Does this sound like skin mets?

[Jane]

I'm wondering if anyone has had a similar experience - and what was the outcome:

I woke up a week ago with a small (dime-sized) fluid-filled blister on my right shin. It came out of nowhere - no injuries, bumps, etc. I lanced it and went about my day.
The next day, it scaled over but looked very strange. Each day since, it's gotten worse and worse. It's black, brown and spotted inside - no scab, just an odd crust. It's red around it and is very painful to touch. It's irregularly shaped but hasn't gotten bigger.
I've seen 3 docs - gotten antibiotics - and had it biopsied and cultured yesterday by a dermatolgist. I won't get results until after Christmas.
It seems to have classic skin cancer characteristics - could it be mets and is it common that BC spreads to skin like that?
I'm very scared. Any comments appreciated.
Jane

49-year-old mother of two wonderful kids, 10 and 12
Diagnosed in Feb. 2005, Right breast Stage 3a, HER2 3+, ER+, PR+, 6/15 nodes postivie
Bilateral mastectomy
All the usual chemo/rads/one year of Herceptin
Now on Arimadex

[PinkGirl]

Hi Jane
I don't have any answers - I'm bumping
this up so one of the "wise ones" will see
it. Good luck.

[PinkGirl]

another bump

[PinkGirl]

Is there anyone on the Board who has had skin mets?

I wonder about that when I check the incision from
my mastectomy. I freaked once when it looked
different, and I'm embarrassed to say that it was
just dried, flaky skin and.......some dirt......

What do skin mets look like?

[BonnieR]

have you tried a Google search for some medical site that might have illustrations???

[lexigirl]

Dear Jane,

I had a single skin met at my diagnosis. What you are describing doesn't sound like a skin met. I believe a recurrence would tend to rear its ugly self on your chest area. However, we all know cancer doesn't play by ANY rules. I am relieved that it has been biopsied and I'm hopeful it's some other annoying boo-boo.

Hugs and Prayers,
Lexi

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

MY 2 CENTS WORTH... If it suddenly appeared and looks weird -- go to the dermatologist.

Likely nothing to worry about, but I would check it out. My husb had such a thing and it was a thing that needed to be biopsied and then removed... Squamous... Don't worry. Check it out...

[dhealey]

If it started out as a blister and has some reddness to it, it could be MRSA. If the dermatologist did a culture they should know in a few days if it is the MRSA infection. Can be cured with high dose antibiotics. I have a place on my chest near my port that they think is a skin met. It is brown and edges are very irregular. Still waiting on biopsy report. Let us know what they find out.

[Jane]

Thank you everyone who has answered. I truly appreciate the wisdom of the men and women of this organization!

I did get results back today from the first culture I had last Thursday - there is no MRSA.

I will need to wait until after xmas to get the biopsy results. I'll share once I recieve them.

I've googled MUCH and have received some info on BC that spreads to skin mets - but I've relaxed a bit today with your posts and other info I've found.

More to share -

Warm regards,
Jane

[Carolyns]

Hi Jane,

i just saw your post. I had skin mets and it doesn't sound anything like what I had. I hope that you find out what is wrong soon!

Good luck, Carolyn

[Lolly]

Jane, I've been battling skin mets on both sides of my chest around mastectomy scars. They started out as small, hard peppercorn like bumps under the skin, then protruded outward further until over a period of weeks the skin would break down and then they'd sort of look scabby, mostly reddish scabby but some brownish. Not really blisters, but my mets, which have been seperatly biopsied twice, have come back as spread of the original bc to the chest skin via the dermal layer.

Hope this helps, let us know when you get your report back. It sounds different than a typical skin met to me, at least from my experience. More like an infection of some kind, but the biopsy will tell.

<3 Lolly