Survey who just got Lumpectomy

Natters

I only had a lumpectomy. Although both BS I met with mentioned MX briefly as an option, they both were convinced that I was a great candidate for lump. Small tumor in a big breast = good cosmetic results. I have a scar, sure, but my breast isn't even dented in or anything. I look perfectly normal in all my old bras. I highly recommend getting a lump over MX if you have just one tumor (not multifocal disease) because the recovery is a lot faster and easier!

And I plan to try my best to prevent recurrence or new disease so hopefully that lump was my very first and last surgery. Although none of my DRs mentioned the VNPI, I calculated it for myself using my final path report, and that helped me convince myself that I should listen to the DRs and do both rads and Tamox. I guess it depends what scares you more and for me, avoiding more surgery is the most important thing for me right now.

Leah, jealous of your relatively low risk of recurrence of 10%. After I pressed my MO for some numbers, he said that he thought my risk would be 10% AFTER rads. So that is why I am biting the bullet, because 20% chance of recurrence is too high for my peace of mind. Haven't started that yet but tolerating the Tamox very well, and that helps me feel like I'm in prevention mode.

Hindsfeet

Leah,. I'm not against the conventional approach. Whatever one chooses, they should do it with their eyes open. After looking at both (the conventional bc treatment & alternative) I felt safer with alternative.

First, I am not the best example for the alternative in that I've had 3 bc dx. The first dx, I didn't take too seriously. The second bc dx, I sought out a naturalpath. I soon discovered that I'm hypothyroid and hashiminto. The thyroid t3 & t4 is important to every organ. If it's not working well then what do you expect?  This last year, I was tested for fungal systemic and learned that I have an extensive present & past fungal infection. These two problems alone put me at risk for cancer.

So...what am I doing? I'm trying to find why my body is disfunctioning. I want to fix what's broken, and I hope once I do, I'll not have another cancer dx. Unfortunately, I'm still fighting the fungal problem. I also have a lot of stress in my life, (I have a lot of responsibilites), which I also believe contributes to cancer to those who choose conventional or alternative.

This next Wednesday, I'm going in for my annual mammo (4 months past due). I am not too worried, but know that I've got to be pro-active and not assume anything. I know that I'm high risk and I'm not completely out of the woods. For now, it's eating right, trying not to get stressed, gluten free, no breads or rare....supplements, resveratrol, and love life

JudiH

Hi Ladies!

 I've read your posts and find them interesting.  I'm unfamiliar with some of the jargon (don't know what MX means).  However,I was diagnosed in December, 2010 and my lump was small - 8 mm so I had two lumpectomies.  Unfortunately, they thought the lump was 7 mm so to be clear that the margins were clear, I had the second lumpectomy and it was o.k.  I knew the drill.  Lumpectomies were o.k.  Like everyone, you just want it out and will endure it.  My second surgery left me with an inverted nipple which the surgeon says will come out.  Yeah right!  But, I'm o.k. with this.  At first it bothered me a lot but now I'm like "who cares".  I'm postmenopausal so I'm on Letrozole which is for women who have gone through menopause.  I could have taken Tamox but this estrogen "killers" are apparently the new way to go.  I read that "Tamox" will slowly leave our world as these aromatase inhibitors are better at preventing a reoccurrence.  I'm tolerating the drug but gaining weight and have sore joints which are some of the side-effects of the drug.  I also read that when you have "sore joints" the drug is doing it's job, so bring it on.  I can't stand the weight gain but considering the other side, for me, this is the way to go! 

Anonymous

thanks m3band1g

zumbagirl

I have had two lumpectomies, the first April 29, 2011, and the second on May 9, 2011. I just finished my 6th and final chemo Wed, and in about 3 weeks, I will move onto Radiation. I have weekly herceptins that will go until June 2012, and I will be on tomoxefin for 5 years unless my blood test next Tues. shows, that chemo has thrown me into post menopause, then I will have a different pill for 5 years.

rgiuff

I am small breasted and briefly considered masectomy because I was worried about cosmetic appearance.  But after talking to my surgeon, who reassured me that there would be no noticeable difference, I had a lumpectomy with radiation and am now on tamoxifen.  I find the number of women getting masectomies to be just too many.  It seems to me to be very fear based.  If they had time to really think it over without feeling pressured and to realize that the odds are on their side in most cases for a reoccurrence to not happen, I wonder if many women would choose differently. 

I am happy that I kept my breast with all it's sensation intact and think I would have really missed it if I'd chosen otherwise.  I like the shape of my breasts and one of my fears had been, what if  a reconstruction did not turn out to look the way I wanted.

cycle-path

JudiH -- MX means mastectomy. BMX (sometimes BX, I think) is bilateral mastectomy. There's a list of abbreviations here: http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/62/topic/735716

Regarding Letrozole and the other Aromatase Inihibitors (AIs), they will not replace Tamoxifen unless they can be improved such that they don't cause osteoporosis. Any doctor who puts a woman on an AI should require a DEXA scan first. If you read the hormonal therapy boards here on BCO you'll see stories from women whose bones have been decimated by Letrozole and its cousins. 

If you haven't yet had a DEXA scan, please ask your doctor to order one. Too many BC patients end up with tremendous bone loss from AIs and don't know until its too late. 

tarry

I had a lumpectomy on Sept 6th, 2011.  I had a very large lump and was told that the results would be awful.  However, I was having a nearly phobic reaction to the thought of having a mastectomy and then some sort of reconstruction, with all the potential for further surgeries and infections.  One thing I did was ask for the advice of people on this board who had had large lumpectomies.  Everyone seemed happy with their results, as am I.  One person kindly send me pictures of her breasts, and that helped a lot.. 

The BS was very unhappy with my decision, but she tried and succeeded in saving the nipple and in lifting the breast some.   So now I'm on to worrying about radiation.

momzr

I thought perhaps I had posted on this thread awhile ago, but I guess I did not.  Here is my story/scenario on "Just Lumpectomy". 

I AM a member of the "lumpectomy only" club and here's what happened in my situation.  I had a diagnosis of DCIS -- on left breast in July '08 - this was after a digital mamm which showed a cluster of microcalcifications followed by a lumpectomy/surgical excision.  Mine was a very tiny, tiny area of DCIS (1.6 mm -- Yes that says mm NOT cm - so less than 1/8th of an inch in size) with nothing identified as comedo and no necrosis, considered intermediate grade, and I had clear margins after the surgical excision/lumpectomy.  I have not had any additional treatment besides my excisional biopsy in July '08 which got that tiny area of DCIS out.  At follow up appt. a week after that biopsy, a medical oncologist spoke with me and told me that my tumor was sooo tiny he thought there was a miniscule chance it would cause me problems down the road and he did not recommend radiation therapy or hormonal therapy with their associated risks and side effects for my particular situation.  He actually told me I was not to lose sleep over this or worry about it and he never expected to see me again.   I also met with a radiation oncologist who wavered a bit on his recommendation, (seems I was sort of in a 'gray' area on rad treatments mainly because of my age at time - 46 - and one margin although clear was 'close') but ultimately told me after we had a long discussion that I get a pass on this and with my particular circumstances that if I were his wife, he would NOT treat me with radiation.  Therefore, I decided against doing anything more except for close monitoring with mammograms and MRI's as needed. Since that time I have had both follow up digital mamm on my left side in December '08 and a follow up MRI in Feb '09 &'10 and March 2011 as well as a regular annual bi-lateral digital mamm screening on both breasts in June '09,  '10 and '11.  

Just this past June of 2011 after digital mamm they again found a 'grouping' of microcalc's in that left breast.  I again endured another lumpectomy/excisional biopsy (breast too small for stereo biopsy procedure) -- fortunately this time after lumpectomy the results were all benign breast conditions.  Breast surgeon told me to just continue with yearly mamm's and he did not even feel that Breast MRI's are necessary as there can be 'false positives' with them.  So, my next mamm will be summer of 2012.  While I do not feel I am out very far from original diagnosis in 2008, so far, so good in my particular case with no recurrences.  Crossing fingers that will continue!