Topic: second breast cancer

Hi Carolyn, I had a new second primary almost 15 years after the first.  Always thought I would catch new one, if it occurred as DCIS but no such luck.  This time I was much more guarded when/what I told people, I was much more private.  Telling family was the hardest, but since we'd been through this before it didn't seem so devastating....  I'm sorry you're going through this, the second time you know so much from the onset.  Treatment really seems to have changed, medical advances have started to personalize treatment to the specifics of the tumor.  {hugs!}

Hi Carolyn

Getting BC the first time is bad enough, but second time round can be shattering!  However, you need to know that it is most likely that your new BC is a "new" primary, which has a far better prognosis than a "recurrence" of the first. 

It will seem like an elephant is in the room with you: so hard to clear your head from constantly thinking about it....  Eventually, I actually found it helpful to talk my shock and anxieties through with whoever would listen in friends and family.  They will be just as shocked and worried as you so this can be very cathartic for them too.

Have you been staged?  What is your recommended treatment?

Sending you much love and understanding...

Nikki 

Hi Carolyn, my name is Nancy.  Seventeen years ago (1991) I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had my right breast removed and followed up with 6 months of chemo, 7 years of tamoxifin and thought everything was fine.  In 2003-2004 I finally got up the nerve to have  a saline implant put in.  n August of 2008 during my chest x-ray, they found a "mass" above my right implant.  First they thought it was in my lungs.  After, a Ctscan, bone scan, petscan, it was decided my cancer had metasticized in my right breast area.  It was contained and did not spread anywhere else.  After a biopsy, it was found to be estrogen receptive again so I am on Femara.  It is suppose to starve the tumor and shrink it.  I feel good, other than being 50 pounds overweight and my breasts don't match anymore, because I have gained so much weight.  I just had bloodwork done, but haven't gotten the results yet.  In December my tumor markers were normal, and I am hoping they still are.  I go for ANOTHER CTscan and bone scan April 14th....I take one day at a time.  I am 58 years old and want to see my grandchildren grow up.  Hang in there.  I was shocked after 17 years that IT can back.  My mom died from breast cancer, in 1988.  She was diagnosed in 1986...so I have come further than she did.....one day at a time....good luck.

A year ago I had a blm followed by immediate recon (DIEP), 4 a/c, 12 tch, currently doing Herceptin. Today they found a  lump in the right breast close to the original site -but more towards the arm pit. They rule out swollen lymph node because of the size and location. Would anyone have any idea what I might be in for if this is a second cancer? Treatment wise I mean. I didn't do radiation...and I'm not very open to doing it now, but I'd like to know if there is another chemo out there that I could consider. I know, I'm ahead 3 steps...but that's just the way my mind works. I can deal with anything if I have a plan...I just want to gather information in case I need it!

Thanks in advance for any advice...

I had breast cancer in my left breast in 1985.  I had a lumpectomy, they took out all of my lymph nodes, which were clean, and 25 treatments of radiation.  Then in January of this year, 2009, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in my right breast.  A new cancer, not a recurrence.  I had a lumpectomy, I wouldn't allow any lymph nodes taken out and am now in radiation.  I am to have 37 treatments.  I thought after 23 years..I was safe.  I guessed wrong.  We just always have to be aware and on alert.  My first one..I felt the lump.  The second one showed up as microcalcifications on a mammogram which alerted them. 

Me too! I had DCIS in 2004 - a lumpectomy and radiation followed. That time I told myself it wasn't really cancer and I would be fine. This March, I was called back from my routine mammogram and more was found in the same breast. Apparently we can't have radiation twice in the same spot so I had a mastectomy 4 weeks ago. The end of this week I go to see the oncologist about the inevitable chemo. This time I told everyone, figure it must be real, have had tons of kind support from family and friends - and expect to be just fine in the long run. It is kind of messing up my spring and  summer though. I do thinnk of an aunt who had a mastectomy in the mid 60s, another in the 80s and now, in her late 80s, is the last one standing of 6 in her family.

Jan, I can relate to you.  I had BC in my right breast in 2005.  Only had to have radiation.  People would say I was a cancer surviour, but I didn't feel like one because I thought it was way to easy.  Then this past June  a different more aggressive cancer was found in my left breast.  Now I can honestly say I had breast cancer.  Chemo was tough and yes the hair loss, although minor when you look at the big picture, made it so real.

I am also a two timer ...... first time in my right breast - Nov. 2004 ..... had lumpectomy, chemo, rads and was good for 3.5 years and felt I had put it behind me....big shock in Feb. 2009 with dx in my left breast.....had bm this time and am doing chemo again followed by rads....I am finding the second go round much more difficult emotionally.

Another "two timer". My first bout with bc was also the right breast, dx Jan 2000 at age 41. It's just been one ugly decade, start to finish! First time treatment was lumpectomy, full axillary node dissection, chemo and rads. I did Tamoxifen for a couple of years but quit due to side effects (ended up doing a hysterectomy) and being "Triple Negative" though that term wasn't yet used back then.

I was pretty scared the first go around. Not as scared this time and knock on wood, we seem to have found this one at an earlier stage. I'm mostly pretty p!ssed off about the whole thing. Mastectomy in a few weeks. 

Exactly. I've spent the past weeks increasing my workout schedule and limbering up my upper body as best I can. This thing is NOT going to be allowed to keep me down and mess up my summer any more than necessary. In my doc's words, we're going for a nice flat outcome - which sounds just fine with me; I have no plans for reconstruction (just don't care to go there now or the foreseeable future).

It's nice to hear about neat and tidy results. I really do try not to spend a lot of time on needless worry. Easier said than done, but my daily goal. Thanks for the words of encouragement.

I'm glad to know you-all are out there. Second primaries are so...different. Perhaps not as scary as a recurrence, but with its own uncertainty. Have you noticed how little research is done on bilaterals?  I'm grateful for my good prognosis, but sheesh! My R breast DCIS didn't slow me down too much, but the consequences of the L breast IDC have changed my life. 

Paula's story is my story, except my first tumor was bigger - picked up on mammo (surgery this June) and had a couple of nodes involved (so I had chemo).  I am so happy to find your story - my surgeons were shocked.  I had MRI within 6 months and 1 month ago a mammo and ultrasound (all clear) on the "healthy" breast.  

Last week I had the exchange on the right and lift/reduction on left.  Tissue was sent to pathology and PS called me to let me know microscopic cells were found and that breast surgeon would be calling.  Met with breast surgeon who said he doesn't see this much, but told me these cells were definitely there 6 months ago and a month ago and no screenings were picking them up.  This time it was lobular (ILC with microscopic and 1 piece of 8 mm), which is harder to see on screenings.  He feels this will not be as dangerous as my other tumor and that the plastic surgery afforded an earlier diagnosis which I probably would not have had otherwise. 

How do you deal with this emotionally?  I thought I'd get to keep my one breast and now I'm facing complete reconstruction on both - vacillating between complete devastation and being thankful it was found early and my emotions are all over the map.  Worrying whether I have to repeat chemo and going from being "recovered" to having to face "sick mode" again from surgery to who knows what - physically, emotionally and with my job. I'm so glad I found Paula's story and this board.  Thanks for listening. 

Cindy,

I'm so sorry. The "starting over" is what's killing me as well as the fact that I wasn't so lucky either time to have it caught in one clean spot for lumpectomy (and now they can't even see it with the screening tools). I was back to work, back to life, back to everything and just waiting for my plastic surgery to be a little more symmetrical to be back to wearing all my clothing (and not hiding under jackets).

I also went for the genetic counseling like you - I will definitely have it for the sake of my other family members - there is some history there and I'm only 48.

You're not alone and your feelings are very close to how I feel. Think I was more scared 1st time - now the grief is overwhelming and the emotions uncontrollable. Paula and I PM'd since we had such similar and devastating circumstances. Some days I feel thankful it was caught since it wasn't showing up even on mammo or MRI (as far as I knew, all was clear) and other days I hate the world. Please keep posting - I'll try to check this week. Let's support each other through this - my surgery's not until next week and I'm at work this upcoming week. Hugs & prayers.

Sorry anyone hs to go through this a second time, but we do know more this time around. Still, it's no less devastating.

I hd IDC the first time, and ILC the second time. I think the ILC was there the whole time, and it took getting off treatment for the IDC to encourage its growth. I'd had my ovaries removed as part of my IDC treatment, so I could take AIs. The second time, I had both breasts removed.

I was BRCA negative.

Hang in there. You'll get through it.

Anne