lump after radiation

cupcake7
cupcake7 Member Posts: 17
I am three years out from breast cancer. I had a modified radical mastectomy on my right breast after 6 months of chemo. Then I had 33 rounds of radiation on my mastectomy sight to make sure no cells had escaped to better my chance of the cancer not returning for a very long time. Now I have a lump on my, I call collar bone. I'm sure they is a medical term for the area, but you get the idea. My ONC did a Cat Scan then a Pet Scan and nothing lit up and I have searched to see if this is caused by radiation or what. No one (doctors) know. I went on a cancer walk and their was a lady there in return treatment that had a lump there too so my question is their anyone out there that developed this? Any help would be appreciated......
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Comments

  • RE
    RE Member Posts: 4,591 Member
    :-(
    I would highly suggest seeing a surgeon and having a needle aspiration of the lump done or at least have the surgeon evaluate the lump. I had a lump show up in a similar area on the radiated side and it ended up being cancer in my sentinel node. I do not mean to scare you I just think more should be done to ensure you are okay. Please let us know how this goes, you will be in my positive thoughts and my prayers.
  • cupcake7
    cupcake7 Member Posts: 17
    RE said:

    :-(
    I would highly suggest seeing a surgeon and having a needle aspiration of the lump done or at least have the surgeon evaluate the lump. I had a lump show up in a similar area on the radiated side and it ended up being cancer in my sentinel node. I do not mean to scare you I just think more should be done to ensure you are okay. Please let us know how this goes, you will be in my positive thoughts and my prayers.

    doing more
    Thank you RE: I ask the radiologist Dr and he said a biopsy and ask the cancer society and they said a biopsy. My ONC just wants to see if it gets larger, my surgeon thinks the ONC is right cause to take a needle biopsy you would have to take bone too and that's very invasive so what am I to do??? I feel it and ask the dr. I have one why don't you? Seems so strange that a DR don't know. This is Kaiser in California. They just make me feel like I'm an ol worry wort. Yeah had cancer thank you very much.
  • RE
    RE Member Posts: 4,591 Member
    cupcake7 said:

    doing more
    Thank you RE: I ask the radiologist Dr and he said a biopsy and ask the cancer society and they said a biopsy. My ONC just wants to see if it gets larger, my surgeon thinks the ONC is right cause to take a needle biopsy you would have to take bone too and that's very invasive so what am I to do??? I feel it and ask the dr. I have one why don't you? Seems so strange that a DR don't know. This is Kaiser in California. They just make me feel like I'm an ol worry wort. Yeah had cancer thank you very much.

    CALIFORNIA
    Hey I am in Northern California! My sister had Kaiser and I must say she got top knotch cancer treatment. How large is it if you don't mind my asking. Mine was raised up about a half an inch it was visible under my shirt so it was quite obvious. I'm not sure as mine did not require anything invasive. I personally want it out but once the needle aspiration biopsy was done it was determined to be cancer and they left it there to use it as a marker to see if the treatment was working to kill it or not. Keep us posted you will be in my thoughts and prayers!

    RE
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    RE said:

    CALIFORNIA
    Hey I am in Northern California! My sister had Kaiser and I must say she got top knotch cancer treatment. How large is it if you don't mind my asking. Mine was raised up about a half an inch it was visible under my shirt so it was quite obvious. I'm not sure as mine did not require anything invasive. I personally want it out but once the needle aspiration biopsy was done it was determined to be cancer and they left it there to use it as a marker to see if the treatment was working to kill it or not. Keep us posted you will be in my thoughts and prayers!

    RE

    Get another opinion...
    I would get another opinion from a different facility...what type of bc did you have? Like Re, I had a lump come up right above my clavicle bone almost over night, in June....I, too, don't want to scare you, but mine turned out to be a recurrence of my bc....it is in my lymph nodes and that "lump" was a lymph node...I had a biopsy done under conscious sedation,it took all of 10 minutes...no bone was removed, just a core needle biopsy...no pain, due to the sedation....

    Personally, I would seek more opinions....hopefully as you've been told, it's nothing but better safe than sorry...and I don't believe in " let's watch it"....

    I wish you the very best..please keep us posted...we care
  • cupcake7
    cupcake7 Member Posts: 17
    RE said:

    CALIFORNIA
    Hey I am in Northern California! My sister had Kaiser and I must say she got top knotch cancer treatment. How large is it if you don't mind my asking. Mine was raised up about a half an inch it was visible under my shirt so it was quite obvious. I'm not sure as mine did not require anything invasive. I personally want it out but once the needle aspiration biopsy was done it was determined to be cancer and they left it there to use it as a marker to see if the treatment was working to kill it or not. Keep us posted you will be in my thoughts and prayers!

    RE

    how large is lump?
    Well it is diffidently something you can feel, about 3 inches in length. 1/2 inch high. I did take the advise and called this morning to get a second opinion from another ONC within Kaiser. ( They won't pay for outside of their service. ) Problem I fear is they won't want to go against their group, but I have to do something. When you found your lump was you already in chemo? It doesn't seem to be growing and that would be a real sign. It just came up overnight. You know after thinking I AM going outside of Kaiser, even if I have to pay for it to get peace of mind....
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    cupcake7 said:

    how large is lump?
    Well it is diffidently something you can feel, about 3 inches in length. 1/2 inch high. I did take the advise and called this morning to get a second opinion from another ONC within Kaiser. ( They won't pay for outside of their service. ) Problem I fear is they won't want to go against their group, but I have to do something. When you found your lump was you already in chemo? It doesn't seem to be growing and that would be a real sign. It just came up overnight. You know after thinking I AM going outside of Kaiser, even if I have to pay for it to get peace of mind....

    Cupcake7
    be you own best health ADVOCATE .. insist on a 2nd opinion ..continue pushing. Going outside your insurance network would also work -- Peace of Mind for us Sisters in PINK is worth all the money in the world.

    Please keep us posted.

    Strength, Courage and Peace.

    Vicki Sam
  • RE
    RE Member Posts: 4,591 Member
    cupcake7 said:

    how large is lump?
    Well it is diffidently something you can feel, about 3 inches in length. 1/2 inch high. I did take the advise and called this morning to get a second opinion from another ONC within Kaiser. ( They won't pay for outside of their service. ) Problem I fear is they won't want to go against their group, but I have to do something. When you found your lump was you already in chemo? It doesn't seem to be growing and that would be a real sign. It just came up overnight. You know after thinking I AM going outside of Kaiser, even if I have to pay for it to get peace of mind....

    Overnight
    Mine showed up overnight as well which is why it shocked me. I was 6 months out of treatment at the time. I had had 6 infusions and 6 weeks of rads, I ended up hAving 18 more rounds Of chemo and 10 more weeks of rads, it was rough but worth it as that was 12 years ago. Get that second opinion your life is worth the cost and so is your peace of mind. Push for A non invasion core biopsy where mostly fluid and a small bit of tissue are taken. Best of luck please keep us posted! If you r in northern California dr. HUDLIN is an very good surgeon and kind as well.
  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    RE said:

    Overnight
    Mine showed up overnight as well which is why it shocked me. I was 6 months out of treatment at the time. I had had 6 infusions and 6 weeks of rads, I ended up hAving 18 more rounds Of chemo and 10 more weeks of rads, it was rough but worth it as that was 12 years ago. Get that second opinion your life is worth the cost and so is your peace of mind. Push for A non invasion core biopsy where mostly fluid and a small bit of tissue are taken. Best of luck please keep us posted! If you r in northern California dr. HUDLIN is an very good surgeon and kind as well.

    Peace of mind
    I've heard nothing but good things about Kaiser, but you may need to push for an outside opinion for your peace of mind. I thought they did allow for that, maybe you'll just have to push a little harder. You know your body better than anyone else. It obviously is suspcious or they would not have done the scans.

    I, too, am in northern CA. There are quite a few of us here and several within Kaiser who may have some advice for you. Plenty of good surgeons all around here. Unfortunately, mine left me for City of Hope. How rude!

    Oh, my clavicular area is always checked. In fact, it was checked yesterday when I had my followup for endo cancer. It must be a pretty popular area for all things cancer to recur.

    Suzanne
  • cupcake7
    cupcake7 Member Posts: 17
    good advise from everyone thank you
    After taking all your very good advise I called my very dear friend who happens to be a big CEO at Sutter Hospitals here. She has helped me for years and a 2x BC cancer herself. After yaw yaw yaw about myself and this problem she gave me the same advise, but exactly how to put it for the push. Then she says, "I was waiting for the right time to tell you but my cancer has returned and now it is terminal". she went on to say it took her a long time to come to grips with it and haven't told many because she don't want to hear the, "how are you feeling" thing. She said before it was to fight it but now it's just to give a little more time with pills. I'm telling you it just threw me in a downward spiral. After choking down the tears I got off the phone and cried for 2 hours. I don't know if it was fear for her, or me, or both. She is my rock through all this as she had it before and walked me through everything. She was my advocate and went many times to Kaiser to fight for me with the administration. On my bad days here she would come with a bag from Trader Joes filled with things she thought I might like to eat, and my husband could fix easy. Always there would be a bouquet of flowers in it too. I just don't know what to say, I want so to do something, but don't know what to do but pray. She is a very strong person and not one that would like the same thing she did for me. She is still working like nothing is wrong. I just thought if you fight it you would win, but in her case she is loosing. Then the worst fear I saw myself where she is. I was trying to think how long ago and I think 11 years for her. She is to young. I hate this horrible monster! Add another emotion...anger
  • Megan M
    Megan M Member Posts: 3,000
    MAJW said:

    Get another opinion...
    I would get another opinion from a different facility...what type of bc did you have? Like Re, I had a lump come up right above my clavicle bone almost over night, in June....I, too, don't want to scare you, but mine turned out to be a recurrence of my bc....it is in my lymph nodes and that "lump" was a lymph node...I had a biopsy done under conscious sedation,it took all of 10 minutes...no bone was removed, just a core needle biopsy...no pain, due to the sedation....

    Personally, I would seek more opinions....hopefully as you've been told, it's nothing but better safe than sorry...and I don't believe in " let's watch it"....

    I wish you the very best..please keep us posted...we care

    I would get another opinion
    I would get another opinion also. I'd rather exhaust all possibilities in finding what this lump could be.


    Good luck,

    Megan
  • Lynn Smith
    Lynn Smith Member Posts: 1,264 Member
    cupcake7 said:

    good advise from everyone thank you
    After taking all your very good advise I called my very dear friend who happens to be a big CEO at Sutter Hospitals here. She has helped me for years and a 2x BC cancer herself. After yaw yaw yaw about myself and this problem she gave me the same advise, but exactly how to put it for the push. Then she says, "I was waiting for the right time to tell you but my cancer has returned and now it is terminal". she went on to say it took her a long time to come to grips with it and haven't told many because she don't want to hear the, "how are you feeling" thing. She said before it was to fight it but now it's just to give a little more time with pills. I'm telling you it just threw me in a downward spiral. After choking down the tears I got off the phone and cried for 2 hours. I don't know if it was fear for her, or me, or both. She is my rock through all this as she had it before and walked me through everything. She was my advocate and went many times to Kaiser to fight for me with the administration. On my bad days here she would come with a bag from Trader Joes filled with things she thought I might like to eat, and my husband could fix easy. Always there would be a bouquet of flowers in it too. I just don't know what to say, I want so to do something, but don't know what to do but pray. She is a very strong person and not one that would like the same thing she did for me. She is still working like nothing is wrong. I just thought if you fight it you would win, but in her case she is loosing. Then the worst fear I saw myself where she is. I was trying to think how long ago and I think 11 years for her. She is to young. I hate this horrible monster! Add another emotion...anger

    OMG
    OMG I am very sorry about your dear friend.You must be devastated.Calling her for some input and she needed to tell you her situation.I can understand her still working.As soon as she would quit the rumors would start."She is no longer in remission".I quit community service work for awhile and the rumor was I wasn't doing good.It was so depressing going back to this work and hearing that when it wasn't true.I am now like your friend.Very quiet about things and my health. A tumor was found in July. biopsied in Aug as being benign and I didn't tell many of my friends or relatives.Some still don't know except for 2 close friends and husband.I prefer waiting to see what it is and make decisions. I was dx 2 years ago with bc non invasive DCIS and rumors start. I was very upset when someone I didn't want to know called me out of the blue. I hadn't heard from her in 9 years.I knew she was fishing but didn't tell her.She already knew.This has become very personal for me.

    I would get this checked out.Follow what others have said.Wishing you the best and prayers for you and your friend.Never stop praying.I believe in miracles. They Happen.

    Lynn Smith
  • epark
    epark Member Posts: 339

    OMG
    OMG I am very sorry about your dear friend.You must be devastated.Calling her for some input and she needed to tell you her situation.I can understand her still working.As soon as she would quit the rumors would start."She is no longer in remission".I quit community service work for awhile and the rumor was I wasn't doing good.It was so depressing going back to this work and hearing that when it wasn't true.I am now like your friend.Very quiet about things and my health. A tumor was found in July. biopsied in Aug as being benign and I didn't tell many of my friends or relatives.Some still don't know except for 2 close friends and husband.I prefer waiting to see what it is and make decisions. I was dx 2 years ago with bc non invasive DCIS and rumors start. I was very upset when someone I didn't want to know called me out of the blue. I hadn't heard from her in 9 years.I knew she was fishing but didn't tell her.She already knew.This has become very personal for me.

    I would get this checked out.Follow what others have said.Wishing you the best and prayers for you and your friend.Never stop praying.I believe in miracles. They Happen.

    Lynn Smith

    Wow...so sorry to hear about
    Wow...so sorry to hear about your friend...it breaks my heart... but I agree with the ladies...get a second opinion even if you have to pay out of pocket...your health is the most important thing...no one knows your body like you do...Please keep us posted... Like Lynn said prayers are powerful and I to believe in miracles.

    Lots of Love & Hugs
    Eva
  • DebbyM
    DebbyM Member Posts: 3,289 Member
    RE said:

    Overnight
    Mine showed up overnight as well which is why it shocked me. I was 6 months out of treatment at the time. I had had 6 infusions and 6 weeks of rads, I ended up hAving 18 more rounds Of chemo and 10 more weeks of rads, it was rough but worth it as that was 12 years ago. Get that second opinion your life is worth the cost and so is your peace of mind. Push for A non invasion core biopsy where mostly fluid and a small bit of tissue are taken. Best of luck please keep us posted! If you r in northern California dr. HUDLIN is an very good surgeon and kind as well.

    I am very sorry about your
    I am very sorry about your friend. I would suggest getting a 2nd opinion, like the others said. Good luck!
  • cupcake7
    cupcake7 Member Posts: 17
    all your support means so much
    Thank all of you who posted, it does love me in a way that only you can who have walked this walk. I have set up blood work today for a CT scan on Friday. We will take it from there and see what it shows...I will not stop till I get an answer. I will let you know
  • laughs_a_lot
    laughs_a_lot Member Posts: 1,368 Member
    If it were the CEO
    If it were the CEO of the insurance company he would be getting it tested.
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    cupcake7 said:

    all your support means so much
    Thank all of you who posted, it does love me in a way that only you can who have walked this walk. I have set up blood work today for a CT scan on Friday. We will take it from there and see what it shows...I will not stop till I get an answer. I will let you know

    Good luck on the CT scan
    Good luck on the CT scan Friday!


    Hugs and prayers,


    Kylez
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    VickiSam said:

    Cupcake7
    be you own best health ADVOCATE .. insist on a 2nd opinion ..continue pushing. Going outside your insurance network would also work -- Peace of Mind for us Sisters in PINK is worth all the money in the world.

    Please keep us posted.

    Strength, Courage and Peace.

    Vicki Sam

    Cupcake7, if it were me, I
    Cupcake7, if it were me, I would get a second opinion. I know not going thru your insurance isn't what you or any of us want to do, but, we need to stay on top of our own health issues.


    Hugs and good luck,

    Jan
  • DianeBC
    DianeBC Member Posts: 3,881 Member

    If it were the CEO
    If it were the CEO of the insurance company he would be getting it tested.

    Sending good luck to you
    Sending good luck to you also for your scan and adding a big hug!
  • RE
    RE Member Posts: 4,591 Member
    cupcake7 said:

    all your support means so much
    Thank all of you who posted, it does love me in a way that only you can who have walked this walk. I have set up blood work today for a CT scan on Friday. We will take it from there and see what it shows...I will not stop till I get an answer. I will let you know

    :-(
    Terribly sorry to hear about your friend, you will both be in my prayers! Very glad to hear a CT is in the works for Friday, let us know how things go!

    RE
  • Noel
    Noel Member Posts: 3,095 Member
    RE said:

    Overnight
    Mine showed up overnight as well which is why it shocked me. I was 6 months out of treatment at the time. I had had 6 infusions and 6 weeks of rads, I ended up hAving 18 more rounds Of chemo and 10 more weeks of rads, it was rough but worth it as that was 12 years ago. Get that second opinion your life is worth the cost and so is your peace of mind. Push for A non invasion core biopsy where mostly fluid and a small bit of tissue are taken. Best of luck please keep us posted! If you r in northern California dr. HUDLIN is an very good surgeon and kind as well.

    Sending you positive
    Sending you positive energy, good luck and hugs for your scan.