Third lumpectomy

Gratefulinmn

I have a third lumpectomy scheduled for next week. If the tissue comes out clean then I am done but if not I will be looking at a mastectomy. Anyone else have more than two lumpectomies?

CAMommy

can they not get a negative margin? I have a close margin but they said it was ok. I'm sorry you have to go through this. I'd probably have a mx after the 2nd lump.

ballet12

Hi Grateful, I had three lumpectomies, and got clean, wide margins on lumpectomy #3. I was also facing that mx decision, but everything worked out after lumpectomy #3. I have even heard of people getting four lumpectomies, but by then the cosmetic results are obviously not too tolerable in most circumstances.

Gratefulinmn

CaMommy and ballet12: I have a couple spots that were not clear during first surgery and now after second surgery I have one that is close but too close for comfort according to my Dr. He said we could leave it and get extra radiation in that area or we could go in and take out more around that area to be sure that there is no more. He said if it's clean we are done and could move into rads but if there is more cancer in it then we might have to look at mx. I am hoping for your same results ballet12 this third time.

ballet12

Hi Grateful,

Hoping you do get that good result! Keep us posted.

melma

Hi just wanted to say i had 5 ops for dcis, Hang in there worth the wait xx

Gratefulinmn

Just got the call from my doctor after my third surgery and he said there were some in situ from what he took but was far enough away from the edge that he took. Good news. My concern is that it seems everytime they go in and take some tissue out they keep finding more. I am fairly large breasted and makes me wonder about the uncharted areas. How do we know that there isn't more in other areas that haven't been explored? Makes me wonder if I should have had the mastectomy but I suppose that is what the radiation is for. It's hard not to be continued worried that it's ll been removed.

ballet12

Hi Grateful, if you have a wide margin--even if there's DCIS in the last excision, you should be good to go. And yes, the main purpose of the radiation is to get anything that's still there. Did you have an MRI? Maybe that would help decide if you want to move on to do a mastectomy or stay with the situation you have. I guess I agree with Melma, hang in there, although those of us with multiple re-excisions are clearly in favor of staying with lumpectomy. Others would differ (so I don't get tons of comments about this on this thread).

Gratefulinmn

Thank ballet12: I agree...I am going to wait to even make any decisions untill talking to him next week. I am going to explain my concerns but I know the radiation will get the rest. I know I have to have a CT scan at some point but not sure about an MRI. I will just relax and be happy that they got a clear margin this last time.

CAMommy

any clear margin is a good clear margin! And yes that's what's rads are for. Glad this was successful.

Angela2015

This answer may come too late but...

Yes, I had 3 lumpectomies with no clear margin and I had to face a mastectomy. Also my other breast had 1 lumpectomy and clear margins, so it was difficult to decide single or doble mastectomy but I went for doble. It's been a rollercoster or physical and emotional ups and downs.

Gratefulinmn

Angela2015 - thank you for your response. I have had the three lumpectomies and have gone through 30 sessions of rads on my left breast that I just finished up with last week. Yesterday I had a mammo on my right breast so anxiously awaiting those results however there wasn't anything on there a year ago so not really antisipating anything now. VERY happy to be done.