swelling and some pain in right quad

[TaxiJan]

I don't know if I'm in the right category even... My friend started to notice about 5 months ago that her clothes were not fitting the same, she dismissed it as weight gain.  Later she noticed that the gain seemed to only affect one side (the right side) of how her jeans fit.  She continued to notice more... minor pain (to the touch) under her right breast, around her right hip and on the back above the kidney area.  She finally mentioned this to me tonight, and I went and looked at her.  She has noticeable but not serious swelling (all on the right side) just above her pubic area,above and below the hip, on her back above the kidney area and below the breast.  Most of the places where you can see the swelling, is painful to the touch... but only if you apply pressure.  The area under the breast tends to be painful even without touching... perhaps the weight of the breast causing that?

She also has symptoms recently of a minor cold, congestion, minor cough/congestion/sinuses... Doesn't seem to be a full blown cold, but thought I should mention in case those symptoms tie in with with the above.

I don't know her entire medical history, but I do know she fought (and beat) a breast cancer that went undetected long enough to spread to a fair portion of her internals.  She has been cancer free for well over a year... almost 2.  She was screened about 3 months ago and those results were clean.

She is scared, I'm just trying to get her some educated info before she sees a doctor to find out what is causing her symptoms.  She needs to change doctors before she can set an appointment because she moved and has to find a provider locally that will accept her insurance.

Any input you can give us is deeply appreciated.

[TaxiJan]

Thank you so much for your input.  My friend saw her primary doctor yesterday, and without presenting him with a copy of this email, he prescribed the same testing you recommended.  He did determine that her liver was enlarged and is beginning his tests to determine cause.  Since (which I failed to mention earlier) her menstrual cycles have been off leading us to think possible pre-menopause, and he feels that is not the case, he is also scheduling her for a pap smear to check for related cancers.

Presuming not many people give you follow up info after recieving your reply, I thought you might appreciate knowing what happens after your advice.  Once the final results are in I will drop you a quick line to let you know. Your input really helped calm her down until she could get to her doctor. Thank you again.

[Kevin Pho, MD]

I certainly would examine this further.  Any type of swelling can be due to fluid buildup or organ enlargement.  

An abdominal ultrasound would be able to examine the liver and gallbladder, as well as evaluate for fluid buildup.  A CT scan can give more detail if necessary.  

Ovarian cancer can sometimes present with abdominal fluid buildup (ascites), and should be considered if the ultrasound is suspicious.  

These options can be discussed with your personal physician.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
www.kevinmd.com