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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Breast Cancer / July 2004smaller then bigger?
Hi, I'm Eva. I'm 56 years old. I have an enormous tumor in my right breast (8 cm, or something like 5 inches). I am having chemo to shrink it before I have surgery. Okay. I had the first chemo treatment, and it seemed to me that I the tumor was noticeably smaller. Except that now (11 days after 1st chemo treatment) it seems to be bigger again. Is this possible? Or am I just so crazed with shock and fear that I *imagined* it got smaller? Thanks for any serious response. Have to go back for 2nd chemo treatment on Thursday, don't want to sound like an idiot. Tried to start shopping for a wig today but it turned out the wig store is closed Mondays. Still have my hair but oncologist says it will leave next week. Would *really* hate to lose my hair and the tumor gets *bigger* instead of smaller. Ha ha. > Hi, I'm Eva. I'm 56 years old. I have an enormous tumor in my right breast > (8 cm, or something like 5 inches). I am having chemo to shrink it before I [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Would *really* hate to lose my hair and the tumor gets *bigger* instead of > smaller. Ha ha. If it any minor comfort to you, 8 cm is only slightly more than 3 inches. The conversion factor is about 2.54 cm per inch. How long did it take after the first treatment before you sensed the tumor was smaller? I would suppose (without any experience) that it might take a measurable amount of time. > > .... I had the first chemo treatment, and it seemed to me > > that I the tumor was noticeably smaller. Except that now (11 days after > 1st > > chemo treatment) it seems to be bigger again. Is this possible? Or am I > > just so crazed with shock and fear that I *imagined* it got smaller? ----------- > How long did it take after the first treatment before you sensed the tumor > was smaller? I would suppose (without any experience) that it might take a > measurable amount of time. ------------ The breast surgeon and the oncologist had both told me I might notice results within 2 days, certainly within 2 weeks. I noticed it was smaller, or thought I did, on the 3rd day. Eva Hi Eva, My mom had chemo at first too to shrink the tumour; and she felt the same way you did. The tumour felt softer and smaller after a few days, but felt bigger after 10 days or so. Her oncologist said that this was possible; the tumour might not be reacting as well to that specific combination of drugs.He changed her drugs after one or two turns. I believe you should have a better idea after your second turn. Jayashree. > > > .... I had the first chemo treatment, and it seemed to me > > > that I the tumor was noticeably smaller. Except that now (11 days after [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Eva > Hi Eva, > My mom had chemo at first too to shrink the tumour; and she felt the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > combination of drugs.He changed her drugs after one or two turns. > I believe you should have a better idea after your second turn. ------------ Thank you very much, Jayashree. At least now I know I didn't hallucinate it. Eva > > > .... I had the first chemo treatment, and it seemed to me > > > that I the tumor was noticeably smaller. Except that now (11 days after [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Eva Thank you, Eva. I thought that might be significant, and maybe it will be to those who have more knowledge and experience. I hope so. Gene Hi Eve, I am Liz, I'm 52. Like you I also had a huge tumor, 8cm x 10cm x 3cm. Mine did not show up on mammograms or ultrasound so I did not have chemo beforehand to help shrink it.Mine is also a recurrence. first diagnosed in 2000. I had a bi-lateral mastectomy at the beginning of June. I am one week out of my first chemo. I am on 6 cycles of FEC. What are you on? Feel free to e-mail me if you wish. Will keep you in my thoughts and prayers, Liz > Hi, I'm Eva. I'm 56 years old. I have an enormous tumor in my right breast > (8 cm, or something like 5 inches). I am having chemo to shrink it before I [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Would *really* hate to lose my hair and the tumor gets *bigger* instead of > smaller. Ha ha. > Like you I also had a huge tumor, 8cm x 10cm x 3cm. Mine did not show up on > mammograms or ultrasound so I did not have chemo beforehand to help shrink > it. ---------- I had a perfectly normal mammogram in July 2003. In April 2004 I first noticed a large lump, but I did not immediately seek medical attention because I knew that large painful lumps that suddenly appear are usually not cancer. Usually. Usually. Usually. Usually. By June, when I finally got around to seeing the doctor, it had gotten this big, and quite painful, and the doctor, a breast specialist with a very good reputation, said she'd never seen breast cancer follow a course like this in a woman my age. In fact, before getting the biopsy results she and her partner both suspected I had a sarcoma, a malignant tumor of the connective tissue, rather than actual breast cancer. This is the way breast cancer behaves in women in their 30s, the doctors said. They've never before seen it behave this way in a post-menopausal woman. They couldn't offer any explanation as to why this would happen, and I am terrified that I have some kind of crazy malignancy, like one of these "superbug" viruses, that will not respond to chemo and that will kill me no matter what anyone does. ------------ >....Mine is also a recurrence. first diagnosed in 2000. I had a bi-lateral > mastectomy at the beginning of June. -------------- Oh, I'm sorry. I hope you are healing well. I feel like I wish I'd opted to have the surgery first, even though having the chemo first is what the doctors recommended and it seemed reasonable at the time. I want this thing out of my body! ---------------- >.... I am one week out of my first chemo. I > am on 6 cycles of FEC. What are you on? ----------------- I haven't learned the jargon yet, so I don't know what FEC is, but I'm taking "C&A" (?) every two weeks. I can't remember how many times I will have it. Maybe 8? I'm very overwhelmed by all the information that was thrown at me. ------------------ > Will keep you in my thoughts and prayers, ----------------- Thank you very much, Liz. I certainly hope all the best for you. Eva Eva, if it helps, our doctors told us that chemo before surgery is helpful in large tumours because it reduces the size of the tumour and makes surgery less complicated and less painful. It also hasnt proven to cause any increase in long term fatality, i.e. it dosent mean that anyone is going to die sooner just because they didnt have surgery first. Please feel free to email me if you have any concerns. I am definitely not as experienced as most of the others here,but that dosent mean I cant try :) Jayashree > Eva, > if it helps, our doctors told us that chemo before surgery is helpful [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > anyone is going to die sooner just because they didnt have surgery > first. ------------ Yes, this is exactly what I was told too. ----------- > Please feel free to email me if you have any concerns. I am definitely > not as experienced as most of the others here,but that dosent mean I > cant try :) ------------ Au contraire, you've been *very* helpful to me. Eva > I had a perfectly normal mammogram in July 2003. In April 2004 I first > noticed a large lump, but I did not immediately seek medical attention > because I knew that large painful lumps that suddenly appear are usually not > cancer. > > Usually. Usually. Usually. Usually. Usually indeed. My wife also had a large and painful tumour. It did not however appear suddenly like yours, but developed gradually. It did not feel like a lump, more like a swelling. It took her doctor a long time to admit it was cancer, or even order a mammogram. She was about 46 when it started. Tim Jackson > > I had a perfectly normal mammogram in July 2003. In April 2004 I first > > noticed a large lump, but I did not immediately seek medical attention [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > admit it was cancer, or even order a mammogram. She was about 46 when it > started. --------------- OTOH, when I called my GYN and reported the large painful lump, he did not even want to see me first, he got on the phone and told me he was sending me directly to a breast specialist. I was surprised, but it certainly turned out to be the right move. I didn't even have another mammogram. I had a sonogram, which showed the size and solidity of the mass, and then a core biopsy. Just taking a guess that in this case the malpractice-lawsuit-driven US healthcare system may have worked in my favor. Oh, incidentally, I wasn't sure if this was a lump or a swelling either, at first; and the doctors said it didn't feel like a typical "rock-hard breast cancer" to them. That was one reason why they postulated I had a sarcoma at first. Eva > > > I had a perfectly normal mammogram in July 2003. In April 2004 I first > > > noticed a large lump, but I did not immediately seek medical attention [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > cancer" to them. That was one reason why they postulated I had a sarcoma at > first. My wife's doctor could politely be called an arrogant cow. She wouldn't deviate from her initial diagnosis of mastitis and wouldn't even re-examine when the problem persisted and further symptoms developed, but suggested my wife increase her bra size to accommodate the swelling!. It turned out to be a multi-focal cancer, that's why it didn't feel hard. My wife didn't want to go for a second opinion because it would have meant seeing a male doctor. The situation only changed when her doctor went on holiday and a new junior member of the practice (also female) saw her. Tim > My wife's doctor could politely be called an arrogant cow. She wouldn't > deviate from her initial diagnosis of mastitis and wouldn't even re-examine [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > doctor. The situation only changed when her doctor went on holiday and a > new junior member of the practice (also female) saw her. -------- Oh my God, I'm so sorry. Eva |
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