Mammo after lumpectomy and before radiation?

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VinRobMom
VinRobMom Member Posts: 101
edited June 2014 in DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)

Is this common practice?

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  • 3monstmama
    3monstmama Member Posts: 1,447
    edited February 2010

    hmmm. Don't know. I had a mammo in connection with my biopsy and my next mammo is scheduled for August.  My surgeon said that one sooner wasn't necessary.

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  • June2268
    June2268 Member Posts: 1,202
    edited February 2010

    Yes this was normal for me and I questioned it as well. However I was blindsided when I got the news that they found more and I had to go back in after receiving my good news that all margins were clear............Not to scare you, but this is good practice to make sure they got everything. I ended up having another 9cm's out and in total I am at around 17-18 cm's total......not a pretty sight to look at and I am trying my hardest to move onto the next phase which is the rads. I was told by mammography that they schedule mammograms if they are not 100% sure.....I wish someone told me that upfront.....So try to keep an open mind and lets pray for the best......Hugs to ya and keep us posted.  When is your mammo scheduled for?  June

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  • sweatyspice
    sweatyspice Member Posts: 922
    edited February 2010

    I think I'd read somwhere that mammo was standard post surgery as soon as you'd healed enough to get smushed to get a new baseline, but no one's mentioned it to me - at least not yet.  I'm not supposed to start rads for about another month and will see them all: rad onc, BS and PS, in 2 weeks.  Maybe they'll mention a mammo then.

    At my first post-surgical consult, rad onc's resident mentioned that I'd have to do a pre-rads CAT scan, what's the story with that?  I questioned him and he said it was for positioning....what does a CAT scan show?

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  • redsox
    redsox Member Posts: 523
    edited February 2010

    The pre-rads CT scan is part of the simulation for radiation.  The purpose is to map your breast and the particular target areas, e.g. where the tumor was.  Then they develop the treatment plan to deliver the radiation dose tailored to the volumes and target areas of your body.

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  • IronJawedBCAngel
    IronJawedBCAngel Member Posts: 470
    edited February 2010

    I had the CT scan at my rads center before beginning, but my first mammogram was six months after my radiation was completed.  They wanted to give my breast time to heal and everything to settle down after the surgery.  I know women who have had MRI's, but a mammo?  Ouch!  I started my rads about 3 weeks after my surgery.  I will say though that my cancer was very small and was essentially removed during my biopsy, there were no cancer cells in my lumpectomy pathology, so some doctors may do things differently if margins are small and they think there is the possibility of some stray cells remaining.

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  • VinRobMom
    VinRobMom Member Posts: 101
    edited February 2010

    Thanks to all your comments.  I had the mammo this Mon.  The radiologist called me tonignht to say that there are still a lot of calcifications in the breast.  Clearly the only choice of treatment is a mastectomy.  I want to have immediate recon and will ask BC about my eligibility for nipple-sparing surgery.  I know that entering into radiation was sketchy and now, I can be (hopefully) sure that I am done with this and don't have to revisit the same decision in six months. 

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  • sweatyspice
    sweatyspice Member Posts: 922
    edited February 2010

    I'm really sorry to hear that news, VinRobMom.  Wishing you all the best.

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