I saw my oncologist today. My news was not good. I had radiation to the breast area and under my arm where I had recently had more lymph nodes removed. This radiation caused inflammation in my lung as revealed by a ct scan 5 weeks ago. So last week I had a chest X-ray to see if a round of steroids had remedied that situation. I don’t think it did. My onc said it was stable. But he said this bruise looking place right where the bottom band of my bra on my side is, that showed up about a week and a half ago 2, is Mets to the skin. What!?!? He used the words concerning and worried. I wasn’t concerned at all about that. I really thought it was just a big pinch that caused a bruise while I was maybe leaning in the washing machine or from something I did on vacation where we are on the ocean every day in a boat. I’m worried now. That means it has spread to another organ. It is in the area where the original cancer was.
Anybody else had this happen?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
Stacy
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Staysha
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I have Jane Mclellands book and I’m doing some of her protocol. Her protocol is somewhat confusing and you have to find the exact “things” that are feeding yours. One of my problems is my original breast tumor was her2- and the Mets that went to my lungs mutated to her2+. I have a feeling this skin stuff is her2-. Thank you for responding.
Dear Staysha ---- To my uneducated mind, this does not make sense. Aren't skin cancers different types of cancers than internal cancers? Is it possible to seek another opinion? How are you proceeding? My heart goes out to you. Please keep us posted. As you know, some people on this forum are knowledgeable and perhaps they can offer some help.
Thanks for your reply. Just being able to unload this from my mind is helpful. I’m having a biopsy soon. Waiting on my surgeon to call with my appointment. I looked it up on the internet (always makes me think the worst). It is a thing... breast cancer that has caused cutaneous metastasis. I’ll let y’all know the official diagnosis as soon as I know.
Think of it this way, cancers are all quite different under the microscope. Therefore, Breast cancer is always breast cancer no matter where if comes out on or in the body. The skin is just another organ, the biggest actually.
Hi, no breast cancer does and can spread to the skin. The misconception with cancers is when it has spread to other organs that people say they have lung, liver, etc cancer when they actually have breast cancer that is in that organ. The easiest way to think of this is that if a cell is taken with cancer to a lab, the pathologist can look under micro and see what the characteristics of the cancer are and then label. Each cancer type looks completely different. That is the basic easy way to think of it.
I had melanoma in the middle of my back in 2010 and my original breast cancer in 2012. They were not related. There is a chance you had this already. Where are you located?
Not to say that you could not have an additional cancer type. My best friend had 5 Primary cancers!! Wow!! I still think that is odd but it was the case as I was her medical person for all the 45 years I knew her. I said, "What!!" That was crazy!
I grew up in Arizona and I have fair skin. I had my first precancerous lesions removed (frozen off) when I was 30. They say that every sunburn is filling up a glass and for some of this is inevitable. I go to the dermatologist every six months for a full body check and almost always have something zapped. I had a malignant melanoma removed from my calf five years before my MBC diagnosis. So long winded but I’m told that the two are unrelated and I want you to also know that taking care of skin cancer spots is easy and virtually painless. 🙏 hugs
Thank you for those reassuring words. It just popped up about 2 weeks ago and it’s getting big fast. Already bigger than a quarter. Hopefully I’ll hear from my surgeon today for a appointment. I’m actually close enough that I text him. He said “no worries I can take care of that”. That helped me feel some better. I hate all the stress this disease creates. Thanks again.
You are welcome - I too find these other problems (like my root canal drama) a zillion times more stressful than the main disease - they throw me off my game
When my cancer returned, it was under the skin along the lumpectomy scar line. Several bumps. It seemed to come out of nowhere. I then had to have a mastectomy. It is stage 3B, if you look it up. I'm doing well right now. Wish you well.
I'm sorry to hear your doctor said this to you. You should have a biopsy to determine what's what, as it may be a benign situation. It's best to be sure, and a biopsy is the way to do that. Hope it turns out to be nothing to be concerned about!
Staysha, I started out triple negative and thankfully changed to er+ several years later. Now 10 years later I have a bump on my forehead which is cancer. My doctor is not removing it. He believes that my current meds will take care of controlling it. Believe it or not it has shrunk. I don’t believe it will disappear but I am satisfied that it is under control. Thankfully yours is in an area that cannot be seen. Good luck to you, I am sure this can be resolved.
Staysha,
Gosh, I'm so sorry! What an unexpected concern to have to deal with!
I have no knowledge or experience, just wanted to wish you the best with the biopsy...
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