Stage IIIB mastectomy need advice

zohra

Hello ,

My mother done with chemo. Today , she had appointment with her surgen. The doc wants mastectomy right breat. The breast that has cancer. (But she wants mastectomy for her both breasts)

She think that  the cancer can come back in her left breast. That's why she wants mastectomy her both breasts. Please , I just need your advice what do you think about her decision . Any information will be helpfull.

Thanks

Zohra

Anonymous

Hello Zohra,

There seems to be more likelihood that her type of breast cancer has a higher tendency to be multi-focal (occur in both breasts). She is probably wanting to remove both as an added precaution. I think you'll find tha many of us ILC women get both breasts removed as more of a protection. I hope others will give you feedback as well.

Claire

zohra

Thanks for reply . I need more feedbacks pls. The surgeon told me may be she will survive two or three years so no reason to give her hard time ... I really dont know why he said that ... My mother is stage IIIB. Many people serving when they are in stage 4.

Thanks

SLGrib

Hi Zohra,

I had multi-focal ILC in my left breast. I had 8 rounds of chemo and a NSM with immediate recon. Final pathology was 3.7cm combined tumor involvement reduced to single cells throughout the affected area (98% reduction). Before my surgery I told my surgeon I understood  my other breast would be at risk, and she said according to current research, the chance of cancer in the remaining  breast is much less than previously thought.

I hope that helps.

SweetCaroline2

To Zohra

I do not know why your doctor said that your Mom might only survive 2 or 3 years. You are correct that some women with stage 4 breast cancer live many more years than that.  I had a large, stage IIIA, multifocal ILC in my right breast and chose just to have one breast removed. ILC does have a slightly higher risk of occuring in the other breast, but my MO and my surgeon agreed that the risk for a cancer in the other breast was about 1% per year- a risk I was willing to live with.  I knew my cancer was estrogen and progesterone receptor positive and took comfort in that for 5 years I would be taking an AI called  Anastrozole ( brand name-Arimidex) after surgery, which would lower my risk both of my cancer returning and of a new cancer in the other breast developing. Plus I would be getting frequent follow-up exams along with more frequent, more sensitive digital mammograms. I am happy with my decision. The more surgical procedures you have, the higher your risk of complications, and I have had some of those. I still have a seroma (fluid pocket) under my right arm along tightness and a burning sensation under that arm. There is tightness in my surgical incision. Many women know that they will feel anxious unless both breasts are gone, however the researchers say that a mastectomy of the opposite breast is usually not needed and poses unnecessary risk. It is a personal decision, however. I think it is a very good thing to be well-informed when making this kind of difficult decision. 

God bless you. You and your mother are in my thoughts and prayers.

MMSS

I chose to have a BMX for emotional reasons. Because my ILC had not shown up on either mammogram or ultrasound there was no way that I could imagine living with that type of uncertainty for the rest of my life. I also chose not to have reconstruction and the surgery alone without having the TEs inserted for reconstruction is much easier to recover from. I was home the next day and went to Florida 3 weeks later. I am 73 so not exactly a spring chicken but it was a whole lot easier than having a total knee done which I had had 6 months earlier. If your Mom really wants to have the bilateral people shouldn't try to talk her out of it. We old ladies have earned the right to do as we please.LOL How would you feel if it did come back in the other breast? I don't have a single regret and when I think about never having to face another mammography machine I grin from ear to ear.