Biopsy question????

This sounds like what I had, then I had a lumpectomy to remove all cancer and get clean margins, then after biopsying all that, I ended up having a bilateral mastectomy.... because it was found to be fast growing and could come back... I am happy with my decision, I discussed this at length with oncololgist and ob and both agreed it was the best decision.

Hi mamatoboyz, I looked at your posting history, what a long wait you have had!  That is just awful. 

By way of encouragement, if they suspected a really invasive cancer, they probably would have seen you sooner.  The DCIS label includes "in situ" (the IS part of the name) which means noninvasive.  Furthermore, across all types of DCIS and all treatments, it is about 95-98% curable.  Try to cling to these statistics.  You are much more likely to be a winner than a loser - cling to that until Tuesday.

When you get your pathology report on Tuesday - I gather they are making you come in, rather than telling you on the phone? I was told over the phone, both for my biopsy and my lumpectomy - your doctor might have an immediate surgical recommendation for you. You can accept a surgery date if they offer you one, but that still gives you time to look around and make some decisions for yourself.

Treatment options for DCIS come down to (a) Mastectomy (1 side or both sides),  (b) Lumpectomy with radiation, or (c) Lumpectomy alone (for the very mildest cases).  If your surgeon doesn't offer you these, ask about them.  If you have to make a second appointment to better understand what you've been told, make it.

Did you know you have a right to choose your surgeon?  (Maybe this is less true in Canada, apologies if I am giving you a bum steer.)

In a city the size of Vancouver, there have to be options.  I am lucky to be in Madison, Wisconsin, which has a Comprehensive Cancer Center and a Breast Center within that.  They have more of a team approach and specialized approach, rather than just general surgery, general oncology, general radiation, etc.  Does Vancouver have anything like that?  I disliked the person I was assigned to for my biopsy, and am much happier with my care at the Breast Center.

You may be a person who feels overwhelmed by too much information or too many choices, but you can exercise choice even in how much information or how many choices you want.  Exercising choice makes a bad situation more endurable. 

Good luck with your biopsy results, I will keep my fingers crossed for you to have a good outcome.  Don't freak out when you get your info, but come here to the forum and let our good sisters-in-cancer give you perspective.  You are never alone! 

It sounds to me like your surgeon suspected DCIS, and if they ran any preliminary tests during your surgery....well, I'm guessing his saying it was "intraductal" means DCIS.  But it's important to remember that those are preliminary results, and you won't really know for sure until you get the final results on Tuesday.  The waiting is awful.

Wishing you all the best, and the ability to get some sleep! 

I was fortunate.  My Dr. who did the biopsy actually called me into her office the next day with results!  They took me way back into the  the office to tell me. I suspect they thought I would fall apart and needed the privacy to cry.  I did not cry, took the news, went home, and then sat and thought about everything.  I wish everyone luck on getting biopsies faster.  I think making people wait is cruel.  The pain of waiting is difficult to say the least.

Agada