Cancer cells floating in the chest wall area

Two weeks after my mastectomy there was a lump that felt like a bone on my surgery site. It was cancer - recurrence or left behind from initial cancer was never resolved. I had 8 rounds of chemo to shrink it in order to get it out. Second surgery with bad margins. The doctors wanted to go straight to radiation to kill “sanitize “ any cells left behind. I had to fight for surgery. There was up to 1.2 million cancer cells removed in the third surgery with clear margins. Radiation was then used to “sanitize “ the space. The second option from the pathologist saved my life in deciding further surgery or straight to radiation. After radiation I spent 2 years on a CDK (verzenio) because any spread on the chest wall increases the risk of the cancer coming back.

I’m sorry, I meant four months of chemo

Hi @scooter1958, I came into my diagnosis with cancer in the breast, lymph nodes, skin, and chest wall.

The chest wall is still considered localized so I was at Stage 3B.

I did 5 months of chemo (8 rounds AC and 12 taxol) before my mastectomy but it didn't even get all the tumors in the breast for surgery and the cancer in the chest wall remained (TNBC, so pretty tough).

We knew going in the chemo wouldn't make enough of a dent, so radiation to the chest wall and a year of oral chemo was the plan for those cells in the chest.

My stepdaughter started her second round of chemo in January and she will go until November. In January she also started radiation, which is now completed. May I ask you how many months you are into this and how you are doing? And thank you so much for answering me.

How did they see they are cancer cells floating in chest wall? A biopsy ?

Hi worried 1111. I'm taking Verzenio since December last year, since surgery and radiation. Did you continue to take after 2 years or is 2 years protocol? My dose was lowered from 200mg to 100mg twice daily. Thank you. P.S. I am schocked that you had up to 1.2 million cells removed. OMG . I took 30 rounds of radiation immediately after surgery. So far, so good. Be blessed> Hugs

Absolutely! I am five years from my diagnosis, and it's been 3 years since I stopped the chemo pill. 🙂

All my scans and blood work have come back clear, with no reoccurrences. I'm down to taking book work every six months to go with my yearly MRI/mammo/CT scans.

I did have a rare side effect from the radiation that led me to these boards, and I also stick around to try and support other people with TNBC since it's so tough.

Health wise other than the neuropathy from the radiation I am in great shape once I got over all the surgeries. It took about 4 years to even start to get back to myself.

Big hugs to your step daughter!

Thank you so much for all of your information! And it’s good to know that it’s gonna take a while to come back from the surgeries so we won’t think something else is wrong😘

It wasn’t a biopsy. I did not go with her so I do not know what procedure they used.

10 years after a lumpectomy & radiation had recurrence in breast skin & chest wall. Docs wanted chemo since I had already had radiation. Surgeon wanted to get it all out. After tumor board meeting decided to go with big surgery. Tough to recover, many t
Yeats later still scars & side effects but I am here. Cancer still comes up in local lymph nodes but cyberknife & Ibrance keeps it manageable. Hope this helps!