determining treatment

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horse-n-around
horse-n-around Member Posts: 79
edited June 2014 in Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment

I am really struggling with.   I opted for a DMX so I could eliminate the need for the hormone blockers.   I have pure DCIS and it was removed. Clear marginsm, just not big margins (its a little close for my BS liking). My DCIS was  70-100% hormone positive

this is my latest thought  -( surgery is being scheduled but I don't have a date yet)  I sent this to my BN this morning and the reply was to set up a appt for further discussions

>>>Of course one always thinks of a question "after the fact",   but why is it so important to do all this surgery NOW  vs "If or When" it reappears and just do it then?  I am supposedly clear now,  DCIS is supposed to slow moving and non-aggressive.  
 
Other than the mental side of things with the monitering,  why  can't the surgery just wait until it showed up again (if it showed up again)?  What would be the harm? 
 
I am not rethinking what procedure I would use, just the timing of it
 
Sorry to be a pain in the butt! <<<<

 Am I crazy to be thinking this way?????

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  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 6,059
    edited January 2011

    No, you're not crazy. I just had another lumpectomy in the opposite breast even though my bs recommended a BMX. I had a lumpectomy a year ago and had chemo/rads and am taking Arimidex. At my first checkup, cancer showed up in the other breast. It seems it was missed last year. The chemo had little or no effect on it except maybe to keep it in check. I want to give the hormone treatment a chance to work and have decided to wait and see. IF (a big if) I ever do get another primary, then I have no choice, but I wanted to be conservative after reading about mastectomies, reconstruction etc. Just the severity of the surgery put me off. Having a mastectomy doesn't clear you from ever having a recurrence, it has been known to happen. Some women have a BMX when they are found to have LCIS which is not even cancer. I find that to be quite extreme but can understand they don't want to go through years of close monitoring. I have LCIS left in one of my breasts and both my surgeon and onc said not to worry. DCIS is a different matter, but at least it wasn't invasive. If you are feeling unsure at this stage, go with your feelings and wait.

    Sue

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  • horse-n-around
    horse-n-around Member Posts: 79
    edited January 2011

    I really am beginning to lose my mind!   . 

     I cannot for the life of me figure out which way to go is the right way.   In some ways I just want to "take em off and be done with it" but that is a huge amount of surgeries and I hate to put myself through all of that when I am supposedly clear for a unknown possibility of more BC showing up again some day.  Of course with the way my luck goes, I'd take one off and six months later I have BC in the other side and be doing it all over again.

     I am supposed to meet with the medical Onc on 1/19, but it really feels like my brain won't shut off while waiting for that appointment and I don't think its going to help me make up my mind either (hopefully I am wrong and it wil helpl) 

    Does one ever feel comfortable with their decision on treatment? I don't find myself confortable at all making this decision and I am a bit of a control freak, so I won't be confortable to just fly with what a Dr recommends either. 

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  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 6,059
    edited January 2011

    I must say I do feel very comfortable with my decision to not have a BMX this time. Hugs to you, I hope you get some peace and can think it through logically. I would be very surprised if your doctor recommends a BMX though.

    Sue

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  • msbehavin
    msbehavin Member Posts: 30
    edited January 2011
    I am all for putting in a foundation before I build the building, so a step at a time. Here is how I am proceeding:
    • 1. OK, I have breast cancer, Surgically remove the cancer cells  DONE lumpectomy.
    • 2. Have a saliva hormone test  DONE.
    • 3. Based on the tests, Lets balance out those hormones for three months using BIOIDENTICAL hormone therapy,, progesterone cream at minimum.  DONE, tests showed unbalanced ER to PR % so progesterone cream each morning.
    • 4. Three months ultrasound
    • a. Cancer still gone? Great. Have hormone levels checked again.
    • b. Cancer is back or still there?
    • i. Is it still gone or smaller (if no surgery was done)?
    • 1. Keep going with BHRT (Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy) in this case, only progesterone.
    • ii. Is it growing? Let's surgically remove the cancer if not done prior.
    • 5. Test the hormones again,,,
    • 6. Reformulate BHRT based on new results,
    • 7. 6 month ultrasound
    • a. Cancer gone? Great,
    • b. Still there or back after three months? OK,
    • i. Radiation therapy or radiotherapy
    • 8. 9 months mammogram
    • a. Cancer gone? Great
    • b. Still there? Have another hormone test, if hormones won't balance,
    • i. Start Tamoxifen therapy OR
    • ii. Start Chemotherapy
    • 9. 12 month mammogram
    • a. Cancer gone? Great
    • b. Still there? More Chemotherapy
    • I think it is just a personal preference on how we approach things, I tended to want to understand why I may have gotten cancer in the first place, so I had a chance to change my chemistry. MY ER and PR positive status was solidified after my saliva hormone test results came back showing I was off balance, so to me, balancing my hormones was first on the list, not taking something that would eliminate them from my system, which is definitely easier than trying to balance them.
    • So much research, so little time in this process, Good luck and God Bless.  
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