Hello lovely ladies! I am wondering about breast pain. I was diagnosed with stage-four right from the get-go in my right breast. My lump was a size of a golf ball but has since shrunk to a quarter of the size that it was. My last scans in December showed no progression and some of the spots in my lungs had shrunk. But recently I have been having breast pain in the breast where the cancer is and feeling of heaviness. This is very similar to what I experienced before diagnosis. I can't wait till I can take my bra off at night because it just aches. I am probably paranoid but I'm thinking that maybe it has spreading again. I'm supposed to have scans next month...just looking for a little reassurance and if anybody else has experienced this. I see oncologist on April 2nd and will definitely ask him. it's a little frustrating that the scans that I do get don't show the breast cancer tumors. I was told I would need to have a mammogram to check the potential spreading and size of cancer. Hugs to all of you.
Breast pain: Hello lovely ladies! I am... - SHARE Metastatic ...
Breast pain
Depending on which meds you’re on, it could be a hormonal reaction. On Letrozole I had pain in the remaining breast, which does have some cancer. Check with the doctors office, this may be normal.
My oncologist had the surgeon remove the breast mass then followed by radiation. I know it’s not standard treatment but so glad I don’t have to worry about it. I also think you should call MD. Don’t panic. Probably due to hormones or fluid.
I WANT the mastectomy but oncologist refuses... said there is no medical proof it prolongs life so no medical necessity. I just want the darn breast off for my in piece of mind. I am on Letrozole and Ibrance. I would hope after getting ovaries out in December most of my hormones would be depleted...my sex life sure is!! Lol
I had a lumpectomy. Really why leave cancer in your body when you can take it out relatively easily. I knew another woman who had bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction. MBC. She went to Sloan Kettering and I’m sure insurance paid for it. It isn’t life prolonging but why leave a tumor in your breast? Would they leave it in if you weren’t stage 4? Sometimes I think we are treated like foregone conclusions. Since we’re stage 4 why bother. That really ticks me off. Good luck!🍀
Totally agree...saw an article just after I was diagnosed that said those with MBC are a "lost cause" and that is why only 10 percent of research money is designated to MBC....broke my heart. I am no lost cause!! None of us are!!!
Maybe we should get t shirts that say “Lost Cause”. On the front and on the back “20% With 100% Chance of Dying Get 10% of Breast Cancer Research $$$.” In a bright pink t shirt.
Fabulous Idea!!
The first time I saw my oncologist when he was leaving he turned and said, don’t worry you are not a lost cause. I’ve had 3 rounds of Ibrance and Arimidex and my pet scan Monday showed spot on lung and rib cage completely gone and other tumors have stopped growing and have shrunk. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen my oncologist and his assistant smile it almost lit up the room. Glory to God!!!
I agree with feeling foregone, Went To the dentist to have a cleaning and tooth pulled feel like they just did the minimum. I do live in a very small town so maybe he was a bad dentist.
I find it odd they haven't removed your tumor. I would definitely tell your oncologist about the pain. I tell my oncologist all my acthes and pains and they are usually nothing.
Best to you,
Robin
Hi Aimee,
I would definitely mention the breast pain. After I started treatment I had a flare up of pain, but then it settled down and now there is no pain at all in the affected breast. Perhaps all you are experiencing is a flare up.
I agree that early stage breast cancer patients are treated differently to us. When all this kicked off and the doctors were confident this was early stage they couldn't do enough for me and were offering me so many different options. I wanted a bilateral mastectomy, but was told that wasn't necessary. I would only need a lumpectomy or I could choose a therapeutic mammoplasty. I chose the therapeutic mammoplasty. But that didn't happen once they found out the disease was metastatic. All options for surgery disappeared.
We are not a lost cause. Whoever thinks that or even feels that about us is heartless and does not know anyone affected by this disease, or has never faced it themselves. Our lives are precious. We should all do what we can to get the very best care available to us.
Sophie x
This enrages me. Grrr. F them💕
my story is the same as you... I opted for bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction even though they told me I was stage 1 no big deal. Went for my pre-op chest xray lo and behold it has spread throughout my lungs and into a rib. Surgery was canceled and you know the rest of the story.... We just have to keep our chins up and keep on fighting!
Hi Aimee,
I know that feeling! It's not that I wanted to lose my breasts, but the idea of the tumour staying put didn't sit well with me. Now I have no choice. I used to feel so disgusted with my breast, as if it had let me down. I couldn't even bear to look at it at first without feeling that it was my enemy. I feel differently now, but it took a while to overcome those feelings.
Sophie x
Sophie I really understand that feeling
I wanted a mastectomy immediately I found out I had cancer all those years ago
I looked at my poor flat chest afterwards and it reminded me of being a little girl...very strange feeling...had an implant which balanced things up but 24 yrs later I have one nice boob and a saggy old woman’s boob on the other side
I still wear a bikini though lol
Barb xx
Morning Barb!
It must have been such an odd feeling after you had the mastectomy. Our breasts are part of our identity as women. But when we have to deal with this disease then everything changes and what once helped define our femininity is now conspiring against us and causing us harm.
Take care,
Sophie ❤
Hi Sandra,
What a horrible way to treat you. You must have felt devastated. What did you tell the surgeon when you saw him again? I never went back to have a chat with the surgeons (there were a few!) that I saw.
Sophie x
You go, Girl!!!
I'm glad you got to talk to the surgeon and that he apologised to you. He owed you that much. How would he have acted if it had been his wife, mother or daughter who had been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer? I'm sure he would have shown more care and compassion, not passed you off to a nurse while he left the room like that. But it sounds like he learned a lesson and is hopefully different with other patients.
Sophie x
I experienced severe breast pain for weeks before going to my primary doctor, not because of the breast pain, but to check the lump on my neck. While she was checking my neck, I said by the way, could you also check my left breast. She couldn’t feel any suspicious lump, but referred me to a gynecologist. The next day, I was at the breast clinic for a mammogram, ultra sound, biopsy, etc, etc. Two days later, I got the bad news, MBC, left breast, left under arm and left neck lymph nodes. I just finished 4 months of Ibrance/Faslodex and so far lumps are shrinking. My oncologist also doesn’t recommend surgery to remove breast lump because of my age, 80 in October. She said recovery will be very hard and painful. Unfortunately, my daughter who lives 8 hours drive time from me agrees. I understand it would be a hardship for her also living so far from me. Right now I am ok with the treatment with little side effects, so I am not complaining. I haven’t had breast pain since I started treatment. I hope they can give you something for the pain and lots of positive thoughts on your scans next month.
Tess
Wow! What a gesture. It does sound like he was really remorseful.
Sophie x
Hi
The movie wasn’t scary at all..bit stupid actually but I like to see stuff and you can’t always rely on reviews
Barb xx
Good for you talking to him.
Of course the best thing is to speak to your doctor. I will share with you that about 3 to 4 months after my dx I had horrible breast pain. It turned out I had developed an infection under the skin surface where they did all the biopsies. I was given antibiotics and it cleared up.
I would never have thought of this and of course when my boob was hurting I thought it was something much worse.
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