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I recently had a lump, a small, prob. 5mm nodule removed and biopsied from my chest, to the left of my right mastectomy scar. It was found to be a skin met, which I already knew. At the tip of the scar, I also feel a couple or few nodules. I also have slightly swelled lymph node, one very small and soft, in my left axilla, and possibly (not sure) there could be one in my neck, very slight. I am going out of town for a consultation because I live in a small town and cannot get a good second. This is not my first recurrence. My first was in 2002, with lung mets, pleural eff. and possibly bone. I never had a bone scan, but in December of 2003, a mere 5 months ago I had a PET and a CT scan, and they were both negative. I was on Herceptin and Taxotere/carbo, heve been since May 2003. Started in May, had three treatments, then had surgury to my lung, took off 10 weeks to recover. In that time, the tumor marker dropped from 200 to 70. Went back on the regimine in July and have been on it since then.
Now what? I will admit, I am scared. I have had a relatively stable 11 months. I feel like this cancer is taking me over again, like a noxious weed. The site from my thorocotomy is always stiff and sore. Breathing is alright, been off oxygen for almost a year, but the diaphragm doesn't expand in that area, supposedly because of scarring---but I am always suspicious. But I am more concerned with the next step in dealing with this. A specific question I have is, what is the difference between skin mets that are more like tumors or nodules, that is, deeply under the skin like cysts, and the kind that are more externalized, like some I have seen that are like sores or more on the outside? Mine are the former.
Are they treatable, and how are they treated? Does hyperthermia or any kind of radiation help this? I am eager to hear some answers about this.
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