts: 58
    #6
    Hi

    Sorry to hear about this most recent shock. My prayers and best wishes are with you.

    Wimpy
  • helpmeob1
    helpmeob1 Member Posts: 6
    #7
    Here is the first thing you need to understand about a cancer cell. It is a cell with amnesia. It's a cell that is cut of from the brain and no longer in communication with the rest of the body. Get a cluster of these together and you have Lord of the Flies at the cellular level.

    There is a compound out there that brings order back to these cells and essentially makes the cell remember or even realize what is was designed to do immediately upon contact. The cell that once lacked purpose and was destructive begins to act and behave with order submitting to the body's authority.

    This is wild stuff I realize. As out there as it sounds if a cancer cell does an about face and aligns itself with the same purpose of the body it lives in it immediately stops being destructive.

    Cheers!

    James

    ireallywishihadthat (at) yahoo.com

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