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yanyan · 01-11-2013, 11:12 AM

Hi, WTY.. Happy Birthday

I would like to share with you and everyone what my radiologist said about my recurrence to skin. ( he thinks it might have been a chest wall recurrence had not there be an expander ).

Anyways, the surgeon at Ceder Sinai recommended radiation. So i went to see the radiaolgist who is down to earth and old school. He said if there is still active cancer, a non skin sparing mastactomy surgery would not be an option for me unless there is enough skin to close the wound. When there is active cancer in my skin, it prevents the normal skin from healing. If we need a skin graft since i initially had a skin sparing mastectomy, the cancerous skin won't accept the good skin. i guess the bad one will eat up the good one. but again he would not want to give me radiation unless there is no other option. Twice radiated skin is not fun !

So he told me to get a PET scan and if PET scan is negative for the suspious thickening in my skin ( not sure if its the fold of the expander ), then i need to see a surgeon who will perform an excisional biopsy on it. If both negative, i can be a candidate for non skin mastectomy. If positive, i need to deflate the expander and get radiation.

In your case it sounds unlikely surgery is an immediate option. My guess is they will still have you on chemo maybe another regime to see how well you respond. Radiation is reserved unless chemo does not work.

Hugs to you and hope you have a wonderful birthday !!

01-11-2013, 11:12 AM	#16
yanyan Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 403	Re: Help!!! Hi, WTY.. Happy Birthday I would like to share with you and everyone what my radiologist said about my recurrence to skin. ( he thinks it might have been a chest wall recurrence had not there be an expander ). Anyways, the surgeon at Ceder Sinai recommended radiation. So i went to see the radiaolgist who is down to earth and old school. He said if there is still active cancer, a non skin sparing mastactomy surgery would not be an option for me unless there is enough skin to close the wound. When there is active cancer in my skin, it prevents the normal skin from healing. If we need a skin graft since i initially had a skin sparing mastectomy, the cancerous skin won't accept the good skin. i guess the bad one will eat up the good one. but again he would not want to give me radiation unless there is no other option. Twice radiated skin is not fun ! So he told me to get a PET scan and if PET scan is negative for the suspious thickening in my skin ( not sure if its the fold of the expander ), then i need to see a surgeon who will perform an excisional biopsy on it. If both negative, i can be a candidate for non skin mastectomy. If positive, i need to deflate the expander and get radiation. In your case it sounds unlikely surgery is an immediate option. My guess is they will still have you on chemo maybe another regime to see how well you respond. Radiation is reserved unless chemo does not work. Hugs to you and hope you have a wonderful birthday !! __________________ 1/11 age 36 DX ER/PR-, Her2 + TCH6, Herceptin BMX with immediate recontruction 5/2011 Lattismus Flap- Dx stage 3c 10/23 nodes 9/11 Radiation 3/12 Local recurrence to skin stage IV Whole body scan CLEAR 4/12 Tykerb & Xeolda Skin mets slowly regressing 8/12 PET & Brain CT Clear 5/13 Skin mets progressing 6/13 PET scan chestwall recurrence in contralateral anxillary,internal mammary and ipsilateral subpectoral nodes 6/13 kadcyla 10/13 whole body scan -clear NED. previously resolved skin rash gone but 3 new lesions. Biopsy confirmed for skin recurrence 11/13 to 02/14 tykerb & herceptin 02/14 add abraxane/gemzar, 2 weeks on 1 week off at reduced dose 05/14 whole body PET clear/ brain CT clear but skin mets are getting worse, ready for new chemo 05/14 navelbine perjeta herceptin 07/14 skin mets progressing red rash worse 08/14 wide local excision with diep flap to close wound. Final path shows 2 positive margins showing inflammatory carcinoma Going back to surgery in 2 weeks 09/01/14 resection- clear margins 3 weeks after 2nd surgery, a new nodular rash found near drain incision with 2 small red spots behind the chest wall biopsy on 10/1. Positive for breast cancer Radiation 11/2014 with xeloda then weekly cisplatin 11/14 brain MRI clean 12/14 finished 33 radiations burnt and very painful. Bedridden for 1 week 12/14 t current Herceptin and perjeta only 02/15 rash on upper back right side skin mets radiation planned 02/15 staring electron radiation 35 Stopped at 30 due to severe skin burn, resumed 10 days later 05/15 red patches appeared in between previously radiated area, skin mets. Ct and brain Mri clear. Simulation planned, radiation to start after trip to Alaska. 05/24 new spot identified in scar line on previously radiated reconstructed breast- electron on both side chest wall area and scar line 07/15 multiple skin and lung recurrence begin halaven 11/15 cough much better but very tired on halaven and starting to see some new red skin blotches-suspicious 11/15 heading to China for immune therapy