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bejuce · 09-24-2010, 10:33 AM

Hi everyone,

So yesterday morning in the shower I noticed two little redish spots below my scar line and immediately freaked out thinking the worst (I know, I'm a worrier, worst-case-scenario-preparer by nature). The spots are small, like little freckles, and don't have the appearance or shape of a nodule - more like a little rash or something. They have a slight texture to them and are painless.

I called my surgeon's nurse and asked to come in for my peace of mind. When I saw the surgeon, he comforted me saying he doesn't think it looks like a skin met but because I was so anxious and nervous having all those bad cancer thoughts in my head and thinking about my precious kids, he decided to biopsy the area.

The results won't be ready until most likely Monday, but he said he thinks there's a 80-90 % chance of it being benign. Still, I wanted to share this with you and ask whether anyone has experience with something like this before. I've already done my online research on skin mets and seen the pictures, and from what I've read and seen, they can look like anything. So... Does anyone have any insights to share? Should I stop worrying? I stopped my year of Herceptin already and am just taking Tamoxifen now. I had that side radiated to the max, so what's the likelihood that it could indeed be a skin met?

Thank you so much, you all rock!

Marcia

09-24-2010, 10:33 AM	#1
bejuce Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 510	Scared that I may have skin mets Hi everyone, So yesterday morning in the shower I noticed two little redish spots below my scar line and immediately freaked out thinking the worst (I know, I'm a worrier, worst-case-scenario-preparer by nature). The spots are small, like little freckles, and don't have the appearance or shape of a nodule - more like a little rash or something. They have a slight texture to them and are painless. I called my surgeon's nurse and asked to come in for my peace of mind. When I saw the surgeon, he comforted me saying he doesn't think it looks like a skin met but because I was so anxious and nervous having all those bad cancer thoughts in my head and thinking about my precious kids, he decided to biopsy the area. The results won't be ready until most likely Monday, but he said he thinks there's a 80-90 % chance of it being benign. Still, I wanted to share this with you and ask whether anyone has experience with something like this before. I've already done my online research on skin mets and seen the pictures, and from what I've read and seen, they can look like anything. So... Does anyone have any insights to share? Should I stop worrying? I stopped my year of Herceptin already and am just taking Tamoxifen now. I had that side radiated to the max, so what's the likelihood that it could indeed be a skin met? Thank you so much, you all rock! Marcia __________________ ER+ (30%)/PR-/HER-2+, stage 3 Diagnosed on 02/18/09 at 38 with a huge 12x10 cm tumor, after a 6 month delay. Told I was too young and had no risk factors. Found swollen node during breastfeeding. March-August 09: neo-adjuvant chemo, part of a trial at Stanford (4 DD A/C, 4 Taxotere with daily Tykerb), loading dose of Herceptin 08/12/09 - bye bye boobies (bilateral mastectomy) 08/24/09 - path report shows 100 % success in breast tissue (no cancer there, yay!), 98 % success in lymphatic invasion, and even though 11/13 nodes were still positive, > 95 % of the tumor in them was killed. Hoping for the best! September-October 09: rads with daily Xeloda 02/25/10 - Cholecystectomy 05/27/10 - Bone scan clear 06/14/10 - CT scan clear, ovarian cyst found 07/27/10 - Done with Herceptin! 02/15/11 - MVA-BN HER-2 vaccine trial 03/15/11 - First CA 15-3: 12.7 and normal, yay! 10/01/11 - Bone scan and CT scan clear, fatty liver found now on Tamoxifen and Aspirin