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Reccurrence?..Waiting on biopsy results
I had invasive lobular carcinoma stage 2B, 2.1 cm tumor with 3 positive lymph nodes in 2013 at the age of 65. Had double mastectomy with reconstruction, silicone implants, did 4 rounds of A/C and 4 rounds of taxotere. Then 5 years of Famara. Always had great reports until I wound up in the ER this year, 2022 in April for a stomach bug I caught while traveling. They did a CT scan in ER of abdomen area and said I had pancolitis. Put me on flagyl/Cipro and I recovered.
The CT also showed liver cysts which I have had and known about for at least 14 years. No problems with them at all. That led to an MRI, liver biopsy (inconclusive..not enough tissue obtained) ultrasound, endoscopy and pet scan. All my organs look fine but the pet scan had an uptake of 7.2 on a lymph node in hepa porta (not in the liver but near it). So this week I had an upper endoscopy ultrasound where they were able to obtain tissue samples of the lymph node in question. The Surgeon who performed it told me afterwards that the lymph node is not connected to any other organ. Just sitting there by itself and encased. It is both fluid filled and solid. I also had tumor markers done. Two came back normal and two came back slightly elevated. My oncologist does not do tumor markers because he says they are unreliable. They were ordered by the surgeon. The surgeons report said suspicious for adenocarcinoma from the breast!
So here I sit waiting for results. They will call me but it takes 3-5 days. I am a nervous mess.
I am trying to stay busy, read and meditate. Not knowing what is next is making my heart race and stomach hurt.
I am 74 now and in great health. Walk 5 times a week, volunteer, read , etc but am divorced and live alone near my daughter and her family.
I really don’t want to do this cancer shit again and I am scared. Have any of you had cancer scares that turned out to be nothing? Or if your cancer returned how did you deal with it?
I feel overwhelmed!
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How are you feeling?
I actually feel good. I started back on letrozole after my lymph node surgery in October. Had a pet scan this week which showed favorable for letrozole therapy. Still showing small lymph activity but highest uptake was 4.1 compared to 7.2 in July. Other lymph nodes uptake were around 1.2-1.9. I see my oncologist on the 13th and will see if he just keeps me on letrozole for now or adds a CK4/6. The most symptoms from AI are muscle aches and pain.
Did you have lumpectomy or mastectomy? Usually they remove all the axillary lymph nodes if they find the sentinel nodes positive.
I had double mastectomy. 3 out of 8 nodes were malignant. Did 8 rounds of chemo and 5 years of letrozole. Invasive lobular carcinoma in 2013.
In 2022 it returned in portahypatic lymph nodes. After much testing and surgery path report shows metastisis from original breast cancer. Am now back on letrozole, scans every three months and will probably be on CL4/6 as well
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1 ReactionI could not be more grateful!!!
Today I saw my oncologist for my pet scan results from last week. I have only been on letrozole for Mets to lymph nodes in portahypatic (blood vessels which feed into major abdominal organs) for one month. There were no new growths and several had reduced to 1.5 mm.He said he was so pleased and quite frankly surprised that the letrozole was working so quickly. He wanted to wait three months to see how I do on 3 months of letrozole before he decides if I need to add Ibrance, etc. I was so excited beyond measure. This is the happiest I have been in more than six months since I started down the metastatic road of breast cancer. Grateful for every single bit of good news I got today.!!
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13 ReactionsSo happy for you! Love this news.
Researchers and scientists are working tirelessly for these options ! Hopeful and grateful.🌸
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3 ReactionsMerry Christmas and God bless !
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2 ReactionsSorry I have no first hand experience.. that said it’s early, but my daughter 41, three children. Just had biopsy and has I L C, 3 cm . They think lymph nodes are ok.
So we are very nervous as well. On the surface it’s seems to like stage 2..
they said it’s evasive because it broke into tissue,
Your case sounds close to my daughters.. she , we are will8ng to do whatever ever it takes to just live.. I ve read a lot but always to talk with those in similar sitch to see how things went, advice, where , etc that might be comforting..we are just starting this unfortunate journey.. wishing u good outcome.
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1 Reaction@estebanf I posted on your other thread. In the meantime you can read this
https://www.healthline.com/health/breast-cancer/lobular-breast-cancer-prognosis-survival#prognosis
I just went through a terrible scare as well . I prayed my way through the anxiety & fear . They found 3 nodules in my lungs, which turned out to be unrelated to my breast cancer.
Prayer is the only thing that helps me manage my anxiety & fear