aches / pain

[lennel0530]

My  left shoulder, shoulder blade aches, sometimes i feel swollen in my back and my side . I have 2 lumps on my left breast. Is this the reason why I feel aches? I also feel pain on my right shoulder blades. I was scheduled for lumpectomy tomorrow. Is this a symptom of something to worry?

[japdip]

Actually by whatever means the Surgeon thinks is the best to completely excise the area. If wide excision will be sufficient then that's the way to go. There will need to be "clean" margins in order to eliminate the possibility of any further surgery. If any cells are still are present in the edges of the excised specimen or within a certain distance of the edges then another surgery would be necessary to obtain the "clean" margins. You can always ask of your Dr. "If it were your wife, mother, or sister, what would you recommend?" I know you'll make the right decision even though it may be one of the most difficult tasks you've been given.  Kindest regards ..

[lennel0530]

I greatly appreciated your time and concern. Thank you so much. In fairness to my doc he's letting me decide only bcause i have issues financially my healthcare provider is enough only for  the cost of single surgery/ yr. He wants me to go wide excision to make sure. May i ask what do mean by "Get rid of it"? Are you refering mastectomy?.

[japdip]

You are getting the correct information ... it doesn't seem fair that patients often have to make these decisions when they are usually the ones who actually know the least about the situation .. and they shouldn't be expected to know either. I personally would most likely get it over with now to prevent the constant watching and worrying every 6 months or year but that's me and not necessarily you. If you are comfortable with having it sort of hanging over your head then wait and observe .. if it's going to stress you out every few months or even more often then get rid of it. Sorry for the delay in answering; I've been away for a couple of days.  Kindest regards...

[lennel0530]

My surgeon and i talked about this as soon as i get the result, he also was surprised, he said that this is very rare. Now he's letting me decide. I'm so confused. I've searched the internet about "low grade Ductal carcinoma in situ" as to what i have read it's a pre-cancer, stage 0 cancer, recurrence is 30-60% within 5-10 years, not life threatening if closely observd. Am i getting correct info in the internet? Are these all true as to your knowledge?

[japdip]

Either way it is very important that you proceed with the recommended wide excision of the area in question at some point.At that time there will be further Pathologic examinations done on the tissue that is removed. This would no doubt prove which disease process is involved ... I suppose both might be possible but it seems unlikely to me.  You could ask that the slides be examined by another Pathology Department. It's really hard to say with this "iffy" type of diagnosis.  Evidently not much tissue was removed with this first excision. If you haven't had a "face to face" discussion with the Surgeon about this questionable result then you need to do so before going further. You might also discuss the subject of a second opinion or maybe even the opinion of an Oncologist. It's all going to come down to YOUR decision of course but get as much information as you can before deciding. This is truly a confusing situation ... please keep us posted.  

[lennel0530]

Got my biopsy this morning.

Gross & Microscopic Description:
A. Specimen "12 o'clock" consists of six fragments of tan, firm tissue, with an aggregate diameter of 1.5 cm.  Block all.
B. Specimen "3 o'clock" consists of irregular, tan tissue fragments, with an aggregate diameter of 1 cm.  Block all.

Final Pathologic Diagnosis:
Both specimen (12 o'clock and 3 o'clock)
Papilloma versus low grade ductal carcinoma in situ(fragments).
Recommend wide excision for further evaluation

What is your opinion about this?

[japdip]

Good news so far ... hopefully this will continue. Please take a moment to return here and give us an update when you get your final results. Take care and have a quick recovery.    

[lennel0530]

Excision biopsy was done this day hopefully can go tonight after processing the bill. Your right the lump in 3o'clock possision of my left breast is Fibroadenomas as what i heard from my doc. The result of biopsy is 2 weeks after hopefully no bad news.

Thank you so much for giving time answering my questions, it really helps a lot. God bless

[japdip]

You state that you "were" scheduled for a lumpectomy tomorrow ... does this mean that you aren't going to have the procedure ??? I hope not !! It's hard to say if the various pain you describe is associated with the lumps in your breast but I suppose it could be possible. As a rule when Fibroadenomas or cysts are present they do cause discomfort in the immediate area but not usually in other areas of the body. Best wishes for your surgery tomorrow and for a speedy recovery. Hopefully your other discomfort will lessen following your procedure.  Regards ....