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Metastatic Breast Cancer
Questions about advanced metastatic breast cancer.
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AskedPublicly Submitted Question
8/17/2006In Dec. 2004, I had a local excision to remove two areas of microcalcifications on my left breast. The pathology report found one small slide out of 24 slides showing a 0.2 cm DCIS cribiform type with low nuclear grade. The remaining breast tissue showed columnar cell changes with focal atypia sclerosing, & firocystic changes. During the surgery, the doctor had to cut so deep it exposed the pectoralis major muscle posteriorly and medially. I did not have any biopsy done on any nodes. I had radiation treatment in Feb. & Mar. of 2005. Recently, July 2006, my mammogram showed interval development of punctate microcalcifications at the surgery site spanning a distance of 1.8 cm. They want me to come back in 6 months to get another mammogram. In the meantime, I have pain under my arm (I never had anything done with my nodes) that tends to reoccur quite often and the pain has continued to move into my back. It also feels like a sore spot on a bone near my should blade. I went to my general doctor today and she recommended that I get an x-ray of my ribs and if that shows nothing, then I should follow up with a bone scan. Are these tests the best thing to do to follow-up with this soreness?
RepliedJHU's Breast Center Reply
8/17/2006pain may be unrelated to your breast issues. consider having your films re-reviewed now by another radiologist who specializes in breast imaging to see what should be done, if anything now, regarding these calcs that are present now.

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