Dr. Ordered Lumpectomy Instead of Biopsy?!

you should go see a breast surgeon-not a general surgeon. There are a lot of very qualified breast specialist people in so cal- I'm sure someone else will give you some names.If not you might post something with need a referral in so cal in the title to get more folks attention. I am in the midwest but there are a lot of women on here from CA.

 Perhaps the depth of the mass against your chest wall is why she suggested lumpectomy vs a biopsy? A second opinion is a good idea I think. You have time- even if it is cancer, which is unlikely, a few weeks won't hurt anything, tho I know you want answers asap. Good luck!

Hi Kittykatt, Sorry that you have to join this club. There are many women who have gone through what you are going through now. Most women will have a mamo first, then ultrasound, biopsy then see a surgeon. A surgeon can and will do a biopsy depending on your report. A biopsy will also tell you your path results and from that you can decide which type of surgery you will have a lumpectomy or a mastectomy.

I would suggest finding a good surgeon at a breast center who deals with breast cancer. There are lots of surgeons out there but you need to find one who has experience in doing breast surgery. I would also suggest bringing someone with you to take notes for you as it  can be overwhelming when talking with a doctor. This is the start of a long journey so take baby steps, come here for support, ask questions and remember we are here for you.

Sending you a healing hug. Keep us posted on how you are doing.

Blackjack

KittyKatt, where are you in SoCal - the UCLA Revlon Breast Center is great.  Google that exact phrase to find it.  They have an integrative approach to BC where breast surgeons, oncologists, radiologists and plastic surgeons are all under one roof, so to speak, to coordinate your care.

Best of luck,

Sue

I would just like to add my two cents...I highly recommend a second opinion

for much of the treatment we receive ...I am a believer in excisional biopsies

because I had five false negative core biopsies and was misdiagnosed until

I requested an excisional biopsy. It allowed the pathologist to throughly examination

the whole lump not just the parts the core biopsy took out, and correctly

diagnose the breast cancer that had been present all along over the time frame

of over a year. The cancer kept on growing in that time finding its way to one of

my lymph nodes and thus my having to do chemo..so ...do get that second opinion

and then you can make an informed choice you will feel more involved in making.

Hugs to you,

KittyKatt--With a lumpectomy, they can examine hopefully all of the lump, and try for clean margins in case it is cancerous.  My first lump was pretty large, but my breast not much smaller or misshapen after.  I was wearing my old bras.  Nothing like not having to have extra surgery.  Best to be done in one shot, I say.  Although in my case it came back and I opted for a bilat-mast.  Came back again.  Just had 2 excisional biopsies and thankfully got clean margins.  This time my surgeon dismissed doing the needle biopsies first as too difficult with masses so small as mine, and the chance of missing and getting a false negative.  So we just took them out, and they were cancerous. Also, from what I've heard, a lumpectomy with radiation is supposed to equal a mastectomy, but it didn't work for me.

Not sure if this helps... 

I had the core needle biopsy first, which did indicate IDC.  Then had lumpectomy  & SLNB on Oct. 4.  Margins were not clear, so now I'm getting a re-excision on Nov. 17, but this time they're going to remove the biopsy tracks.

I did some reading on this and some medical professionals feel that core needle biopsies should not be done at all.  Reason being that since the needle punctures the tumour, when the needle is being withdrawn, there is nothing to stop the cancer cells from being dragged along the needle track, thus spreading the cells to tissue that otherwise may have been kept intact had an excisional biopsy been done to begin with.

I had just read that before my surgeon called me to tell me margins weren't clear.  He informed me in that call that this time, they would remove the biopsy needle tracks as well (in my case there were 5 core biopsies taken).  Needle entered from the side of my breast and up to the tumour at the 12:00 position.  In my case, that translates to a lot of tissues being removed from my already small breast.  I asked him why they didn't take the biopsy tracks in the first place and he was a little taken aback.  He said, "Why did you ask me that?"  I told him that I had read something about it.  I don't think the doctors are used to their patients questioning them, especially on issues that they think we should know nothing about.

Anyways, might be good to research more about the biopsy tracks and question your doctors about that.  After what has happened to me, I think I would have been better off to get the lumpectomy/excisional biopsy instead of the needle biopsy, and I may not have been going back for a 2nd time to get the biopsy tracks removed.

Hi KittyKatt; I am so sorry you are going through this. I am a ten year survivor of DCIS. I had surgical excision biopsy in 1999. I was confused too. But my surgeon, a wonderful lady named Dr. Margaret Paul, told me that lumpectomy was the common name for the biopsy. Usually in a biopsy, a small piece of tissue is removed but with the "lumpectomy" the entire lump is removed. Hence the name. I was very lucky, both the margins and my lymphnodes were clear.