Is anyone ever confortable with their treatment choice?

Horse-n-around,

I had a small area of DCIS according to scans, and my surgeon encouraged me to have a lumpectomy.  Intellectually this made sense to me, but emotionally it left me feeling very uneasy.  I worried about the higher recurrence rate, taking tamoxifen, and having YEARS of breast scans in my future (I'm 44).  

Despite my worries, I opted for a lumpectomy.  It turned out 2 of my margins were not wide enough, so then I had the choice of reexision vs. mastectomy.  When I chose to have the mastectomy (bmx), I felt immediate relief and knew I had made the right decision for me.  Many would consider a bmx overkill, but since my surgery in October, I've never once second guessed that decision.

Cancer is so unpredicable that there is no one right decision, and there are so many variables to consider.  Good luck with whatever you decide.

Heidi

I second what Granny Duke says---get a second or even a third opinion. You need to be comfortable with your decision BEFORE the surgery.  Once it is done, you can un-do it.

Sending hugs to you.

Mandy

I also had DCIS and the one (and only) good thing about it is you have time on your side- time to research all of your treatment and reconstruction options, get second opinions and find the best surgeons for you.  Find out the pros and cons for every decision so you're prepared.  But I think it does ultimately come down to following your gut.  I was also given the choice of lumpectomy/radiation or MX.  I agonized over my decision for months but something kept telling me to go with the BMX.  My final pathology report showed multiple areas of DCIS that had never shown up on any mammogram, US or MRI.  I was almost relieved because I stopped second guessing my decision once I heard that.  Educate your brain and then listen to your heart.  I am going to second what Deidre said, though, and urge you to find a good therapist to help you navigate all of this. Good luck to you.  

I am three years out from my dx and treatment and haven't regretted any of my choices.

I had a partial mastectomy/lumpectomy in my right breast for DCIS, and followed it up with 6 weeks of radiation. I got my dx at the beginning of August and finished rads on 12/31/07. In the middle were biopsies, mammograms, MRIs, consults, and 2nd opinions (for rads).

A year later I was DX with LCIS and ALH and and more surgery (there was a lesion which the radiologist and my surgeon both felt should be removed).  I'd had a miserable consult with an oncologist earlier, so wanted to find someone who would be interested in me and my risks...no chemo required (duh) no blood tests etc. I did some searching and found a really good onc who counseled me on my case, risks, and what could do to minimize risk over the long term. I've been on Tamoxifen for 2 years now and have had minimal SEs.  I see the onc every 6 months and have mammos and MRIs yearly.

I wouldn't go back and change anything. But - and this bears repeating - it worked for me and my case. The most important thing a rad onc said to me is to not save something for "the next time". We don't want next times - we want things resolved the first time. Your first time is the best time to get rid of the monster. Whether that means MX or lumpectomy, rads or not, tamoxifen or not is totally dependent on you and your risk tolerence coupled with your pathology.

I hope you get your questions and concerns answered and resolved and go on to have the right and best treatment for you!

take care. 

It will be six years for me since diagnosis in April.  I have no regrets, and have never questioned my choices in regards to my lumpectomy, rads and tamoxifen.  I am very happy with my physical appearance, do not worry much about recurrence, and lead a pretty happy, good quality of life. I did the best to educate myself, and made the best choice for me. There are no guarantees in life, and I have absolutely no control over whether I recur or not, so why worry about something over which I have no control. I could also get hit by a bus tomorrow.  I just try to enjoy each day and the fact that on this day, I do not have cancer.  Life is really pretty darn good!

I was diagnosed with DCIS in the left breast as well as "atypical" cells in the same breast.  The type of cancer was very aggressive though.  I had an excisional "surgical" biopsy b/c the calcifications were too close to the chest wall.  Then I had three more needle biopsies (one in the left & 2 in the right)  By then, I was through with it all.  My doctor told me to make the choice for myself that would help me to take this "book", put it on the shelf, and go on with my life.  I chose bilateral mastectomies with reconstruction.  I am still happy with my choice.  I had the surgery on Dec. 20th and have tissue expanders in.  These will be exchanged for implants in the future.  I have had family members & friends who had lumpectomies, tamoxifen, radiation and yet still had mastectomies.  I just did not want to take the chance of going through all that if I didn't need to.  I also have a friend who had the lumpectomy about 10 yrs. ago and is still cancer free.  Yet, I am very satisfied with my choice.  My doc had told me that if I chose the lumpectomy & radiation, that I would definately have more biopsies in the future.  She said I "light up" under the MRI.  So, I am glad to not have to go through that anymore.