after diagnosis

Supportive

Just wondering if i can get opinions on why and why not people do and do not have double masectomys over a lumpectomy after diagnosis. Is it dependent on the stage and grade i am sure... is it the fact that insurance does not cover the surgery or is it the fact you want to keep your breasts?

I do not know the stats on how much less risk of a reoccurence after a double but i know its not impossible due to the fact there is still a small amount of breast tissue left

Wondered on why you did or did not to help others make decisions?

Thank you and god bless

wrenn

were you just diagnosed

Numb

Like you Supportive I wondered the same thing.  I am having a lumpectomy tomorrow and I would be only too happy to wake up and have no breast there at all.  Why I didn't opt for this is because when I was diagnosed I  knew nothing about breast cancer and the Surgeon said that it was 95% successful with a lumpectomy and I suppose I got such a shock I just went with that but now I am wondering if I would be better off having both breasts removed and this could be an option in the future.

dtad

So this is why I decided to have a BMX... A mammogram picked up a 1cm IDC. I was scheduled for a lumpectomy with IOR until I had a pre operative MRI. Another malignancy was found in the same breast which was ILC. Also 1cm. I could of had a partial mastectomy with a lift on the other breast. I chose BMX mostly because my breasts are very dense and the second lump was missed on both mammogram and ultrasound. Also for better symmetry. One more reason is for many reasons I knew I would refuse chemo and anti hormone therapy so I wanted the most aggressive surgery. Im happy with my decision. Its a very personal one and should be well thought out. Good luck to everyone....

ElaineTherese

I chose lumpectomy + radiation over mastectomy because 1) I wanted a smaller surgery with a quicker recovery time; 2) I didn't want to do reconstruction or go flat (reconstruction can involve multiple surgeries); and 3) I wanted to keep my breasts (reconstructed breasts don't have much sensation). Also, statistically, there's no difference in outcomes. It is the case that some women who opt for lumpectomy end up getting additional surgery because their surgeons don't get clean margins. But, by the time I had my lumpectomy, I'd had five months of chemo and my scans (MRI and PET) showed that there was no active cancer left in my breast or my lymph nodes. I thought the chances of having dirty margins were slim and I was right.

I'm glad I opted for a lumpectomy. I'm a working Mom of twins with autism. The boys are high-maintenance and I can't afford to be in recovery from surgeries for weeks at a time. I was able to go back to work the day after my lumpectomy, and to manage my workload during radiation. I guess if I were retired and my kids were grown up, I might have felt differently.

MelissaDallas

Supportive, as I understand it you will be having a duct excision for a (benign) papilloma. I'm don't understand why you are asking this question on the "Just Diagnosed" board or why you would even be asking about mastectomy

farmerlucy

I chose a mastectomy because I had extremely dense breasts and nothing but white was seen on film. I was also going broke paying for high risk screening and excisional biopsies. Only now can I see it was an extreme decision, but one that was the right one for me. I have implants which look great cosmetically but will never feel like real breast but that is ok too. I read and read before my mx on these boards so I knew what to expect.

momand2kids

Hi

I went with lumpectomy at the recommendation of my surgeon--- very discrete lump, she thought it would be easy to get-no lymph nodes…. I ended ups with 4 rounds of chemo and radiation…. would have had chemo either way due to low intermediate onctoype score. This was the best set of decisions for me. I have reasonably good sized breasts and you really cannot tell. No one ever suggested an MX to me and from what I now know, it would have been overkill for me and my particular breast cancer…. everyone is different. I have never regretted the decisions related to my treatment….. almost 8 years out and doing great!!!! Good luck

etnasgrl

I chose a lumpectomy, followed by radiation for several reasons....

1) I did not want a long surgery time and recovery time. I just didn't want to put my body through that, if I didn't have to.
2) A lumpectomy plus radiation is just as effective as a mastectomy, for my type of cancer, so why should I lose a breast if I don't need to?
3) If the cancer is going to come back, it's going to come back. A mastectomy won't keep it away. I know of women, my mother included, who had a mastectomy and the cancer came back in the mastectomy scar.
4) I had a plastic surgeon do a tissues rearrangement at the time of my lumpectomy and if not for the scar, you would never know I had a lumpectomy. My cancer breast looks just like my non cancer breast. I'm very pleased with the results. (Knowing that the plastic surgeon would be able to do this, helped make my decision.)

Kicks

'Supportive' - if you fill in your Profile with your DX so others could give replies that might be pertinent to your DX/situation would be helpful to get replies from ones who faced the same DX. All types of BC (DCIS/IDC/ILC/IBC) ARE NOT the same. They do not ALL have the same prognosis or appropriate TX plan. There is a lot of other factors that come into play also - genetics, ER/PR status, HER2 status, age, weight, activity level, mental status, overall health at time of DX that ALL come into play for any individual - it's not just a generic plan for ALL.

If you want experiences from those with similar DX, then you need to post it to get replies that might apply to your situation it must be known.

Piper33

Hello. Although this has been a whirlwind since December 18 and at beginning stages for me I can share and wonder about your question. I did ask for a bilateral mastectomy as my right breast had issues with mammograms, stereotactic biopsy trauma, etc. It had to wait until known about chemo and radiation. (Radiation onc talking to us on March 21) My results were fast. I am having a mastectomy on right side afterward. I still wish it was done at same time. I don't really feel my answer was definitive. That said, my team is fantastic! I had a strong feeling before diagnosis and they all work together for me and my family. I had a bone mets scare and although it's ruled out with spinal compression fracture only at this point I will worry. Sorry a little off topic

Blessings.

Ps. New and I added my DX and treatment but not showing up for me

Piper33

hi Kicks other than my age of 47 I did add my DX and treatments in profile yet don't see it. Maybe I am doing something wrong?

Thank you

Moderators

Hi Piper, welcome to Breastcancer.org!

If you want your DX and/or treatment to show at the bottom of every post, you can add it as a "signature" line that will appear after each post. Go to "My Profile" at the top right hand corner of the browser page, click the "Diagnosis" or "Treatment" tab, and you'll read: Adding a new diagnosis is private. You can update them to public under Settings. Public diagnoses will appear in your Discussion Board signature.

At the bottom of that page, you'll see a field for "signature." Click inside that box, and you can add the text you'd like to share. Don't forget to save your changes! Good luck, and please let us know if you need help with this, we're here for you!

The Mods

windingshores

 I had a single mastectomy at first because I did not want radiation and due to another health condition, my MD's did not think radiation would be good for me either.

I originally wanted a bilateral mastectomy. My surgeon wanted me to try one, see how I did, and agreed to do the other side later. I had my second prophylactic mastectomy three months after the first one.  Insurance covered it. I just go flat.

I am older, divorced and kids are grown. But I am pretty sure I would have done the same thing at a younger age, married, and/or with kids in the house.

It's a personal decision.

Skittlegirl

My BS said that NCCN guidelines said mastectomy for me. I had just too much going on in my breast. Not having to make the lumpectomy/mastectomy decision helped me. I did opt for BMX for symmetry and the feeling that I did everything possible to fight BC this go-around.

labelle

I was offered either. BS said it was up to me. I don't think insurance plays a big role in this choice very often. Usually personal preference seems to be the deciding factor except in cases where a lumpectomy isn't likely to achieve good cosmetic or health results because the area being excised is too large. Those who test BRCA positive are likely to have a BMX recommended-my BS said if my BRCA testing came back positive he'd strongly recommend a BMX (it didn't) otherwise because I had a small tumor I could expect good results (wide margins/cosmetically acceptable) from a lumpectomy and I have been mostly happy with this choice. That said a lot of things went wrong for me during RADS, but I think I'd still choose a lumpectomy if I had a chance to do it over- although I would definitely get a different RO!

msphil

hi All i was diagnosed while making wedding plans so i was thinkin Lumpectomy so i wouldnt ho into marriage deformed But fiancee now husband said do mastectomy i didnt want to have to go back mast, did Lmast and noe Praise God 22yr Survivor this yr. Hope n Positive thoughts. msphil idc stage2 0\3 nodes Lmast chemo n rads n 5yrs on tamoxifen.

hsant

I opted for a BMX (no recon) for a couple of reasons.

1. Although I tested brca negative, I have a strong family history (mother, sister, paternal grandmother).

2. I wanted to avoid radiation.

I'm very happy with my decision, but it's personal. If you have the option between a lumpectomy, UNX or BMX, there is no right or wrong choice