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12-19-2007, 06:30 AM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 23
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Does this sound like skin mets?
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
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12-19-2007, 10:25 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Canada
Posts: 2,193
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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
Dx Aug/05 at age 51
2cm. Stage 2A, Grade 3
ER+/PR-
Her2 +++
Sept 7/05 Mastectomy
4 FAC, 4 Taxol, no radiation
1 year of Herceptin
Tamoxifen for approx. 4 months,
Arimidex for 5 years
Prophylactic mastectomy June 22/09
" I yam what I yam." - Popeye
My Photo Album
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12-19-2007, 01:23 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Canada
Posts: 2,193
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another bump
__________________
PinkGirl
Dx Aug/05 at age 51
2cm. Stage 2A, Grade 3
ER+/PR-
Her2 +++
Sept 7/05 Mastectomy
4 FAC, 4 Taxol, no radiation
1 year of Herceptin
Tamoxifen for approx. 4 months,
Arimidex for 5 years
Prophylactic mastectomy June 22/09
" I yam what I yam." - Popeye
My Photo Album
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12-19-2007, 02:08 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Canada
Posts: 2,193
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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?
__________________
PinkGirl
Dx Aug/05 at age 51
2cm. Stage 2A, Grade 3
ER+/PR-
Her2 +++
Sept 7/05 Mastectomy
4 FAC, 4 Taxol, no radiation
1 year of Herceptin
Tamoxifen for approx. 4 months,
Arimidex for 5 years
Prophylactic mastectomy June 22/09
" I yam what I yam." - Popeye
My Photo Album
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12-19-2007, 03:13 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,210
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have you tried a Google search for some medical site that might have illustrations???
__________________
Bonnie
Post menopause
May 2007 Core biopsy, Rt breast
ER+, Pr-, HER2 +++, Grade 3
Ki-67: 90%
"suspicious area" left breast
Bilateral mastectomy, (NED on left) May 2007
Sentinel Node Neg
Stage 1, DCIS with microinvasion, 3 mm, mostly removed during the biopsy....
Femara (discontinued 7/07) Resumed 10/07
OncoType score 36 (July 07)
Began THC 7/26/07 (d/c taxol and carboplatin 10/07)
Began Herceptin alone 10/07
Finished Herceptin July /08
D/C Femara 4/10 (joint pain/trigger thumb!)
5/10 mistakenly dx with lung cancer. Middle rt lobe removed!
Aromasin started 5/10
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12-19-2007, 03:58 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Northern Calif.
Posts: 981
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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
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12-19-2007, 05:25 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: LAND OF YES!
w/home in Boca Raton, Florida
Orig from L.I., N.Y.
Ever hovering IN THE NOW...
Posts: 1,904
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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...
__________________
Andi BB
'95 post-meno dx Invasive LOBULAR w/9cm tumor! YIKES + 2/21 nodes. Clear mammo 10 mnths earlier. Mastec/tram flap reconst/PORT/8 mnths chemo (4Adria/8CMF). Borderline ER/PR. Tamoxifen 2 yrs. Felt BLESSED. I could walk and talk, feed and bathe myself! I KNEW I would survive...
'98 -- multiple mets to liver. HER2+ 80%. ER/PR- Raging, highly aggressive tumors spreading fast. New PORT. 9 mnths Taxotere Fought fire w/fire! Pronounced in cautious remission 5/99. Taxotere weekly for 6 wks, 2 wks off -- for 9 mnths. TALK ABOUT GRUELING! (I believe they've altered that protocol since those days -- sure hope so!!)
+ good old Vit H wkly for 1st 3 yrs, then triple dosage ev 3 wks for 7 yrs more... The "easy" chemo, right?! Not a walk in the park, but not a freight train coming at 'ya either...
Added Herceptin Nov '98 (6 wks after FDA fast-tracked it for met bc). Stayed w/Vit H till July '08! Now I AM FREE! Humbly and eternally grateful for this life-saving drug! NED since '99 and planning on keeping it that way. To hell w/poor prognosis and nasty stats! STOPPED VIT H JULY '08...! REMAIN STABLE... Eternally grateful...Yes is a world & in this world of yes live (skillfully curled) all worlds ... (e e cummings) EVERY DAY I BEAT MY PREVIOUS RECORD FOR # OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS I'VE STAYED ALIVE. Smile KNOWING you too can be a miracle. Up to me and God now...
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12-19-2007, 05:45 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: moved to Lancaster, Pa in June, 2010
Posts: 576
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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.
__________________
Debbie in North Carolina
Diag 10/2006-high grade invasive ductal carcinoma- mastectomy L breast
2.5 cm tumor ER/PR pos-Her2+++
4 rounds A/C, 4 rounds Taxol
Herceptin every 3 weeks until Jan. 2008
6/18/07 prophylatic mastectomy R breast
8/2007 started aromasin/stopped arimidex (side effects)
12/07 stopped aromasin due to side effects (now what?)
Finished herceptin 1/8/08
started tamoxifen for 2 years then will switch to femera
allergic to tamoxifen started femera 4/2008
June 20, 2008 portacath removed
Learnig to live life to the fullest!
Stopped Femera due to side effects
July 28, 2008 start trial for breast cancer vaccine
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12-19-2007, 06:57 PM
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#9
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Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 23
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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
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12-19-2007, 08:17 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: South Florida
Posts: 477
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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
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12-19-2007, 09:53 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Oregon
Posts: 1,756
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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
__________________
Sept.'99 - Dx.Stage IIIB, IDC ER/PR-, HER2+++ by IHC, confirmed '04 by FISH. Left MRM, AC x's 4, Taxol x's 4, 33 Rads, finishing Tx May 2000. Jan.'01 - local/regional recurrence, Stage IV. Herceptin/Navelbine weekly till NED August 2001, then maintenance Herceptin. Right Mast. April 2002. Local/Regional recurrence April '04, Herceptin plus/minus chemo until May '07. Gemzar added from Feb.'07-April '07; Tykerb/Abraxane until August '07, back on Herceptin plus Taxotere and Xeloda Sept. '07. Stopped T/X Nov. '07, stopped Herceptin Dec. '07, started Avastin/Taxol/Carboplatin Dec. '07. Progression in chest skin, stopped TAC March '03, started radiation.
Herceptin has served as the "Backbone" of my treatment strategy for over 6 years, giving me great quality of life. In 2005, I was privileged to participate in the University of Washington/Seattle HER2 Vaccine Trial.
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