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Skin mets, skin hardening, red rash
My Mother had a masectomy in 2008. Due to her age and health conditions, she was not given chemo or radiation, despite the positive Sentinel node. Approx 1 year later she had a positive node/nodule removed. Within a month, the breast cancer started in her skin around the site of the node. She now has a red rash (skin mets) in approx half of her chest wall and is getting Chemo (Xeloda) and Herceptin. My question is, the skin is beginning to "harden" around the node removal surgery site. What does this mean? Any other comments on Skin mets would be greatly appreciated.
No, not ER positive.
Initially saw several not well formed red circular patterned rash, with additonal blotchy rash area. Found several tiny nodules under the red rash... Skin and nodules biopsied and found the same BC.
Initially saw several not well formed red circular patterned rash, with additonal blotchy rash area. Found several tiny nodules under the red rash... Skin and nodules biopsied and found the same BC.
Is your mother's cancer ER positive? And can you describe the circular things more? The only reason I feel confident talking about this because I have been dealing the same thing.
I had been insisting to my doctors that my cancer came back, not on the right side where I had the mastectomy but also on the other side, and nobody believed me. So I kept on asking on the internet, even paying professionals....anyway. It was really horrible. I did not believe the cancer had come back in the same way they believed it had not and was only my imagination, but I KNEW it.
Now everyone knows mine has progressed also to the brain, and that alone makes it better. I also started with those circles but am not sure if that may not have been due to broken blood vessels from the inside pressure?
May write more later; I have not had chemo because of the brain radiation ; I think maybe the estrogen antagonist is keeping? I don't know!
Katrin
I had been insisting to my doctors that my cancer came back, not on the right side where I had the mastectomy but also on the other side, and nobody believed me. So I kept on asking on the internet, even paying professionals....anyway. It was really horrible. I did not believe the cancer had come back in the same way they believed it had not and was only my imagination, but I KNEW it.
Now everyone knows mine has progressed also to the brain, and that alone makes it better. I also started with those circles but am not sure if that may not have been due to broken blood vessels from the inside pressure?
May write more later; I have not had chemo because of the brain radiation ; I think maybe the estrogen antagonist is keeping? I don't know!
Katrin
Thanks for your input, Katarina. You're exactly right, it is Stage 4. The last node that was removed had already invaded the skin/area. The red rash appeared within 3-4 weeks, mainly as red circular areas in the surgery site. The red rash quickly spread to cover 1/2 of her chest wall. The Xeloda initially seemed to help, making the rash "faint". However, it is now "active" again and beginning to harden in the surgery site area. I know this probably means it is spreading to deeper layers and not good. She is on a break for 10 days, to let her feet heal and I think she will start on Taxol, instead of the Xeloda, in 10 days. I'm hoping she can tolerate the new Chemo without side effects.
We too, have not been able to find much info on skin mets from Breast Cancer. We're praying it's just a "surface" spread...and manageable with the Chemo & Herceptin. I'm wondering if the skin hardening/rash is reversible/curable?
We too, have not been able to find much info on skin mets from Breast Cancer. We're praying it's just a "surface" spread...and manageable with the Chemo & Herceptin. I'm wondering if the skin hardening/rash is reversible/curable?
The doctors probably felt initially that the benefits of chemo/radiation outweigh the risks in your mother's case because of her other medical problems, age, etc. Obviously now they do.
You may have to be very direct in asking your questions and you may need to ask them more than once and with more than one doctor. Expect some defensiveness? (That often goes with the territory) Sometimes, from my own experience, you get more honest info from the nurses?
You may have to be very direct in asking your questions and you may need to ask them more than once and with more than one doctor. Expect some defensiveness? (That often goes with the territory) Sometimes, from my own experience, you get more honest info from the nurses?
You know, I have done an awful lot of research on skin mets and I can truly say that I did not find enough in all or any of the literature to feel comfortable knowing really anything.
Let me tell you what I learned but don't take my word or memory for it; I am hoping you can more use what I say to raise questions with the oncologist.
It sounds very much like skin mets and that the harness may be cancer that that settled there because of the invasive lymph node procedure/breaking the skin. The chemo is of course given to control the cancer. This is usually done earlier but I guess the doctors did not feel comfortable then but now they do because....
I believe that skin mets mean that the cancer has progressed to stage 4, or metastasized. When bc is first diagnosed and one or more lymph nodes are affected, this is not considered distant metastasis, or stage 4, but something like locally advanced cancer. What you are describing now is different, and worse.
This does not sound like a simple recurrence but 'spread'.
Again, I do think this information is accurate but I mostly provided it so you can ask good and specific questions.
I also believe the reason they are now choosing chemo over radiation is because radiation is local treatment and chemo systemic, (whole body) treatment and really what she needs.
best wishes,
Katrin
Let me tell you what I learned but don't take my word or memory for it; I am hoping you can more use what I say to raise questions with the oncologist.
It sounds very much like skin mets and that the harness may be cancer that that settled there because of the invasive lymph node procedure/breaking the skin. The chemo is of course given to control the cancer. This is usually done earlier but I guess the doctors did not feel comfortable then but now they do because....
I believe that skin mets mean that the cancer has progressed to stage 4, or metastasized. When bc is first diagnosed and one or more lymph nodes are affected, this is not considered distant metastasis, or stage 4, but something like locally advanced cancer. What you are describing now is different, and worse.
This does not sound like a simple recurrence but 'spread'.
Again, I do think this information is accurate but I mostly provided it so you can ask good and specific questions.
I also believe the reason they are now choosing chemo over radiation is because radiation is local treatment and chemo systemic, (whole body) treatment and really what she needs.
best wishes,
Katrin
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