Opt for removing both breasts when only one cancerous?

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stitches
stitches Member Posts: 11

Thirty-one years ago, at age 30, I had lumpectomy, radiation and chemo.  Now have been recently diagnosed with ductal adenocarcinoma in same breast - and am facing mastectomy in two weeks. Has anyone opted to have both breasts removed, even though the other one had no symptoms at the time?  One surgeon advises this would be wise, yet his associate says just remove the affected breast.  Are you happy with your decision, whichever way you chose?  Thanks!

Comments

  • baywatcher
    baywatcher Member Posts: 532
    edited December 2008

    While it is a personal choice, I would not remove a healthy breast. I recently lost my second breast (due to cancer) and I miss it more than I thought I would. I could have chosen a lumpectomy this time and am somewhat regreting my decision

  • Patti3
    Patti3 Member Posts: 53
    edited December 2008

    Hi Stitches, I was diagnosed almost 6yrs ago..removed only the affected breast. Ive recently had a PET Scan which showed probable physiological uptake in my "good" breast, had a mammo which did not show anything new from last year, and now have to have a mammo again in 6months. At this point I am thinking that I just should have gone ahead and removed it when I had the other done. I also had recon (saline implant) and lift and reduction of the other side about 3yrs ago, and at this point they dont match any longer, one up and one down. My grandmother is the only family history of bc in my family, she was 75 when she was first dx, but hers did recur a year later, so I worry about that too.

    Tough choice, and yes a very personal one.   Its good that your thinking it through. I was so eager to remove the cancer, but  I wished I had done that. Best wishes to you.

  • mumito
    mumito Member Posts: 4,562
    edited December 2008

    Hi stiches I have removed my left breast and going to remove the healthy one next year.  I am 49 and married.  I think your personal decision is tough especially if you are only 30. I don't like my lopsided look.  I would rather have absolutely no breasts and be healthy. I am afraid of a recurance in the other breast.  I may do reconstruction in the future but right now I just want to stay healthy.  I hope this helps you with your decision.Good luck with everything.

  • lisasayers
    lisasayers Member Posts: 850
    edited December 2008

    It's a personal decision.  I had both breasts removed even though cancer was only in the left.  However, I have always had very cystis breast, especially the right.  In addition, there is my family history.  I was diagnosed September 25th at the age of 44.  Two weeks before me, my 38 year old sister was diagnosed.  My maternal grandmother and paternal aunt both had breast cancer.  I do NOT regret my decision.

  • lookingforward4more
    lookingforward4more Member Posts: 127
    edited December 2008

    Hi! I was diagnosed last year and had a single mastectomy. I decided to have the other side done when I had my expander exchange. An immediate skin sparing implant was done and I am very  happy with my two "new" breasts. For me I did it because my cancer was mis-read for a few years as benign and I had large dense breasts. I just don't trust the "experts" and wanted some closure. I love not wearing a bra and now have d cup implants. Its a relief. I do, however, miss my nipples. Sigh.

  • dlb823
    dlb823 Member Posts: 9,430
    edited December 2008

    Hi ~  I had a mast. (left side) in May with Diep flap reconstruction.  Although bc is prevelent in my family (sister + 2 cousins), none of them tested positive for a genetic link, and my BS at a prominent bc center never even raised the question of doing a bi-lateral, although I, too, have dense breasts.  My PS insisted that my MRI be totally clear of anything suspicious on the right side because I only had enough tummy tissue to do one Diep flap reconstruction.  But I appreciated their belief that one side was appropriate, and I am glad that I still have nipple sensation on one side. 

    As others have said, it is such a personal choice, and one you want to take as much time as you need to make.  You also need to consider the whole picture regarding reconstruction, as there are options that may or not play into this, as in my case.  

    By the way, there are several other threads on this board with basically the same question, so you may want to review some of those responses as well. 

    Good luck with your decision.   Deanna

  • rhuyck
    rhuyck Member Posts: 5
    edited December 2008

    I am 62 years old, and I had a lumpectomy with radiation in my right breast 19 years ago.

    I had a mastectomy six weeks ago on that same breast because the cancer came back in the same spot. Also, because I had a breast reduction done in 1996 to have both breast the same size and because of the radiation, I am not able to get implants and will only be able to have reconstruction by the tram flap method. I do not intent to do any reconstruction. My husband has accepted the way I look and he knows that I have been thru enough with this mastectomy. My motto is "Why worry about something before it happens".

    I chose to keep my good breast for now. I recommend that you keep the good breast. I have had enough trouble with the recovery for the right side of my chest. My surgeon had problems with the blood flow because of the prior radiation and the scar tissue I had. I had several lymph nodes removed and I am still going to physical therapy for two times a week for the past five weeks. I plan on going as long as my insurance will pay for it. It helps with the tightness of the scar and the muscles around the breast area, which is still very hard. I am still wearing a mastectomy sports bra with padding on the right side. I would consider doing a breast reduction on the left side in the spring, but for now I am glad I didn't remove my other breast. I also have stage IV Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. I started chemo yesterday - I will need 5 more sessions - every 21 days apart.

    In your heart and mind, you will make the right choice.

    Rachel

  • GryffinSong
    GryffinSong Member Posts: 439
    edited December 2008

    This is such a personal decision, and I've heard very good stories with both treatment options. I'm choosing to have both removed now, despite having "only" a grade one cancer, and only in one breast. I feel that I'd rather be "even", though flatchested, then deal with the off-centeredness. I have a friend who only had one removed, and she'd definately have preferred losing both, but her insurance was minimal and wouldn't cover it. Advantages include: no imbalance on the body (back, shoulders, etc ... more obvious in a large breasted woman). If you choose to reconstruct, I understand that its easier to match them to each other, then to match them to a natural breast.

    For me, its also about peace of mind. Yes, there is still a tiny chance that breast cancer can recur in the scar, or on the chest wall, but that chance is so much smaller with virtually no breast tissue remaining. It's also easier to find any recurrance with nothing in the way. ;)

    Hugs and best of luck. The important thing is to do whatever YOU will feel most comfortable with.

  • stitches
    stitches Member Posts: 11
    edited December 2008

    Thank everyone for your timely and thoughtful responses to my question.  My choice was to have the bilateral and it was done 5 days ago.  After much thought and prayer, doctor's advice and statistics for recurrence - the BLM seemed right, and I'm glad the surgery is over.  I am so grateful for this website and the discussion topics/answers/insights!  Blessings on you all for a peaceful Christmas and a blessed new year.  Love, Stitches

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited December 2008

    Stitches, I am happy for you for your decision! I, too, had a BM only 1 week ago and have felt wonderful about my decision. The visiting nurses have both commented that their patients with only one breast gone seem to have a harder time adapting and accepting their situation, they are worried about additional surgery, breast forms, etc. Not to say that those above with one breast aren't adapting of course! (This was not a generalization!) The nurse today mentioned an 85 year old widow that really lost it when she lost one breast. So sad....I think that not to have the other breast to compare to makes it easier to look down and deal with what you have now.

    I went out today to the drugstore and had my coat off because I was too warm. I was so very careful to make sure my drain tubes weren't showing, holding my coat low, that I forgot until I left the store that I didn't care that I am totally flat!

    I am not getting a reconstruction or wearing foobies. I have had large breasts for 37 years! I salute the ladies that have the stamina to deal with more surgery, though, I just can't do it...the additional time in surgery and the tatoos and all the other pieces, nipples, etc. I am just blown away that someone can keep going like that. What a warrior!

    I agree with someone above who said that if one breast can produce cancer, the other can too. I don't get my pathology until Jan 7th, but the surgeon did say he found lumps in my right breast as well, and I had calcifications that showed up on the mammo.

    I have already found clothes in my closet that I can wear to work that are not immediately obvious. Of course, the people I work with will notice as I was a 42D! My husband says he can hug me closer now, and I actually look thinner.

    Hugs to you! 

  • stitches
    stitches Member Posts: 11
    edited December 2008

    Oh, your story about the trip to the drugstore made me laugh :o)  And if we can't laugh through some of this, then it is all the more difficult.  I wasn't as buxom as you before the BM, so being totally flat isn't much change!  I hope your pathology report is favorable, barbe1958, and that you have a smooth recuperation.  Stitches  (PS where is Barrie, ON - where it is warm?  We are in N. Idaho and have almost 4 ft. of snow)

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited December 2008

    Stitches, Barrie, Ontario is in Canada and we too, have over 4 feet of snow. I don't wear a hat, scarf or even gloves unless it gets below 25-30 degrees below zero (C) and then I wear gloves. After bundling up then scraping off the care and tramping through the snow to the store I am usually sweating. Way too hot inside!

    How are you doing now?

  • zengrl
    zengrl Member Posts: 10
    edited December 2008

    hey there stiches.. I too chose to have a bi-lat even though cancer was in the left. I didn't want rad so I opted for removing both. Other that the wrong size implants being put in, I am happy with my decision, I just know that I would always be worrying about it returning. The only thing on my mind now is CC and I wish I had the guts to go without any implants at all.... I think it would be soo much more comfortable. I am single and 43... maybe in the future I will have them removed for good. 

  • stitches
    stitches Member Posts: 11
    edited December 2008

    I am doing quite well since BLM one week ago - trying to remember to stand up straight so don't look so concave!  So nice to be able to take a bath again (since drains are out).  Barbe, you are a winter girl :o)  and zengrl, what is CC?  I can't fully express how comforting this discussion board is for me - what a difference from going through this 30+ years ago when there was pretty much no support, no one to talk to.  Thank you all for taking time to contribute to this site!  Love, stitches

  • Mykidsmom
    Mykidsmom Member Posts: 1,637
    edited December 2008

    Stitches - I had my BM w/ TE 1 1/2 weeks ago after a dx of stage 0 cancer in my left breast. My oncologist strongly recommended that I go this direction ("if it were my wife I would have a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy w/ silicone implants") and so far I have not regreted it at all. I was going down the path where invasive bc was looking more and more likely over the next 5-10 years, this certainly seemed to best path for me to go. My PS was totally on board with my oncologist's recommendation. She says it is much easier to do reconstruction and match both sides, when both sides are being done. And now my bc risk is much less than the normal population.

    BTW: My path showed early signs of atypical cells in my "healthy" breast as well.

    Good luck w/ your recovery! - Jean

  • zengrl
    zengrl Member Posts: 10
    edited January 2009

    hey there stiches.. cc is capsular contraction... not fun at all. The left one is getting rounder and harder and painful. Just can't stomach the thought of another surgery so I will deal with it and am just thankful that they are small enough that the difference is not very noticeable.I STILL have to remind myself to STAND UP STRAIGHT!! I think it is a habit from 4 years of waiting for my replacement implants....hunched over boobs just aren't as noticeable! I am soooo glad you are doing well.

      And Barbe.. we out here in Vancouver just need 2 more cm of snow to break the all time record!! (set in 1964) I have had sooo much fun taking pictures out at kits beach... we NEVER get this much snow and have it last more than a day or two...the first snowstorm was on the 17th.  My neice is out here from Barrie and can't believe it! We actually had a snowfight on boxing day Laughing

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited December 2008

    Hey Zengrl, I am FROM Vancouver and lived there in 1964. I was six at the time and do remember the snow. I had wool mittens and when I scooped the snow it stuck to my mittens and kind of made ice. Then I sucked the mittens to melt the snow. My sister explained that a miracle would be if my mittens weren't wet from all that! It was a very serious discussion from my one-year-older sister! For some strange reason, I was just thinking about that last night! 1967 or '68 was also a bad winter. We were moving out east and all our stuff was packed. We had no boots so had to go to school with newspaper wrapped around our shoes and then huge socks of my Dad's put over it all. Wow, what a memory!  My brother still lives out there. Don't know kits beach but remember Crescent Beach.

    Good luck on your CC. My left drain is still in (13 days out) and I have a hard ridge along my icision line. Kind of like a large thumb lying just under the skin - and as hard! The day nurse isn't too worried, but I am. Why isn't it draining? Yikes, something else to worry about....sigh.

  • kranie
    kranie Member Posts: 33
    edited December 2008

    Stitches, I had bilateral mastectomy in Oct. 17 years ago, I had lumpectomy and radiation and chemo. I was 36 at the time and the thought of losing my breast terrified me.

    This time, before I even got the diagnosis, I decided I wanted a bilateral although they were only looking at the one breast. I am BRCA1+ and just the thought of breast tissue on my body was unthinkable. I am really glad I made this decision. Some lymph nodes traveled over to the other side and I would have probably been advised to go bilateral anyway.

    But, everyone's circumstances are different, so it has to be your own decision, unless the docs are advising a bilateral. I had DIEP reconstruction immediately and I'm hoping I will have 2 equal sides now! For me, it was the right choice.

    Good luck in making your choice. It sounds as if it will be an informed one!

    Karen in Pittsburgh

  • Seven11
    Seven11 Member Posts: 162
    edited October 2010

    I am in the same boat and have opted for bi lateral.  I am 41, just finished chemo and will have surgery 1/21.  What it came down to for me was...I never want to be in that chemo chair again.  The doc left the decision up to me. 

  • ddlatt
    ddlatt Member Posts: 448
    edited December 2008

    i had cancer in my right breast, 1.2 cm, grade 3, stage 1, triple negative. i opted for double mastectomy because my surgeon told me that would reduce my chances of recurrence down to 2%, along with chemo and radiation.  i never wanted to have just one breast and had always wanted a flat chest, so those are the reasons i opted for double mastectomy, with no reconstruction. i am extremely happy with the results and with my decision.

  • my2boys
    my2boys Member Posts: 339
    edited January 2009

    I opted to have both breasts removed even though the cancer was only diagnosed in my left breast.  The reason I opted for this was because my breasts were so dense that screening was impossible to read.  Even sonos and MRI's both done before my surgery, showed "benign" findings, due to the density of my breasts.  I found the cancer myself, through breast examination.

    As it turned out, my "healthy" breast showed the beginnings of cancer cells that went completely under the radar and were undetected, so in the end, I was happy that I made the decision to have them both removed.

  • clubmember5
    clubmember5 Member Posts: 15
    edited January 2009

    I am two years out from IDC and had breast cancer in the right breast.  I had cyst and very dense tissue and was sick of the whole scare "thing" every time I had a mammogram.  When the surgeon found three small tumors right next to each other during surgery, I told him to take them both off.  I had a mammogram every year and with the dense tissue, they did not see the cancer. I have not missed those things one bit!!!  It really isn't bad, they can put you back together very nicely.  I had grade one, with one microscopic sentinal node.  I took 4xTC and am taking Arimidex.  The choice has to be a personal one, but for me I am so glad I did it!   Take care and good luck.  P.S.  I didn't have any more cancer in either breast, but I would have worried about it.

  • Paulette531
    Paulette531 Member Posts: 738
    edited January 2009

    I had both removed even though cancer was in the right breast only. There is a high incidence of BC and cancer in my family so I thought it best, both my surgeon and onc agreed. I do not regret the decision. In my mind, I thought it best because I did not want to face this again somewhere down the line. Both my older sisters had BC before me, one had lumpectomy and one had mastectomy.

  • bevj
    bevj Member Posts: 5
    edited January 2009

    It has been so interesting reading about your decisions.  I have been second guessing mine.  I am 62 and had a mx on the left side 3 weeks ago.  I had cancer only on the left side, and had mamograms, MRI and sonograms on both to be sure there was nothing "hiding" in the right side.  So the decision was made to only remove the left.  I currently have an expander in the left side and am going to the PS on 1/6 to have the first injection of saline into the expander.  The plan is to have reconstruction and a reduction/lift on the right side.  Then mamograms every year on the right side, I know I will always be nervous about every mamogram and I asked the surgeons about doing a bi-lateral, but was told since it took me 62 years to get cancer on the left side, (and although I have a greater risk of getting cancer on the right side than someone who had never had cancer at all) my chances are small of getting cancer again.  They said if I were in my  30's or 40's they would recommend a bi-lateral, but not at my age.  

     Okay, sounds reasonable I guess, the only other woman in my family who has had breast cancer was my father's sister, but my Dad had bone cancer and lung cancer and my Mom's sister had rectal cancer.  I have had basil cell carcinoma on both legs, but it was removed with no recurrance.  My Mom lived to be 97 and most of her sisters also lived to be in their 90's and one was 102 when she died, so I have a history of longevity in my family so I feel like I have a lot more years left in which I might have to go through this again and that is not something I want to do.

    I hope my decision to just have the one removed is the right one.  My PS has a reputation for being a stickler for semetry and is apparently an excellent surgeon.  I sure hope so.  He is going to reduce the size of the right breast and put an implant in it to insure the lift so I hope I never end up with one breast higher than the other.  It is important to me to feel whole again and to feel like I look feminine.  My husband is very supportive and says he is okay with whatever I decide and if I did not have recon he would still be okay with that too.  I am glad he feels that way, but I don't think I could handle not having the reconstruction.  I am supposed to take Tamoxifen too and I hope that will not be a bad decision.   All this is so hard and scary and confusing - thanks to all of you for sharing.

  • zengrl
    zengrl Member Posts: 10
    edited January 2009

    Hey Barbe1958 Happy New year! I hope you (and everyone else) is doing great. Tis funny you are from Vancouver cause I'm from Toronto!! Ha .. moved here in '70 or '71.  Kits beach is in Vancouver across from English Bay on the west side (not west Van) there are two centennial beaches that I know of, one in White Rock and the other in Tsawwassen (which is where I grew up) trippy eh?!!!  About your hard scar... has your doc recommended massaging with lotion or oil? Ask him/her when you get a chance cause that's what I had to do to "soften" the scar. I just can't remember how soon after surgery I started though!!

     To ddlatt.. do you notice if people are noticing or looking at your flat chest? I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to just get rid of my implants but am too insecure ... I don't have a very feminine look to start with. Do you wear t-shirts and tanks without any problem or do you stick to more bulky items? Or do you even care??!!! :) I wish I could be that secure.

    peace ladies

  • ghety
    ghety Member Posts: 478
    edited January 2009

    Doing them both on Jan. 28, only left one has cancer. I didn't want to face all of this again later on, and have to deal with radiated tissue.  I also have watched my younger sister- in -law deal with BC for 14 years (now with mets to liver) and I have learned to do all I can now while my chances look real good.

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited January 2009

    Zengrl, Crescent Beach, not centennial! You know the one...

    As for my hard scar, it itsn't along the scar line but sort of below it, down my chest a tiny bit further. I don't see the surgeon until Wednesday but he'll notice for sure!

    I have been walking around a large mall for the past week without my coat on and no foobies! I am wearing either a loose sweat shirt or shirt and no one has said anything and I don't care anyway. So glad to be rid of them and their scariness.

     Bevj, you are a stronger person than me. I am only 50 and have no desire for reconstruction, expanders, lifts, etc. I don't want anymore surgery and it is a long road to follow. Good for you!

    Happy New Year to all!

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