Hello! Thank you for all of the information and support everyone posts here. My mother was diagnosed with IBC recently in her right breast. A CAT scan and bone scan showed no evidence of spread anywhere else. She is Estrogen and Progesterone positive, but HER2 negative.
The day after her second AC chemo treatment, she noticed a red rash on her left breast. This left breast has a tumor, but it was determined before that the tumor in this breast is benign and that the mass in her right breast was ibc. Has anyone ever had a rash appear after AC chemo? We will be contacting the oncologist on Monday (it is the weekend now), but I am worried. If the ibc has spread to her other breast, does this mean it has metastasized and would now be at Stage IV?
Any info. would be appreciated. Thanks.
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Gg08 Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 669 |
Oct 19, 2009 03:30 am, edited Nov 7, 2009 06:17 PM
by Gg08
Gg08 wrote:
Betsk, I'm sorry that your mother is going through all of this. My IBC is also ER+/PR+/Her2-. It was after my first AC chemo that my breast got more symptoms and I was very concerned, but the onc assured me that the aggressiveness of this type bc and the strength of the chemo could cause that and to give the chemo time to work. Initially I just had warmth, flattened nipple, and a slight enlargement; after chemo started, my breast turned purplish, skin thickened, and enlargement increased. I didn't get the IBC in my other breast, but there are other women on here who have. I had bi-lateral mastectomy with no reconstruction and since the cancer was ER&PR positive, had my ovaries & fallopian tubes removed the same day as mastectomy to try and shut down as much estrogen as possible. We still get estrogen from our adrenal glands, fat tissue, foods we eat, and chemicals (put on our skin & in the air). I started on Femara one week after surgery. I'm not for sure, but I think as long as the cancer is in the breast(s) that it is not Stage IV. It becomes IV when it spreads outside the breasts to other organs, tissue, or bones. Hopefully someone with more knowledge on both breast will come along and be of more help. Prayers for your mother and you, Bonnie (edited for spelling errors) IBC 03/2008, 4/18 nodes,ER+PR+HER2-.God is Good.
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Betsk Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 5 |
Nov 7, 2009 03:47 am
Betsk wrote:
Thanks so much for your response, Bonnie. It is appreciated. My mother still has the rash on her second breast and had her third chemo treatment yesterday. She had this chemo treatment at a smaller cancer centre (goes there every second time) and the oncologist there didn't seem too alarmed by it and commented she couldn't feel a lump at all. She told my Mom that her regular oncologist at the larger centre would look at it further at the next chemo appointment in three weeks. I trust they know what they are doing, but I have to admit that I do worry about it. I never did ask yesterday if this would mean the cancer is classified as Stage IV. I didn't want to ask this in front of my Mom and make her worry more if it was. I'm thinking, though, that what you said re Stage IV is right. All the best to you and God bless. |
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lorieg Joined: Aug 2009 Posts: 43 |
Nov 7, 2009 07:51 am
lorieg wrote:
Betsk, Hopefully the rash is nothing, but bilateral breast cancer is not as uncommon as you would think. If she does have bilateral breast cancer it would not mean she was stage IV and probably would not change her prognosis. I am actually *hoping* for bilateral breast cancer as crazy as that sounds. My signature explains it. Best of luck to you and and your mom. Hugs. Lori, age 33, dx IBC, IIIC or IV (??cancer in lymph node in opposite axilla from my "bad" breast- mets vs. occult tumor in "good" breast?), Grade 3, ER+/PR-/Her2+
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Gg08 Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 669 |
Nov 7, 2009 06:23 pm
Gg08 wrote:
Betsk, it's good that her oncologists are not alarmed. How is she tolerating the chemo? Prayers & hugs, Bonnie Bonnie-IBC 03/2008,4/18nodes,ER+PR+Her2-,God is good
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Betsk Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 5 |
Nov 17, 2009 09:33 am
Betsk wrote:
lorieg – Thanks for the info. I really hope you have bilateral breast cancer instead of mets (you're right – it sounds crazy to hope that someone has bilateral breast cancer). HUGS to you! Gg08 – I agree that it's good her oncologists are not alarmed. I will feel better, though, after her next chemo appointment in a week and a half when she gets to see and talk to her main oncologist. She is tolerating the chemo, but definitely has a mixture of days. She feels very weak most of the time and lately has been non-stop burping. Is the burping/rifting a common side effect? |
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Gg08 Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 669 |
Nov 17, 2009 11:29 pm
Gg08 wrote:
Lorieg, I too hope you don't have mets. Praying for you. Betsk, indigestion is very common side effect with chemo and maybe that is what's causing the burping. I had to take Protonix every day, 2 per day because we thought it was acid reflux only to (after treatments finished) find out it was my gallbladder which I had removed. In the middle of my chemos, I'd gone to the gastroenterologist and he did a endoscopy & colonoscopy. Endo was fine but he removed 2 adenoma polyps in colon. Maybe she should see gastro doc too. IBC 03/2008, ER+ PR+ Her2-, 4/18 nodes. God is good.
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Betsk Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 5 |
Nov 19, 2009 11:23 pm
Betsk wrote:
Thanks again for the response, Bonnie. I will suggest this to her. I'll also see what the oncologist says at her next appointment. |
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