Is cancer in opposite breast a new cancer

[Cathi in Florida]

Another question regarding my recent Mamo & ultrasound reports and visits to surgeon and oncoligist.  I will be scheduled for the biopsy sometime next week.  But some of the terms I have heard today are confusing to me, I hope that you can explain. Ever sence my primary diagnosis last June I feel as though my health care has been forced upon me,  I have not had the knowledge or even felt in control enough to make my own decisions.  Please can you explain if the new masses in my right breast are malignant, is it a new cancer?

    The oncologist was saying something about new cancer, then said something about contralateral primary breast cancer.
     I have had so many tests and 2 previous biopsys on right breast in past year all were ok I thought,  my last ultra sound and MRI 7 months ago,  can a new cancer show up that quickly?
Really scared & confused.
    

[Cathi in Florida]

I did go to the site you recommended, ty again. It is so good to talk to someone who really can relate, my family/friends tereffic, but they really don't get the fear, the anger the confusion. As I said I have allowed myself to be  totally @mercy of doc's,  my original bc was invasive lobular w/foci of LCIS & ALH. small under 2cm, I know it was er+, other then that- don't know, well they did remove 6/nodes all neg. My us  & MRI 6/mo ago stated complex denses breasts, diffuse skin thickening (bothsides) innumerable solid &cystic mass lesions throughout. @3-oclock 7x7x6cm hypoechhoic nodule inhancement curve of intermediate suspicion , other areas sharply circumscribed w/internal echoes. So Iguess thats why I had 6/mo follow up
And as I mention in first posting, now they have 2areas of suspicion.
I do have good health insurance, and I have been looking @ new onco,  but how do you know what to say w/to ask?  If I am lucky and this is benign, I am seriously considering mastectomy,  can I insist,  they say I am very high risk but yet it seems like they don't want to do what I think would be the best way to reduce that risk.
IThank you again. It is a relief & help just to talk.

[boninclyde]

I type a whole bunch of stuff here then it just disappeared. Here goes again.
I was totally blindsided also since breast cancer did not run in my family. I was told by 2 doctors (PCP and OBGYN) that the little pea size lump was nothing. But upon mamo, ultrasound and biopsy it was indeed cancer. It is very important that you work closely with your onco. Is there another near by? There are other meds than tamoxifen. Some doctors recommend having a hysterectomy? What was your other cancers status (er, pr and HER2)? If it was er, pr, how strong was it? Did you have the oncotype test?  Not sure why he says he hasn't seen any se from tamoxifen, I sure have had my share. But there are a very few ladies that don't have any. Try going to the other site also for support and browse the site for med info. Have you got a date for the biopsy? Keep us posted. I wish you well.

[Cathi in Florida]

Thank you,  I am so overwhelmed by all of this.  Just when I thought 'wow" I can be normal again,  I am afraid again,  I though when I first heard this it would be better this time, I would not worry so much. Wrong!!!! I am twice as worried. From the start my husband and I were blind sided, and we have never felt in control,  like all my treatments have been dictated, with us not being able to make a decision,  until this recent development I have not even gone back to my oncologist as supposed to,  we hate him.  He of coarse started me on Tamoxifin,  we had read about it, tried to ask him questions about possible side effects, he quickly said in his 25 years he has never seen side effects. I am 47,  after my first try with-in 2 weeks, I could barely function, get out of bed, think,  drive anything, went back to him, he said oh yes that happens alot w/pre-menapausal woman????? so he adjusted the dose,  no change, so he stopped it for 30 days,  re-started , and same thing,  so his last comment to me in December well you have to choose between life and quality of life!  I left choosing quality, had not gone back till now.  I so want to be in charge of my destiny no matter what it is,  but I have that stupid mentality "the doc is always right"  My risk for future cancer is very high as they tell me, I have thought about mastectomy,  they all say no need, we can catch it and treat it. I want to be in charge!!!!

[boninclyde]

A new cancer can show up that quick and it can be a differant kind of cancer. Go to the breastcancer.org site. Click on community support and join the discussion board there. Lots of reading and many ladies going through the same thing as you. I wish you well.

[Cleveland Clinic]

Dear cathi in florida:  A cancer that appears in the opposite breast is generally considered a new primary cancer.  This means that it is believed that this cancer developed on its own and has not spread from the other breast cancer.  Contralateral is just a medical term meaning opposite side.  There is no way to know whether this abnormality is breast cancer or not without biopsy.  It is possible for breast cancer to develop rapidly.