Urgent prayer request

[Nakia]

I just found out that a dear friend's 13 year old daughter is having a tumor removed from her breast right now. About three weeks ago, she found some swollen lymph nodes under her arm. Then two weeks ago, a large lump came up under her nipple. Her breast is warm and hard, and her nipple has become inverted and bumpy. I am terrified!!! She is only 13!!!!! She is in surgery right now. Please cover her and her family in your prayers.

 

Side note: Sometimes I hate being a nurse. Nurse know too dang much sometimes!!!!!!

[HollyB]

praying for her and her family

[CAMom]

:grouphug:

[TN Mama]

SCARY! Praying for your friend and her daughter!

[lionfamily1999]

:( Praying

[Gooblink]

Oh no! Praying for your friend and her precious daughter. :(

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Yikes! How horrible! :grouphug:

[Pretty in Pink]

That is scary. Praying here. :grouphug:

[Tammyla]

:grouphug:prayers:grouphug:

[Perry]

I just found out that a dear friend's 13 year old daughter is having a tumor removed from her breast right now. About three weeks ago, she found some swollen lymph nodes under her arm. Then two weeks ago, a large lump came up under her nipple. Her breast is warm and hard, and her nipple has become inverted and bumpy. I am terrified!!! She is only 13!!!!! She is in surgery right now. Please cover her and her family in your prayers.

 

Side note: Sometimes I hate being a nurse. Nurse know too dang much sometimes!!!!!!

:grouphug: I'm sorry.

 

How do they know it's a tumor? Any possibility it's an infection?

 

It just seems strange that if it's cancer, they would remove it right away. That doesn't sound typical.

 

Hoping for the best.

[Nakia]

:grouphug: I'm sorry.

 

How do they know it's a tumor? Any possibility it's an infection?

 

It just seems strange that if it's cancer, they would remove it right away. That doesn't sound typical.

 

Hoping for the best.

 

I have no idea, but I wondered the same thing. I haven't talked to her mom (my friend), but I have talked to her grandmother who didn't have any more info, other than the fact that they have done some "x-rays" but no biopsy. Unfortunately my friend and I had a little falling out two weeks ago, and she didn't call me to let me know any of this was going on. My biggest concern is that they are letting a general surgeon, with a less than stellar reputation, do the surgery. I could have recommended a couple of different wonderful and well-known breast specialists in Asheville (about 30 minutes from here). I'm very concerned, and I haven't heard anything else this morning. I hope she is doing okay.

[Perry]

I have no idea, but I wondered the same thing. I haven't talked to her mom (my friend), but I have talked to her grandmother who didn't have any more info, other than the fact that they have done some "x-rays" but no biopsy. Unfortunately my friend and I had a little falling out two weeks ago, and she didn't call me to let me know any of this was going on. My biggest concern is that they are letting a general surgeon, with a less than stellar reputation, do the surgery. I could have recommended a couple of different wonderful and well-known breast specialists in Asheville (about 30 minutes from here). I'm very concerned, and I haven't heard anything else this morning. I hope she is doing okay.

Wow. I really hope that this is all miscommunication, and that she's having an abscess drained.

 

Scary.

[Melanie in WI]

Praying for her and her family and for you also!

[Gratia271]

Praying for all of you. :grouphug:

[Nakia]

Wow. I really hope that this is all miscommunication, and that she's having an abscess drained.

 

Scary.

 

It is definitely not just a miscommunication. I just talked to my friend's sister, and she said the surgeon is planning to cut around M's nipple and remove the tumor. He said he will try to reattach her nipple so her breast will look as normal as possible. ugh

[Perry]

It is definitely not just a miscommunication. I just talked to my friend's sister, and she said the surgeon is planning to cut around M's nipple and remove the tumor. He said he will try to reattach her nipple so her breast will look as normal as possible. ugh

Oh, no.

 

I'm sorry. She needs a specialist. But you already know that. :grouphug:

[Nakia]

Oh, no.

 

I'm sorry. She needs a specialist. But you already know that. :grouphug:

 

Just got a text from them, and the surgeon said there were two tumors, and he is pretty sure they are benign, but they are sending them to the mayo clinic for pathology. I hope so, but I wouldn't trust that doctor for a minute.

[Perry]

Just got a text from them, and the surgeon said there were two tumors, and he is pretty sure they are benign, but they are sending them to the mayo clinic for pathology. I hope so, but I wouldn't trust that doctor for a minute.

Well, that's reassuring.

 

I'd still be hightailing it to the breast specialists.

 

Hope you and your friend can work it out and be on good terms again.

[Gratia271]

It is definitely not just a miscommunication. I just talked to my friend's sister, and she said the surgeon is planning to cut around M's nipple and remove the tumor. He said he will try to reattach her nipple so her breast will look as normal as possible. ugh

 

Oh no! I will pray that things work out well somehow!

[DianeW88]

It is definitely not just a miscommunication. I just talked to my friend's sister, and she said the surgeon is planning to cut around M's nipple and remove the tumor. He said he will try to reattach her nipple so her breast will look as normal as possible. ugh

 

Oh, good grief!!! On a 13 year old??? She should have gone to a breast specialist. Did she have an ultrasound? An MRI? That surgery was probably COMPLETELY unnecessary. There aren't even any documented cases of breast cancer in children under 16 years old. Most often in younger girls it's a fibrous benign type of "tumor"...I can't even remember what they're called at the moment, but they're VERY common and don't even need to be removed all the time. I hope this surgeon knows what he's doing and didn't just ruin her chances for breastfeeding any future children. Stuff like this just makes me CRINGE. I hope she's doing well after the trauma she's been through. Poor thing.

[Nakia]

Well, that's reassuring.

 

I'd still be hightailing it to the breast specialists.

 

Hope you and your friend can work it out and be on good terms again.

 

Yes, me too!!

 

Oh, good grief!!! On a 13 year old??? She should have gone to a breast specialist. Did she have an ultrasound? An MRI? That surgery was probably COMPLETELY unnecessary. There aren't even any documented cases of breast cancer in children under 16 years old. Most often in younger girls it's a fibrous benign type of "tumor"...I can't even remember what they're called at the moment, but they're VERY common and don't even need to be removed all the time. I hope this surgeon knows what he's doing and didn't just ruin her chances for breastfeeding any future children. Stuff like this just makes me CRINGE. I hope she's doing well after the trauma she's been through. Poor thing.

 

They said that according to whatever "x-ray", which I am assuming was an ultrasound, it was definitely not fibrocystic changes. I did know that there had never been a case of breast cancer in anyone under 16. I read that online. I think it was the dimpling and inverted nipple that caused the concern. But like I said, I would have had my daughter at a breast specialist, not a general surgeon with a bad reputation. I hope she will be okay. :(

[Perry]

Yes, me too!!

 

 

 

They said that according to whatever "x-ray", which I am assuming was an ultrasound, it was definitely not fibrocystic changes. I did know that there had never been a case of breast cancer in anyone under 16. I read that online. I think it was the dimpling and inverted nipple that caused the concern. But like I said, I would have had my daughter at a breast specialist, not a general surgeon with a bad reputation. I hope she will be okay. :(

There have been cases, but they're extraordinarily rare.

 

 

Breast carcinoma in children and adolescents.

 

Clin Bull. 1977; 7(2):55-62 (ISSN: 0047-6706)

 

Ashikari H; Jun MY; Farrow JH; Rosen PP; Johnston SF

 

Seventy-four cases of breast cancer in children and adolescents are reviewed. No predisposing factors were identified. A secretory type of mammary carcinoma characteristically seen in this age group has an excellent prognosis. Other types of mammary carcinoma which also occur in children may have a less favorable prognosis. Persistent breast masses in children and adolescents should be biopsied unless cystic, and should be treated as would carcinoma in adults, keeping in mind the favorable prognosis in so-called secretory carcinoma.

 

Here's a story about a 10 year old with breast cancer.

 

It's also possible to have lymphoma or other cancers to show up in the breast, but still, very, very unusual.

 

More here.

 

Breast masses in adolescent girls are usually benign. The most common discrete breast mass is a fibroadenoma (70%). Upon examination, these masses are smooth, mobile, and round. They may occasionally become larger just before the patient's menstrual period. Masses with the characteristics of fibroadenoma may be serially monitored (every 1-3 mo) with a careful physical examination. Alternatively, an excisional biopsy may be performed if the patient and family request it. As many as 15% of patients may have multiple fibroadenomas.

Juvenile, or giant, fibroadenomas are unusually large (>5 cm). They usually display rapid growth but are usually benign. Management consists of surgery. Histologically, juvenile fibroadenomas have more cellularity than typical fibroadenomas (see Media files 3-5). They should be differentiated from cystosarcoma phyllodes.

 

 

Cystosarcoma phyllodes tumors manifest as a painless breast mass.10 Patients may have a history of sudden enlargement of a previously stable mass. The mass may be dramatically large; thinning of overlying skin and increased vascularity of the area may be present. Ultrasonography cannot usually be used to distinguish between a fibroadenoma and a phyllodes tumor. The differentiation between a fibroadenoma and cystosarcoma phyllodes lies in histologic examination. Phyllodes tumors have a more cellular stroma with nuclear atypia and mitotic figures. As many as 25% of phyllodes tumors are considered malignant. The management for a benign or malignant phyllodes tumor is wide excision with a margin of normal breast tissue. Malignant phyllodes tumors rarely metastasize to the axilla. Axillary dissections are indicated for patients with palpable lymph nodes.

Breast hamartomas are rare in the adolescent population but have been described.11 They may develop in patients with Cowden syndrome or may be an isolated finding in the adolescent patient. Histologically, breast hamartomas are densely packed enlarged lobules in a fibrous stroma. Clinically, they present as discrete painless masses similar to a fibroadenoma. Ultrasonographic characteristics of breast hamartomas are similar to those of breast fibroadenomas. They are treated with complete surgical excision and can recur if not completely removed.

 

Malignant Breast Disease in Children and Adolescents

 

Malignant breast disease is uncommon in children and in adolescents. Risk factors for breast malignancies include history of familial breast cancer, previous benign disease associated with malignancy (ie, fibrocystic changes with atypia), other malignancies, or irradiation to the neck and chest areas. The most common malignant mass in the breast of a child or adolescent is a metastatic lesion.

Ashikdri et al reviewed the world literature between 1888 and 1977 and found a total of 74 cases of carcinoma of the breast in children and adolescents.19 Initial surgical options for infiltrating lobular or intraductal carcinoma in adolescents include breast-sparing surgery (ie, lumpectomy with axillary node dissection and irradiation) or modified radical mastectomy. Younger women tend to have more aggressive disease.

 

[Nakia]

Wow! You're a better researcher than me. Thanks for the info. I just wish they had chosen a different path and gotten a breast specialist's opinion. It's all so scary.

 

There have been cases, but they're extraordinarily rare.

 

Here's a story about a 10 year old with breast cancer.

 

It's also possible to have lymphoma or other cancers to show up in the breast, but still, very, very unusual.

 

More here.

[Perry]

I just wish they had chosen a different path and gotten a breast specialist's opinion. It's all so scary.

Me too. It's not too late though. No matter what the path report is, I'd go for a second opinion somewhere else. Just in case you talk to your friend. ;)

[Revwife]

I'll be praying!

[KidsHappen]

My oldest dd has fibrocystic breasts. She found her first lump at age 16. First they did a mamogram but it was not definitive. Then they tried an ultrasound which still wasn't very informative. They gave us the option of getting a biopsy first, waiting for the results and then perhaps still having to remove the lump or just removing the lump (which was not very big). They recommended removing the lump because they didn't want to take a chance of releasing any of the cells since they couldn't tell what they were dealing with. If it turned out that it was malignant, they would still try to go with a lumpectomy anyhow. So we chose to just have it removed to begin with. The cut around about half of her areola and took the lump out that way. The surgeon placed the cut exactly on the line demarkation so that now that it has healed you can hardly tell it is there at all. She has been nursing for two and a half years now and it has not caused any problems at all. I hope your friend's child is just as lucky. :grouphug:

[lionfamily1999]

:( Oh, Nakia, this just sounds worse and worse. I mean, bc would be awful, but this sort of surgery for (possibly) no reason?!? Gads.

[DawnM]

That is awful. Praying.

 

Dawn

[kalphs]

Praying :grouphug:

My mom had a breast tumor the size of an egg when she was 18 yo.

[Starr]

That must be so frustrating for you! I pray she's okay!

[kalanamak]

Just got a text from them, and the surgeon said there were two tumors, and he is pretty sure they are benign, but they are sending them to the mayo clinic for pathology. I hope so, but I wouldn't trust that doctor for a minute.

 

It is not the surgeon, but the pathologist who did the frozen section who said it was probably benign. Just to reassure you.

[linders]

I can't begin to imagine the fear.:grouphug:

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

Yes, me too!!

 

 

 

They said that according to whatever "x-ray", which I am assuming was an ultrasound, it was definitely not fibrocystic changes. I did know that there had never been a case of breast cancer in anyone under 16. I read that online. I think it was the dimpling and inverted nipple that caused the concern. But like I said, I would have had my daughter at a breast specialist, not a general surgeon with a bad reputation. I hope she will be okay. :(

That's not true. It's very rare but a 10 year old girl in CA has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/Child_diagnosed_with_breast_cancer_20090516

 

Oops, I should read the entire thread before responding. Sorry for being redundant!

[Laurie4b]

It is definitely not just a miscommunication. I just talked to my friend's sister, and she said the surgeon is planning to cut around M's nipple and remove the tumor. He said he will try to reattach her nipple so her breast will look as normal as possible. ugh

 

I can't imagine letting a general surgeon do this surgery when there are breast specialists nearby. Good grief. That just makes me sick. If it's cancer, I hope he does the surgery correctly and gets it all. if it's not, I hope she doesn't end up with unnecessary scarring. Hope she can get plastic surgery if necessary.

[Nakia]

It is not the surgeon, but the pathologist who did the frozen section who said it was probably benign. Just to reassure you.

 

Yeah, I hope so. I know that's what usually happens, but this was done at a very tiny community that doesn't even have a pathologist there at all times.

 

 

So, anyway, I finally talked to my friend tonight. I am more confused than before. There was an ultrasound done last week. That's the x-ray the grandmother was talking about. The "tumor" doubled in size between Monday and today. She said that M had a low grade fever this morning, and the surgeon said that the tumor had abscessed and was draining when he went in. I wonder why they said it was a solid cauliflower-shaped mass if it was fluid-filled, as an abscess would be. And if it was an abscess, I'm not sure why they didn't just put a drain in. I am a nurse, not a doctor, so I'm still not sure what's going on. Can tumors abscess, Kalanamak? I don't know. It just seems so invasive. I mean if surgery is necessary, it is. But this was just so fast, and it seems like no one tried to really find out what it was before going to a very invasive surgery.

 

I am really p*ssed because my friend said she asked the general surgeon if he would recommend them to a breast specialist, and he said the closest one was at Duke!!! That's four hours from us. There are SIX wonderful women's oncologists and/or breast specialists 30 minutes away from here. I wish she had called me. :(

 

Thank you for the prayers. I am hoping and praying that it is benign, and that she will heal up just fine with no lasting problems.

[Miss Sherry]

............

I am really p*ssed because my friend said she asked the general surgeon if he would recommend them to a breast specialist, and he said the closest one was at Duke!!! That's four hours from us. There are SIX wonderful women's oncologists and/or breast specialists 30 minutes away from here. I wish she had called me. :(

 

 

Well, maybe she can still go and be seen by a specialist for follow up or it anything else comes up.

[kalanamak]

Yeah, I hope so. I know that's what usually happens, but this was done at a very tiny community that doesn't even have a pathologist there at all times.

 

 

Can tumors abscess, Kalanamak?

 

They can infarct, which leaves "undefended" nutrients. That kind of stuff can get infected (hence the rule to debride dead tissue out of a wound...without a blood supply it is meat without immune support).

 

In the "small town" my brother practiced in, the only surgeon (and orthopod who "did it all") did anything with a bx on the one day a week the CT scanner and the pathologist drove through town.

 

Here's hoping it is a huge inclusion cyst or something remarkably rare like an apocrine sweat gland gone wild. Nipples have them, and apocrine glands start firing up about age 10 in girls, AFAIR.

[Nakia]

They can infarct, which leaves "undefended" nutrients. That kind of stuff can get infected (hence the rule to debride dead tissue out of a wound...without a blood supply it is meat without immune support).

 

In the "small town" my brother practiced in, the only surgeon (and orthopod who "did it all") did anything with a bx on the one day a week the CT scanner and the pathologist drove through town.

 

Here's hoping it is a huge inclusion cyst or something remarkably rare like an apocrine sweat gland gone wild. Nipples have them, and apocrine glands start firing up about age 10 in girls, AFAIR.

 

Thank you so much for giving me this information. They are hoping to hear from path by tomorrow.