Question - Benign Neck Lumps

[Lyn]

Hi Girls, anyone had a lump in the neck which was biopsied as benign and if so what happened with the lump. Not that I will be that lucky, I get my result on Monday. Just finished radiation for lump in the neck which was positive but turns out that, that particular treatment was for a gland deep in the neck and near the jugular. A MRI eventually found the lump on the surface of my neck that I had been complaining about since last June, which was missed by CT's and ultra sound and presumed to be caused by the underlying gland. Praying that this was just my body drawing attention to the underlying one as the biopsy was done under the thick skin on my neck which was actually the gland infused in my neck but assumed to be from other reasons and ignored. I had to ask for the MRI my lovely lady Onc is just that lovely but not too bright, she wanted to know why I wanted the MRI because nothing can be done and why would I want to know anyway. WRONG ANSWER! I told her if she didn't give me a referral I would go to my GP and get one anyway so she rand my REAL oncologis and asked his advice, he didn't hesitate and told her to give it to me, so it is really scary that so many ladies are just being fudged off through the medical system because they are not informed or just plain trust their Docs.If it is I don't know what plan of action I will have because this has come up since Herceptin/Navelbine and Rads, so I need to find another concotcion of drugs, any ideas.

Love & Hugs Lyn

[Sheila]

Lyn
My mets were a lump above my collar bone, biopsied and found to be the BC returned with Her2 3+...They were removed by my surgeon, which upset the oncologist...I still had one left in the are, but 3 removed were all positive. A few more suspicious ones were found on my CT's, under the arm and in the chest. I was placed on Herceptin alone, every 3 weeks and after 6 months, the nodes are not visible on CT scans, just had them and got the report yesterday. She was ready to do radiation if I showed no response at the start of Herceptin. Hopefully this helps...
Hugs
Sheila

[Lolly]

Hi Lyn,
I found this information which suggests some combinations which have been most synergistic with Herceptin; I don't know if you've already used these particular chemos, so hope this helps. The neck nodes are bothersome, mine have never quite gone back to normal after ballooning up when I had my recurrence. Is the one that's the problem child quite large again? I will keep searching for more info, keep us posted and don't let the small minds get you down!
hugs, Lolly

Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2003;79 Suppl 1:S11-8.
Platinum-taxane combinations in metastatic breast cancer: an evolving role in the era of molecularly targeted therapy.

Crown J, Pegram M.

St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. john.crowcorg.ie

Metastatic breast cancer is a partially chemotherapy-sensitive neoplasm. Docetaxel appears to be the most active single agent for this condition. The platinum coordination complexes are also active, but are seldom used. An emerging literature suggests that taxane-platinum combinations have substantial activity. Trastuzumab, a molecularly targeted therapy for metastatic breast cancer is active as a single agent in HER2-overexpressing disease, and has been demonstrated to augment the activity of other agents in random assignment trials. Preclinical data suggest a powerful synergistic interaction between trastuzumab and both platinum and docetaxel. In early trials, platinum-taxane-trastuzumab combinations have exhibited promising clinical activity. The potential for cardiac toxicity when trastuzumab is combined with the anthracyclines suggests a further rationale for the development of non-anthracycline regimens, especially in the adjuvant setting. Randomized, multicenter, phase III trials in the metastatic and adjuvant setting are currently underway to test the hypothesis that synergistic combinations of docetaxel, platinums, and trastuzumab will result in superior safety as well as efficacy.

[lola]

My lump in the neck was recurrence. Herceptin/taxol/carboplatin took care of them. Been NED for almost a year now. Good combo. Seems like a lump in the neck after having BC would be something. For your sake though, hope it is just a lumpy neck! Hugs, Lola

[Lyn]

Hi Lola, did you manage to keep your hair with that combo, I have finally got mine down to my shoulders after two chemo hair disasters, and how many doses.

Thanks heaps Love & Hugs Lyn

[Lyn]

Hi there, yep sure is, when I put my hands on my neck my right side fills the cup of my hand,it hasn't got any bigger since it came out and of course they all assume it is thick and hard from radiation, but doesn't matter how many times I tell them it was like this before rads they just say OH? I get the biopsy result monday morning, I am anxious but now I will have some ammo to fax my onc ready for Herceptin on Thursday. This will shoot down the nice lady onc, shame I have to go over her head, but better her head than mine, if you know what I mean.

Love & Hugs Lyn

[Lyn]

Hi there, I have had rads to that area but I don't know what degree this time, I know my neck didn't go black like the other side. When I got first lot of lumps on BC side, surgery was mentioned a full neck resection, but they decided that the outcome may not warrent the surgery, so had chemo and rads since, but they never mention the knife, so maybe will be next resort if the chemos suggested don't work.

Thanks Love & Hugs Lyn