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Maryanne · 03-26-2006, 05:58 AM

For some time now iI have had a painful, sometimes burning lump of sorts at the base of my sternum.
Had 2 oncs look at it as well as a cat of chest, abdomen and pelvis, all clear. Wnet to surgeon last week to see about removing my port ( have just finished my year of Herceptin) and asked him to feel this lump as well. He tells me it is an inflammed xyphoid process, and this area can become inflammed as well as enlarged with old age!!!! I am 53, never considered this to be old age.
Seems like since chemo and Herceptin I have aged tremendously. Arthritis, wrinkles, and just general aches and pains daily, very difficult to get going in the morning. Went web searching and didnt really come up with a why to the enlarging xyphoid process, and was wondering if anyone has gotten this as a result of Chemo and or Herceptin.

Thanks, Maryanne
P.S. love my surgeon.!!!....my onc said go ahead and remove the port, my surgeon refuses to until I have pet scan ....had some "stable" nodes on my lungs as well and he wants to make sure these were not just stable because of Herceptin...wants me to also check them out with a pulminologist. Glad someone is thinking , other than me.

03-26-2006, 05:58 AM	#1
Maryanne Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Huntington, N.Y. Posts: 162	xyphoid process For some time now iI have had a painful, sometimes burning lump of sorts at the base of my sternum. Had 2 oncs look at it as well as a cat of chest, abdomen and pelvis, all clear. Wnet to surgeon last week to see about removing my port ( have just finished my year of Herceptin) and asked him to feel this lump as well. He tells me it is an inflammed xyphoid process, and this area can become inflammed as well as enlarged with old age!!!! I am 53, never considered this to be old age. Seems like since chemo and Herceptin I have aged tremendously. Arthritis, wrinkles, and just general aches and pains daily, very difficult to get going in the morning. Went web searching and didnt really come up with a why to the enlarging xyphoid process, and was wondering if anyone has gotten this as a result of Chemo and or Herceptin. Thanks, Maryanne P.S. love my surgeon.!!!....my onc said go ahead and remove the port, my surgeon refuses to until I have pet scan ....had some "stable" nodes on my lungs as well and he wants to make sure these were not just stable because of Herceptin...wants me to also check them out with a pulminologist. Glad someone is thinking , other than me.