breast cancermets

[nysdchic]

My mother has had breast cancer twice.  The first time a simple lumpectomy with resection of one negative sentinel node, chemo with CMF and radiation.  Then 3 years later, on the same side, a mastectomy for a "Local reccurrence," treated with chemo A,T.  Now 2 years later she has breast mets (by biopsy) to thoracic lymph nodes(paratracheal, subcarinal, subclavicular...), contralateral lung nodules, T-spine lesions.  This time she has been a treatment failure on xeloda, avastin, and vineralabine and now started doxcil.  She now presents with severe middle ear effusion requiring temporary eustachian tubes.  Head ct, mri, and spinal tap ruled out any masses, lesions or metatstatic cns spread.  My question is,  what are the chances this unrelenting middle ear effusion (1month with antibiotics and steroids) is related to her cancer or another rare metastatic spread? Versus just an ear infection?
  I thank you tremendously in advance for your time and consideration,
Tracey

[nysdchic]

Just an update on my mother's condition.  She does in fact have a rare metastatic spread to her mucosa of the paranasal and ethmoid sinuses.  It is such a rare spread, that most of her doctors are in disbelief.  Does anyone know of treatment options for this type of spread?  She is being treated at Memorial Sloane Kettering in NYC, but anyone out there know anything about this rare spread?  I thank you in advhttp://www.medhelp.org/posts/new/356883#
Post Commentance.

[Cleveland Clinic]

Dear Tracey:  While there are no “rules” regarding metastasis, this would be a very unusual metastatic focus.  If the head CT, MRI and spinal tap are all negative, the middle ear effusion is more likely to be related to infection and less likely to be related to metastasis.