DCIS , now LCIS in other breast

THANK YOU for your input.  Two days ago I saw my oncologist for a 6 month followup about the Femora I am taking. I told her due to the new finding of LCIS in my other breast I was really wanting a nipple sparing double mastectomy to alleviate my daily fear of having another tumor, which could be a reality more than not after already having one in my other breast. She said I was being to drastic and hasty (it's not like I can run out tomorrow and have the surgery done!!!).  She said I was already in the'high risk' group so that is why I will have a MRI, U/S and Mammo every year, and that I should check myself monthy.  Ha!  A year ago, mid November 2009, I had a mammo and u/s and all was clear.....then when I checked myself  the following March, less than four months later, there it is - a grade III agressive-invasive DCIS 12mm in diameter....stuck right against my chest wall.  So, even if I had all the tests every 6 months I wouldn't feel better just watching and waiting.  WE all know cancers can grow and go wherever they want before we could detect then by palpation or tests.  I told the oncologist what if I get another tumor and it's gone to the lymph nodes and I'm a Grade IV?  Then they would surely jump in and do the double mastectomy on me and I could still more than likely die sooner rather than later!  Anyway, I have an appointment to see my breast surgeon 25th January and am telling her what I want - no more of this watching and waiting.  I'm not in love with my breasts but I do want to live beyond my 58 years, and be around for my 17 year old son, who, by the way, has been to hell and back with all this cancer stuff this year.  He almost didn't graduate from high school is how bad it got - from an A student to and C/D one.  He was diagnosed with anxiety and depression, had nightmares, became afraid of the dark and any sudden noises.  I won't put him through that again if having a double M will take care of it!  Thanks again for your input and support!!!

Dear 'takeadeepbreath':  That's it - I don't want any more SUPRISE PATHOLOGY reports! Having my non- lymphectomy breast reduced in size was supposed to be the conclusion of this nightmare and a healing step...and back comes this pathology report which almost scared me as much as when I first found the tumor.  As a RN, I had never heard of this LCIS, nor had any of my nurse friends - it's quite a sleeper.  My son is planning now on going to college and living at home versus being 2 hours away.  He really isn't ready now to live away from his Dad and I so him not being accepted at the out-of-town college is no biggie.  My heart breaks for him as he never told any of his  school friends about my cancer.  Also, my husband is 18 years older than me, so I guess the three of us always thought if there was a major health issue in our family it would be my husband.  If my breast surgoen won't do it, I'll find one!

Julie75:  Thank you for making me feel like I'm not crazy for wanting a BMX.  Since I had a DCIS in my right breast and 6 months later found LCIS in my left breast I would think an insurance company would agree a BMX is the most economical, logical, health-smart decision.  I think health insurance in the US is better than here (Australia).  In Australia, all citizens have medicare but if you rely on them completely you get placed on waiting lists for everything: surgery, appointment to get appointment to see surgeon or any doctor.  We also pay for private health insurance but it sure hasn't been taking care of it all - like our private health insurance wouldn't pay for any of my radiation treatment because it wasn't given to me as a day patient in the hospital (waiting list was months long)....so, to make a long story short, this has been a very expensive past year for us... 

I'm happy to hear your surgeon agreed to your thinking and have no regrets.  Sounds like we think alone the same line.

Thanks Julie

Hello Everyone,

I am having  on the 5th of March a double nipple sparing (I hope) masectomy using at least one LD muscle for a flap, and maybe both plus silicone implants (tiny ones).  I just am tired from freaking out every day thinking that know I have LCIS tissue in one breast with having just had a year ago a lumpectomy for an invasive agressive form of breast cancer.  I did chemo and 30 rads.  I am on the 5 years of femara (and my knees ache so bad I can't run anymore - I used to do triathlons).  Anyway,  I just decided I was tired of waiting for the LCIS tissue to maybe morph into cancer and having mamograms every 6 months doesn't reassure me as I found the lump with a self exam 3 1/2 months after having a clear mamogram.  I don't need my breasts to live and that's what I want to do - live without fear of breast cancer.  If people don't like my decision, that's their problem.  My husband is supportive of my decision, just is worried I will be upset about the scars.  Scars won't kill me.  Cancer can.  Much of this is a mind game and if one more person tells me how lucky I am to be alive or to be positive as that determines so much of my medical outcome I will scream.  Being a RN all I know is cancer is devious and not a friend!  Now all I have to face is hours of surgery, recovery and another pathology report on the removed breast tissue - NOW THAT MAKES ME ANXIOUS I haven't had a mammogram, U/S or MRI since my initial diagnosis a year ago due to the surgeries, chemo and radiation.  They scheduled all of that for March but now having the double M. rules it all out. I think I'll look up what Leaf has had to say about LCIS.  Amazing, none of my friends who are RN;s like me have ever heard of LCIS before!