Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID) and Breast Cancer

Hi @katrina123, I added your message to both the Breast Cancer group and the Autoimmune Diseases group so that more members may see your message.
This article from Mayo Clinic explains:
- Common variable immunodeficiency https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/common-variable-immunodeficiency/symptoms-causes/syc-20355821
"Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is an immune system disorder that causes you to have low levels of the proteins that help fight infections. If you have CVID, you'll likely have repeated infections in your ears, sinuses and respiratory system. You'll also have an increased risk of digestive disorders, autoimmune disorders, blood disorders and cancer. CVID can be inherited, or you can develop it during your lifetime."

According to the NIH, "Individuals with CVID also have a greater than normal risk of developing certain types of cancer, including a cancer of immune system cells called non-Hodgkin lymphoma and less frequently, stomach (gastric) cancer."
- Common variable immune deficiency https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/common-variable-immune-deficiency

Regardless of whether CVID caused you to have higher risk for breast cancer, I suspect your medical team are watching you closely during treatment due to your body's reduced ability to fight infection. Has this impacted what type of chemotherapy you are able to have? Are you being treated with chemo?

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Hi @katrina123, I added your message to both the Breast Cancer group and the Autoimmune Diseases group so that more members may see your message.
This article from Mayo Clinic explains:
- Common variable immunodeficiency https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/common-variable-immunodeficiency/symptoms-causes/syc-20355821
"Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is an immune system disorder that causes you to have low levels of the proteins that help fight infections. If you have CVID, you'll likely have repeated infections in your ears, sinuses and respiratory system. You'll also have an increased risk of digestive disorders, autoimmune disorders, blood disorders and cancer. CVID can be inherited, or you can develop it during your lifetime."

According to the NIH, "Individuals with CVID also have a greater than normal risk of developing certain types of cancer, including a cancer of immune system cells called non-Hodgkin lymphoma and less frequently, stomach (gastric) cancer."
- Common variable immune deficiency https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/common-variable-immune-deficiency

Regardless of whether CVID caused you to have higher risk for breast cancer, I suspect your medical team are watching you closely during treatment due to your body's reduced ability to fight infection. Has this impacted what type of chemotherapy you are able to have? Are you being treated with chemo?

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@colleenyoung
My breast surgeon and my oncologist decided against chemo for me. Prior to my lumpectomy I had 4 surgeries in 3 years so I think it was probably the best decision. The breast surgeon also did not want me to have my lymph nodes removed but instead chose to have them radiated. The breast cancer I had is quite rare and is more likely to metastasize through the blood rather than the lymph nodes. I had a combination of skin and glandular breast cancer. My concern is that I had neural invasion and from what I understand there is not a lot of research regarding neural invasion and breast cancer. Yes my oncologist will be watching me quite closely. She said that she wants to see me every 3 months. On a positive note I infuse immunoglobulin every day so hopefully that will help protect me.

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I just noticed that I said 4 surgeries in 3 months that should have read 4 surgeries in 3 years

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