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Lymph node enlarged
I had a mastectomy two years ago following 8cm DCIS. They found 5mm of tumor and sent it for oncotype but not enough to be analysed so no chemo. All lymph nodes clear and had reconstruction. Last year I felt a raised part under my arm same side as mastectomy. Had an ultrasound and nothing showed up so consultant thought it…
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“Going flat: rethinking life after mastectomy" - great article on flat closure and quality of life
A picture of me in one of my swim designs was featured in an Australian article on flat closure! It's an interesting read. Instead of just declaring, "You won't feel feminine without breasts," someone actually asked women who had gone flat. A massive 92% were happy with their results. Respondents also reported a lot of…
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SBRT vs. Histrotripsy for Liver Mets
Hello, I am weighing the options of treating my liver mets with either histotripsy or SBRT. I am in communication with 2 different physicians, one who treats with histotripsy and the other with SBRT. The physician that uses histotripsy is still in the process of reviewing my images, and is expected to contact me soon as to…
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Teaching the Immune System to Fight Cancer
Aug 22, 2025 A new type of drug may be able to make the immune system attack cancer. Dr. Benjamin Schrank explains his research. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a relatively new type of medicine for breast cancer. Enhertu (chemical name: fam-trastuzumab-deruxtecan-nxki) and Dato-DXd (brand name: Datroway) are two ADCs…
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Chelsea’s Story: Diagnosed With Breast Cancer at 25
Sep 9, 2025 After genetic testing showed she had a BRIP1 mutation, Chelsea Vangrol’s doctor sent her for a baseline mammogram at age 25. A medical assistant at Elizabeth Wende Breast Care in Upstate New York, Chelsea Vangrol had seen young women diagnosed with breast cancer. But she never expected to be one of them. She…
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Health Insurance and Disability for People Living With Metastatic Breast Cancer
Jul 25, 2025 Triage Cancer CEO Joanna Doran answers questions on how people with metastatic disease can best navigate health insurance and disability issues. This podcast is the audio from a special Virtual Support Group meetup featuring guest moderator Joanna Doran. Listen to the podcast to hear Joanna and Community…
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Managing the Emotions of Metastatic Breast Cancer When You’re Young
Jul 11, 2025 Therapist Kelly Grosklags helps Melissa Jenkins moderate a special Virtual Community Meetup on managing the emotions you feel after being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at a young age. This podcast is the audio from a special Virtual Support Group featuring guest moderator Kelly Grosklags. Listen to…
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Diagnosed With Breast Cancer While Pregnant
Aug 8, 2025 Rafaela Dreisin shares her journey through diagnosis, treatment, and giving birth. At the start of her second trimester, Rafaela Dreisin was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 36. Listen to the episode to hear Rafaela discuss: how she and her doctors decided on a treatment plan how she coped with…
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Breast Cancer Doesn’t Care Whom You Love
Jun 27, 2025 Jaci Field, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, shares her story. Four years after giving birth to her son, Jaci Field was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 39. Listen to the episode to hear Jaci discuss: her breast cancer experience and her advocacy work the discrimination she’s faced, both because of her…
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I want to believe it will get better
This is half just a venting post, and half a serious question about life after….. So I am in my mid-late 40s, BRCA1+, and have had BC twice in my lifetime (first time in my early 30s, second time this year; I've also had risk-reducing gyn surgery). Both times I've done AC/T chemo and radiation in addition to surgery. This…
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Just Diagnosed - So Many Questions!
Hi all. A little over a month ago I found a bump in my armpit that felt like a small grape. Within 3 weeks I had a mammogram and ultrasound, a biopsy two days later, and this last Monday I found out I have cancer (IDC with mucosal features). Two masses in my left breast (<2 cm) plus the swollen lymph node in my armpit.…
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Enhertu questions and experiences
Hello, My original diagnosis in June 2022 was Stage IB (T2N1mi) ER-93% PR-70% HER2 - (2+ by IHC 1.0 by FISH ) Ki-67-80% I did lumpectomy and breast reduction, 4 rounds of TC, and anastrozole switched to fulvestrant due to side effects. In April of 2025, my CA27-29 spiked and imaging was ordered. Signaterra negative for…
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HER2 Positive, anybody with cardiac side effects
Hello everyone, HER2 positive 37 year old here. Just finished 8 sessions of chemotherapy ( 4 - AC, 4- Taxol , herceptin) ; next step : Surgery I was recently referred to see a cardiologist as my tropoinin levels were high with slight reduction in LVEF. I was wondering of anybody has been through same experience and what to…
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Breastcancer.org Webinars
Breastcancer.org offers free webinars throughout the year on a variety of important topics like reconstruction, mental health, treatment side effects, financial issues, and more. Each webinar features leading breast cancer doctors and advocates who can answer your questions to provide both valuable insights and hope. The…
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Radiation
I am sure this has been gone over, but I am really scared about radiation, I have heard horrible stories of 2 years later having a half a breast, has anyone else experienced this feeling or anyone can enlighten me and how do you get over it? My surgeon did a amazing job of filling in the holes of where both cancers sat. my…
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Calling all Massachusetts Sisters
I thought it might be nice to start a thread for those of us in Massachusetts. Sometimes having someone close to home to chat with would be nice and maybe eventually we could meet for coffee or do something fun to take our minds off of our hardships. A bit about me. I am 41 years old, my stats are below. I am almost 8…
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MRI Waiting
I’m 28, almost 29. I’ve had breast pain for about 5 months now. It’s spread to surrounding areas like my back, rib, shoulder, and arm. A lump showed up around 3 months ago, another one followed a couple weeks later. I had an ultrasound (they didn’t want to do a mammogram due to my age) and it showed dense breast tissue but…
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Poll: What's the one piece of advice you'd give to someone newly diagnosed with breast cancer?
Getting diagnosed with breast cancer can be scary. If you had a chance to share with a newbie one piece of advice to get them through, what would it be? Choose from the options below or add your own in the discussion to give new folks a sense of calm and understanding.
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Subcentimeter focal asymmetry
Hi: Mammogram showed Subcentimeter focal asymmetry 6cm behind nipple. Had a nipple infection and showed dermatologist. She did not seem concerned. Yellow or white discharge. It cleared. I was sleeping in bra every night and it started to cause problems, so I stopped. I just noticed like a whitehead on my nipple. I was at…
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Radiation-Induced Fibrosis Risks: Connective Tissue and Autoimmune Disorders
Hello, I am 53yrs and was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC) in May 25. I had a lumpectomy and SLNB in June. Histopathology: ER+ (95%); PR+ (2%); HER2 neg; Ki67 10%; N0 (node neg); I had two further surgeries. One for a bleeding complication and the other for a re-excision of the anterior margin.…
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Tips for getting through chemotherapy
Tips/Products For Getting Through Chemo Antiemetics -I'm always shocked when I learn that not all oncology offices follow ASCO guidelines when it comes to antiemetics. AC and similar chemos are the most emetogenic (causing you know what!) out there and need big guns. According to the guidelines, everyone should be getting…
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Omental flap reconstruction/ other autologous reconstruction
Hi there, I see only 2 prior posts from 2022 and 2023 regarding Omental flap reconstruction with very limited responses. I am hoping someone here may have had this autologous reconstruction done and can share any feedback. My surgeon at Stanford is one of only a small handful doing this procedure in the US. She recommends…
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Nervous Nelly. Breast cancer spread to lymph nodes??
Hi! I was diagnosed with low grade, multifocal IDC and finished treatment about a year ago. I was lucky and didn't need chemo (oncotype # 18), so did lumpectomy and radiation and have been taking tamoxifen. I noticed a lymph node on my neck had been swollen for a few months, so I went back to my doctor and was sent for a…
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Fingerprint changes?
I'm wondering if anyone else out there has had problems with their fingerprints while on chemo. I have to use my fingerprint with two applications at work, and in the past 2 weeks or so have had trouble logging in. We tried re-enrolling different fingers and the scanner said my fingerprint is now "poor quality" and it…
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Sensation of movement of implant
I am almost 4 weeks post bilateral mastectomy and immediate reconstruction, skin sparing. In the last 2 weeks I can feel slight flickers when I move my right arm overhead, lean forward, lie side to side and now I feel the weird sensation of movement of the right implant, which is awkward and annoying. I notice it when I’m…
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Recurrence after Mastectomy, then positive margins
Hello, I am hoping to connect with people who might have a similar situation to mine, although I think (?) my situation might be on the rare side. Six years ago I was diagnosed with Stage 1B IDC. I am BRCA2. I did a double mastectomy with reconstruction (implants) and was told chemo/radiation not needed since my tumor was…
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Tiredness and dose reduction kisqali
hey everyone. my first post. I am 18 months into treatment with stage 4 in bones. Ive had a couple late starts on treatment due to neutropenia and a gross gastric event shall we call it. anyone else really tired sometimes on this stuff?? I’m lucky fortunate to have stability on this stuff and very grateful for that but it…
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Stressful event years before diagnosed?
Did you have a super stressful event sometime in the seven years or so before you got diagnosed? How many years before was it? I'm just wondering if there is some connection with this. A researcher told me he believes it starts from stress about seven years before.
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Best Gentle Face Wash for Sensitive and Dry Skin in 2025 | Expert Review
I researched about the best gentle face wash for sensitive and dry skin, especially because my skin has become much more delicate lately during/after breast cancer treatment. I want something that truly cleans without irritation or making dryness worse. Over the past few days, I’ve been reading reviews on the New York…
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GLP-1 meds after TNBC – safe?
Hi everyone, I finished chemo for triple-negative breast cancer in May 2025. I’m struggling with extra weight (about 25 kg / 55 lbs) and considering GLP-1 medications (like Ozempic or Saxenda) for weight loss. I’ve read mixed things about cancer risk and would love to hear if any TNBC survivors here have been prescribed a…