Part of me wonders

well, I've been wandering around that literature too.  My worry is not age but close margins.  I have read a lot over the last few days about calculating risks of recurrence, and I have concluded that it is not something I can do by myself.  I think margin status, tumor size, grade (all of w hich are very favorable in your case) lower your risks (don't know about your margin), though young age does raise it.  How these all factor together seems really complicated.  I would talk to your doctors; this is something a radiation oncologist or medical oncologist should be able to address for you.  

Mom,

I think you hit it right on the head. 

I hope you don't all mind me posting here.  I was orig diagnosed with DCIS but then the diagnosis changed before my lumpectomies (but after 3 months of research )  Personally I got 1 cm margins on ILC & PLCIS and have decided to just wait and watch.  It's what makes sense to me despite my age 43 at diagnosis.  It's what I'm comfortable with.

If it's going to make you stress...that's not good for you or healthy for you.  Don't rush into anything, but go and talk to your doctor or find another one that you are more comfortable with.  I went to 2 surgeons, had 3 labs review my stuff, 1 med onc and 1 rad onc before I made my decision.  Discuss with a doctor that you trust, are comfortable with and who's opinion you respect what your concerns are and what you can do about addressing them.  Seriously, stress can really take a toll on your body. 

I'm not saying that I don't think about it.  I do, but it doesn't keep me up at night.  I think it is normal to have it pop into your head from time to time. 

I hope that this comes across as me just being concerned for you...

I just wanted to say that I just had a bilateral, but it wasn't because of studies.  Every doctor made it very clear that, yeah, the chances are better of recurrence (obviously, as you've still got a breast or breasts) but that it made NO DIFFERENCE in survival/cure rates, and that DCIS in one breast did NOT spread to the other breast, and spread in the same breast was going to be caught, again, early, and dealt with.  They told me this over and over.  But I had grade 3, and heredity, no chance of lumpectomy on the breast with DCIS because it was so widespread, and knew I would keep getting calcifications that would have to be biopsied on the other.  I would definitely not have done this in your situation if I'm reading correctly. 

Marianna, I don't have much to add to what laurakay and roseg said, except that I agree.  Well, one other thing I'll say is that if I'd had a choice to have a lumpectomy (I didn't - my DCIS was too widespread) and I could have come out of it with an 8% recurrence risk, I would definitely have chosen lumpectomy over mastectomy.  No question about it.  So if you were comfortable with your decision when you made that decision, don't let what you read on this board influence how you feel or make you question your choice.  The women here are not representative. Most women who have lumpectomies for DCIS leave the board soon after rads is over (if they have rads) and in most cases, we never hear from them again - they are off living their lives, recurrence free!