Has anyone had a small pea size lump recurrence on breast with kisqali or ibrance treatment

[jltorcz]

I have been on Kisqali now for 8 cycles and have just found a small almost pea size lump on my breast, fearing it is cancerous. I have only had PetScans and no mammogram for a year and could this have been missed?

[Kerryd22]

I had a scan in May with nothing seen in my breast. In the first week of August I felt a small lump as you describe. I had a mammogram and an ultrasound a couple of weeks ago but they couldn’t decide what it is. There’s tethering on the breast which they say indicates malignancy and there’s a scar tissue beside it. The scar tissue can only come from the first biopsy. I’m having the regular CT and bone scans at the end of October so unless something else occurs I won’t know anything more for a while.

The radiologist suggested a biopsy but that won’t be done until after the scans, if it’s done at all.

I’ve been on Exemestane since July 2016.

[jltorcz in reply to Kerryd22]

What is tethering?

[Kerryd22 in reply to jltorcz]

It looks like an indented line in the skin.

[jltorcz in reply to Kerryd22]

From the time you felt the lump to the time you had mammogram, how long did you have to wait. I am scheduled for a two week trip to New York and freaking out, but I have the feeling I would likely get a mammogram no earlier than a week. I guess I want to feel it is ok to go.

[Kerryd22 in reply to jltorcz]

I noticed it in the first week of August and I had the scan in the first week of September. I’m already stage four so all it means is a change of treatment in the worst case scenario. I’m having a scan at the end of October to see if it’s changed size or spread further.

[jltorcz in reply to Kerryd22]

So they didn't rush into any action immediately, it seems.

[Kerryd22 in reply to jltorcz]

No but I didn’t encourage it either. There’s a post on another site that explains why it is a good idea not to rush for a change of treatment. I think I’ve posted it here before. I’ll see if I can find it and you can read it if you’re interested.

Found it but it’s on another site.

inspire.com/groups/advanced...

[utahsara]

My wife ( who was in remission from breast cancer at the time ) found a small pea sized lump, we had a biopsy done and found it was stage 4 breast cancer that had metastasized into her Bones, which is Terminal. Please get that lump biopsied and checked.

[jltorcz in reply to utahsara]

I am being treated for MBC but this is new. I have contacted my oncologist and hope to get a response tomorrow. Have. 2 week trip on

Wednesday and I am pretty sure the tests that would be needed wouldn’t get started for a week so I am hoping they will say to go.

[utahsara in reply to jltorcz]

Yes, They will probably tell you to still go on your trip, My wife was on Ibrance for 7 months but the Bone CT scans showed progression on 1/2 of her body, so now she is on Truquap, which makes her weaker as well as a loss of appetite. Ibrance and Truquap both affect blood counts and hemoglobin which allows here to contact an illness from strangers who are infection carriers and don't even realize it. So we stopped traveling and limit exposure to outside sources.

[utahsara in reply to utahsara]

We tried to go to family functions, like weddings, funerals, concerts, etc and then my wife would get an infection from someone who came into contact with her through touch or breathing on her. She's been hospitalized three times for this over the last 5 years, with each time being close to dying. This is why we limit exposure now.

[nonna70]

I had a lump on my first BC which turned out to be scar tissue. So it could be either. For sure, talk to your doc and enjoy your trip!

[Kerryd22 in reply to nonna70]

Exactly. It could be something or it could be nothing. Scans and biopsy will resolve the question but it’s not enough reason to stay home (in my opinion!)

[Hazelgreen]

I agree with the advice given by nonna70 above. You are my age, so presumably have many signs of aging. Why are you even looking for them?

I've had metastatic breast cancer for 5 years, and I certainly wouldn't worry about small breast "lumps". From my reading, it seems likely that more than a few old women in the past died from other causes, and breast cancer was only revealed on an autopsy.

I consider cancers in old age to be one of many signs the body is aging. That being said, I still take Kisqali on weekdays, and monitor my cancer markers to keep the process within normal limits.

[Liessie2014]

hi , I have been on Ibrance and Letrozole for 4 years , I have MBC in both lungs I have a lump in my armpit , I had an ultrasound and it was just a benign fatty tissue, lump , so try not to worry about it , I know that’s easier said than done ,go on your holiday and enjoy it , take care ❤️

[Beryl71]

After my first BC tumour I had a number of small lumps remaining but but none was cancer. However 26 years later MBC reared it's head! From a mental health perspective it's important to get these things checked. Now I don't have mammograms as I assume the regular scans and blood tests will pick anything up. I don't check myself anymore, it seems too late really, it'll get me at some point so I'm concentrating on squeezing every bit of life out of what I've got left. Hope you're ok. X

[jltorcz]

I read that Petscans don’t pick up small breast tumors. I hope to get more information tomorrow from my care team.

[Kerryd22 in reply to jltorcz]

I think there’s a minimum size they pick up but there’s other things it could be apart from a malignant lump. And I have had previous experience with progression into a mesenteric node which went in reverse after an extra few weeks of Exemestane. It seems that the hormone blockers do sometimes get a bit overwhelmed by the cancer cells and it is possible for it to take back control, given a few extra weeks. I was glad my doctor didn’t rush to a change of treatment when that happened twelve months ago. And I’m not worried about a three month period between discovery and potential change of treatment.

[jltorcz]

👍