Prophylactic mastectomy

Dlgennaro

I have had multiple instances of biopsied and diagnosed as fibroadenomas since my mid twenties. First instance I was age 26 and pregnant... 2nd instance I was 38 and now at 45 I'm again going through the mammo, ultrasound & surgical process to biopsy these masses. Each time in my life, I have had more tumors grow with this time being the most (8 tumors in the left and 5 in the right) and they arent small tumors. They have always been diagnosed as fibroadenomas. Although this time the ultrasound found 2 of them as suspicious. I havent been tested for the BRCA gene and have a family history of breast cancer. I am asking for opinions or experiences in going through a prophylactic mastectomy for dense breast tissue and other benign causes? I'm tired of going through this whole process every few years. Is this smart?

Yogatyme

With a family hx of bc I would encourage you to be tested for genetic mutations....there are others besides BRCA. I am BRCA1+ and so aremy sister and niece. I was dxed w bc last July and bc of this and dense breasts, my sister decided to have prophylactic mastectomy. My sister and I were doing close monitoring of breast health and my only regret is not having prophylactic mastectomy and so glad my sister and niece have. We have all also had prophylactic oopherectomy. It's not an easy decision but it is definitely worth investigating if you have any of the mutations. Hoping for the best for you!

Moderators

Hello, Dlgennaro, and welcome to Breastcancer.org! We're sure you'll find it an incredibly supportive and helpful space.

If it helps, here is a link to an interesting podcast about Prophylactic Surgery for Women at High Risk: Part 1 and Prophylactic Surgery for Women at High Risk: Part 2 for more information on who is most likely to benefit from prophylactic surgery and women who shouldn't consider prophylactic surgery.

Hope this helps! Looking forward to hearing more from you soon.

The Mods