Out of interest - breastfeeding issues before diagnosis

JoeyLiz

Hi ladies,

I will post this is young womens group also but they are not very responsive so thought id try here too

I was just wondering if anyone had breastfeeding issues in the affected breast before diagnosis? 
I myself had blocked ducts on the left side, it didn't produce as much milk as the right and my daughter was always fussy on it. Then months later was diagnosed with invasive ductal on the left. 

Would be interesting to see if any correlation  for other women, that may just be my medical/research side coming out lol

AllyJay

Back in the distant past, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I breastfed my son for two years and four months. I had one period, and then fell pregnant with my daughter, who was breastfed for two years and one month. Both preferred the left breast, but perhaps that's because I probably preferred to hold them on that side, which left my dominant right hand free to do whatever at the same time. My cancer, the same as yours, was in the left, preferred breast.

primek

A long time for me to breast feed. My bc was on my preferred breast. I fed equally both sides but my nipple always hurt on the left. My bc was on my right hand though. 

Zoffiel

My BC was in the cranky breast--the left-- that I had trouble feeding with. The nipple inverted a bit during pregnancy and it was always painful and difficult which lead to cracked nipples and mastitis. I've got lobular carcinoma which is different from ductal in the way it presents. My original tumour was very high up on my chest and while still in breast tissue, it didn't seem to have much to do with the nipple or the tissue surrounding it.

It was a long time between breast feeding and cancer, but I have often wondered if there was any correlation given that tit would not behave itself.

Sister

I had trouble with feeding altogether but with my second, I always noticed that she didn't like the right breast as much (the affected one). That was 13 years ago.  I did mention it to the onc but he didn't seem to think it was relevant.  But I wonder.

kmakm

At 38, three months after I stopped breast feeding my last child (which I'd done very successfully for 15 months), I was walking briskly in a local street. I was dive bombed by a magpie! The only time it's ever happened round here in 19 years. I ran away, flapping my arms above my head. When I slowed to a walk, and after some swear words, I suddenly noticed my right nipple felt wet. A quick inspection revealed it was bleeding. Went to the doctor, had my first mammogram and saw a breast surgeon who said it was probably a collapsed milk duct. 13 years later that breast had an IDC and two areas of DCIS. Nothing in the other one.

Interesting question!

Zoffiel

I also got kicked in that boob by a mongrel bastard horse that I could cheerfully have consigned to the glue factory even before he assaulted me. Whammo, knocked me arse over. Shithead was blind in one eye so at the time I gave him some licence that he may not have known where I was. I doubt it. There's a photo somewhere; perfect horseshoe mark, complete with nails and a bit of stick stuck across the shoe. Pretty much right wear the cancer was.

JoeyLiz

Thanks for your stories ladies some very naughty magpies and horses around but maybe they knew something!
I mentioned it to my Rad Onc who I work with and have done research with before and she thinks it's worth looking into prospectively rather than retrospectively. Maybe by contacting the lactation specialists....

lrb_03

Hi @JoeyLiz. I'm not sure of what your time frame was, but tumours don't usually grow overnight, so to speak, and as you would know.  It kind of makes sense to me, that a growing tumour may well have impacted on milk flow.  Because she was fussy at that breast, she probably spent less time there. Less time stimulating that side would lead to a lower supply, which then becomes a cycle.
Now just theorising, but I would also wonder if a developing tumour would have any impact on taste. The taste of breast milk alters subtly depending on what a woman eats, which they say then leads to a breast fed baby accepting the new flavours of solids more readily. Not gospel, but something I've read & heard about.
Hope you're travelling ok