More surgery for tissue removal or mastectomy?

carlaganell

I had surgery on April 28 to remove a 5 cm mass. My surgeon now says she has to go back in and take out more tissue? I have to go back to see my surgeon tomorrow and she wants to go in and take tissue out from around where the 5 cm lumpectomy was removed cause it showed mapping of cancer around the area. My dilemma is the first time I had so many complications that I never want to do the surgery again and feel that a mastectomy would be best than taking out more tissue. I'm allergic to everything so the stitches got infected and are just now healing from a 4/28 surgery. If I get the mastectomy now I won't have to go this hopefully ever again. How do I know what to do? I don't even get sent to the oncologist until she is satisfied with her findings?

Jetcat

Hi there - I can only share my experience just for perspective. A few years ago I had a small amount of high grade DCIS in left breast. After lumpectomy I was told that it had all been removed at biopsy. I decided to go through a 3 week course of radiation even though oncologist said it was optional. Radiation was not bad at all in my experience. After a few months, it was hard to tell that I ever had surgery/rads. 18 months later, there were new calcifications on mammogram - high grade DCIS again! This time it was er/pr-. Since I already had radiation, I had to have a left mastectomy. At my most recent mammogram, increased calcifications on right breast and I'm waiting for results of biopsy. This time if cancer,I will get right mastectomy and not fool around with lumpectomy again. I wish that I had probed more about chance of recurrence the first time. I felt so reassured because it was DCIS and I never entertained a recurrence or researched this enough. Best wishes on whichever you decide.

suezq1962

Hi there I am in a similar situation I had a lumpectomy and axillary lymph node excision and did not get clean margins so I will have a re excision on 05-18 nodes were negative so that was good news

I am hopeful to get clean margins this time.... always wonder if I am making the right choice....I felt like I wanted to try again .. These last couple of weeks have definitely been filled with highs and lows. Best wishes to you on your procedure tomorrow

SummerAngel

A mastectomy vs another lumpectomy is entirely your choice, there is no advantage to a lumpectomy in your situation. Also, you can see an oncologist at any time. You don't have to wait until after surgery. I was sent to an oncologist as soon as I was diagnosed, and I feel like seeing him helped me make decisions for my treatment, including the type of surgery.

Cutie

Hi,

I had diagnosis and chemo in Feb 2019 and chemo was done in June 2019. When I went to see 3 surgeons and research, I found that lumpectomy may need another surgery if margin is not cleared. Because they need to test biopsy from surgery. I didn't want to get surgery more than 1 time especially while healing process, I decided to do bilateral mastectomy. With that and kept flat, I didn't need to do yearly mammograms as well. Just sharing my experience.

Wish you getting better soon.

Cutie

yasss

i did chemo and mastectomy and my pathology result just came up with positive result. i don't lknow what should i do now? another surgery or radiation?:((

sarahvancouverisland

Yass, what happened in the end for you? Did they recommend chemo? Hope you're doing well.